Gaming Safety for Kids

Understand voice chat, in-game purchases, strangers and safer settings on the platforms your child actually plays.

Video games are where a lot of kids hang out with friends today, and that is not a bad thing. The trouble is that most parents have never actually looked at the chat window, the friend list, or the voice channel their child uses every day. Games like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft mix real friends with total strangers, and it is not always obvious which is which. This guide walks through the real risks - unsolicited messages, "friend" requests from adults, pressure to spend money, and exposure to content other players create - and gives you exact settings to change so gaming stays fun without staying invisible to you.

Why gaming chat is different from other apps

Most social apps require you to already know someone before you can message them. Gaming platforms flip that. In Roblox, Fortnite, and many other titles, a stranger can join your child's game lobby and start typing or talking within seconds, with no prior connection at all. That design is what makes multiplayer games fun for meeting people, but it is also what makes them a common entry point for unwanted contact.

Voice chat raises the stakes further. Text can be screenshotted and shown to a parent later. A private voice conversation leaves no record unless someone is recording it, which almost no kid thinks to do. An adult posing as a 13-year-old can sound completely convincing on a headset, especially to a 9 or 10-year-old who has no reason to be suspicious.

Locking down chat and voice, platform by platform

Roblox: go to the account Settings gear icon, then Privacy. Set "Who can chat with me" to No One or Friends for anyone under 13, and turn off "Contact from off-platform" so game links do not route to outside apps. Under the same Privacy tab, restrict "Who can join my experiences" and turn off ability to send friend requests from strangers where possible.

Fortnite: open the menu, go to Settings, then the Account tab, and use "Voice Chat" and "Text Chat" toggles. Set both to Friends Only. Epic Games also offers a Cabined Accounts system for under-13 users tied to a parent email that restricts chat and purchases automatically.

Checklist

• Chat set to friends-only, or off for anyone under 10
• Voice chat disabled or speakers-only for under-10s
• Every purchase requires parental approval (Ask to Buy or Family Link)
• Friends list reviewed together once a month
• Child can explain what grooming looks like and what to do about it