Should They Play?The parents' guide to apps and games

Should I let my child play Roblox?

18+

No

Not at any age right now. Roblox faces open investigations and lawsuits over child safety, and until they end well, our answer is no.

Grooming is the most serious risk on Roblox. The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating Roblox over child safety, Arizona is taking it to court over the same issue, and several other US states have open lawsuits. Roblox has made real changes in 2026: age checks for chat, new accounts for younger children and stronger parental controls. But nobody independent has yet confirmed those changes protect children, and the official cases are still open. We'll re-check as the cases close. If your child already plays, the steps below make it much safer.

Roblox fails 3 of our 7 safety checks. See how we decided, and the official age ratings

Last checked . Roblox is made by Roblox Corporation and runs on iPhone & iPad, Android, PC & Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, Meta Quest.

What is Roblox?

Roblox isn't one game. It's a platform of millions of games (Roblox calls them 'experiences') made by other players, with chat, friends and an in-game currency called Robux.

Our advice by age

Under 13
NoFails two rules: the App Store, ESRB and Common Sense Media all rate Roblox 13+, and child-safety cases against Roblox are still open.
13 to 17
NoChild-safety cases against Roblox are still open. If your teenager already plays, set up every step below and talk to them about grooming and scams.

What to watch out for

  • Contact from strangersRisk is high by default, medium with controls on

    Grooming is the most serious risk and the subject of most lawsuits against Roblox. Since January 2026 chat needs an age check and players are grouped by age, but age checks can be fooled. With chat off or limited to real-life friends, strangers can't message your child, but they can still meet people inside games and be asked to move to Discord, Snapchat or WhatsApp. That's why this stays medium even with controls on.

  • Spending and RobuxRisk is medium by default, low with controls on

    Many games push Robux purchases, passes and random-item boxes. Children can run up bills quickly. Set the lowest spending limit and remove saved cards.

  • Inappropriate gamesRisk is medium by default, medium with controls on

    Anyone can publish a game, and some break the rules before moderators catch them. Age-based accounts and content-maturity limits filter most of this out.

  • ScamsRisk is medium by default, low with controls on

    'Free Robux' offers, fake trading deals and phishing links are common. Most arrive through chat, so locking chat removes most of them. Real Robux only comes from Roblox itself.

  • Time spentRisk is low by default, low with controls on

    Games are designed to keep players coming back with daily rewards and limited-time events. Screen-time limits are built into the parental controls.

What's good about it

  • Huge variety of games, from building and puzzles to role-play and obstacle courses
  • Children can learn to make their own games in Roblox Studio
  • Playing with real-life friends is social and fun
  • Parental controls are now much stronger than they were

If your child already plays it

If your child already uses Roblox, these steps make it much safer. Takes about ten minutes. Do it with your child so they know what's switched on and why.

  1. Set your child's real age

    Roblox uses age to decide which games and chat your child gets. A wrong birthday unlocks the wrong ones.

  2. Link your parent account

    From your child's Settings, add a parent. Controls you set from your account can't be changed by your child.

  3. Lock chat to stop strangers

    Turn chat off, or limit it to friends your child knows in real life. You can manage this until they're 16.

  4. Set a spending limit

    Set the lowest monthly limit available, and remove saved payment cards from the device and app store account.

  5. Look at their friends list together

    Ask who each person is. Remove anyone your child doesn't know offline.

  6. Choose the content maturity level

    Block individual games you're unhappy with, and approve any extras yourself.

  7. Set a daily screen-time limit

    Roblox stops play once the limit is reached.

Recent news

  1. Roblox under fire for response to Arizona child safety probeBloomberg Law

    Arizona's Attorney General has asked a court to force Roblox to hand over records on whether its child safety claims are accurate.

  2. Roblox facing investigation by US FTC on child safety issuesMLex

    The US Federal Trade Commission's long-running probe into child safety on Roblox is expected to conclude before the end of 2026.

  3. Roblox settles with three states for $35.8 million over child safetyInsurance Journal

    West Virginia, Alabama and Nevada settled with Roblox, which committed to age checks and curbing adult contact with children.

  4. Roblox reaches $12.5 million settlement with NevadaBay News 9 (AP)

    Includes default protections blocking adults from contacting children and limits on notifications for minors.

  5. Roblox introduces age-based accounts and expanded parental controlsRoblox

    New Roblox Kids (5–8) and Roblox Select (9–15) accounts with curated games, plus game blocking and approval for parents.

  6. Roblox requires users worldwide to age-check to access chatRoblox via Nasdaq

    Chat now needs a facial age estimate or ID check, and users are grouped by age so they mostly chat with peers.

Common questions

What age is Roblox suitable for?

Right now we don't recommend Roblox at any age. Official ratings put it at 12 or 13 and over, but Roblox faces open investigations and lawsuits over child safety. Our rules say no until those end well.

Is Roblox safe for a 7-year-old?

No. It fails two of our rules: the App Store, ESRB and Common Sense Media all rate it 13+, and child-safety cases against Roblox are still open.

Why do you say no when the App Store says 13+?

App store ratings judge content, not a company's safety record. The FTC is investigating Roblox, and Arizona and other US states have open child-safety cases. When children's safety is uncertain, we say no.

All my child's friends play it. What should I do?

That's hard when friends are playing it. We'd still say no for now, but explain why rather than just saying it: talk to your child about how strangers can contact children on Roblox, and that you're waiting until the safety concerns are resolved. If your child already plays, link your parent account, turn chat off or limit it to friends they know in real life, set the lowest spending limit and go through their friends list together.

What would change your verdict?

Every open child-safety case ending well: Roblox cleared, or settlements whose required fixes are independently confirmed as in place. Then we'd re-score it, and the best possible answer would be 'only with conditions' from age 13.

My child already plays Roblox. What should I do?

Link your parent account, turn chat off or limit it to friends they know in real life, set the lowest spending limit, and go through their friends list together. Tell them to come to you if anyone asks them to move to another app.

Can strangers talk to my child on Roblox?

Yes, unless you stop it. Since January 2026 everyone must pass an age check to chat, but age checks can be fooled. Link your account and turn chat off or limit it to real-life friends.