Why this guide exists (and isn’t a ban-them list)
These three games are the social fabric of every Australian Year 4 to Grade 6 playground. Banning them entirely is possible — and a different conversation. This guide assumes you’re going to allow at least one, and you want it set up so the time spent in there is actually OK.
Each section is the locked settings I run on my own kids’ accounts, in the order I’d flip them. Skim the section for the game your kid actually plays — you don’t need to know all three.
Roblox parental controls: the locked settings
Roblox is the most complicated of the three because every “experience” inside it is its own mini-game with its own rules. The settings below are the account-level locks that apply across everything.
| Setting | Where to find it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
Account age (set it correctly) | Settings → Account Info → Birthday | Roblox uses age to gate chat + experience filters. Setting the kid's REAL age (or younger) auto-applies the under-13 chat filter and removes 17+ experiences from search. |
Account PIN + parental controls | Settings → Security → Account PIN | PIN locks settings so the kid (or a friend at a sleepover) can't lift their own restrictions. Set it to a number you'll remember; don't tell them. |
Chat: limit to friends only | Settings → Privacy → chat permissions (set to Friends) | Default is "Friends" for under-13s — verify it. "Everyone" exposes them to strangers in lobby chat. The under-13 chat filter is real but not perfect. |
Voice chat OFF (until you decide) | Settings → Privacy → Voice Chat | Voice chat is opt-in and 13+. Even on a 13-year-old's account, leave it off until you've had the conversation about who they're talking to. |
Spending: monthly Robux limit | Settings → Parental Controls → Spending → set monthly limit | Set a hard cap. Robux purchases are the #1 source of "Mum, why is there a $80 charge" conversations. Cap = peace. |
Restrict to age-appropriate experiences | Settings → Parental Controls → set allowed experiences age band | Filters search + recommendations to the age band you choose. "Minimal" or "Mild" for under-10s; review the list together once a month. |
Trade + economy: trade requests OFF | Settings → Privacy → trade permissions (set to No One) | Trade-window scams (item-stealing) are the dominant Roblox kid scam. Switching trade off blocks the whole category for kids who don't actively trade. |
Account age (set it correctly)
Where:Settings → Account Info → Birthday
Roblox uses age to gate chat + experience filters. Setting the kid's REAL age (or younger) auto-applies the under-13 chat filter and removes 17+ experiences from search.
Account PIN + parental controls
Where:Settings → Security → Account PIN
PIN locks settings so the kid (or a friend at a sleepover) can't lift their own restrictions. Set it to a number you'll remember; don't tell them.
Chat: limit to friends only
Where:Settings → Privacy → chat permissions (set to Friends)
Default is "Friends" for under-13s — verify it. "Everyone" exposes them to strangers in lobby chat. The under-13 chat filter is real but not perfect.
Voice chat OFF (until you decide)
Where:Settings → Privacy → Voice Chat
Voice chat is opt-in and 13+. Even on a 13-year-old's account, leave it off until you've had the conversation about who they're talking to.
Spending: monthly Robux limit
Where:Settings → Parental Controls → Spending → set monthly limit
Set a hard cap. Robux purchases are the #1 source of "Mum, why is there a $80 charge" conversations. Cap = peace.
Restrict to age-appropriate experiences
Where:Settings → Parental Controls → set allowed experiences age band
Filters search + recommendations to the age band you choose. "Minimal" or "Mild" for under-10s; review the list together once a month.
Trade + economy: trade requests OFF
Where:Settings → Privacy → trade permissions (set to No One)
Trade-window scams (item-stealing) are the dominant Roblox kid scam. Switching trade off blocks the whole category for kids who don't actively trade.
Official Roblox parent docs: Safety + Parental Controls.
Fortnite parental controls: the locked settings
Fortnite’s parental controls live on Epic Games’ account site, not in the game itself. That’s where most parents lose 20 minutes the first time.
| Setting | Where to find it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
Set up the kid's Epic account as a child account | epicgames.com → Account → Family | Linking it to your adult account unlocks all the parental controls below. Without this link, you can't change most settings. |
Voice chat: OFF by default | In-game Settings → Audio → Voice Chat | Strangers in squads use voice for harassment + grooming attempts. Leave it off until your kid is on a known friends-only squad. |
Text chat filter ON (Mature Language Filter) | In-game Settings → Text Chat → Filter Mature Language | Filters profanity in match text chat. Doesn't catch everything but cuts the volume. |
Friend requests: locked | Epic Account → Privacy → Friend invites | Limit to "Friends of friends" or "No one" so randoms can't add the kid. Most friend-request scams come from strangers using stolen avatars. |
V-Bucks spending controls | Epic Account → Family → Purchase approval | Every V-Bucks or item purchase requires your approval. Without this, kids buy battle passes / skins on saved cards. Ask any parent of a Year 5. |
Game-mode age caps | Epic Account → Family → Game-mode restrictions | Restrict to age-appropriate Fortnite modes (Lego Fortnite, Festival, Save the World) and block the 13+ Battle Royale if they're under that age band. |
Set up the kid's Epic account as a child account
Where:epicgames.com → Account → Family
Linking it to your adult account unlocks all the parental controls below. Without this link, you can't change most settings.
Voice chat: OFF by default
Where:In-game Settings → Audio → Voice Chat
Strangers in squads use voice for harassment + grooming attempts. Leave it off until your kid is on a known friends-only squad.
Text chat filter ON (Mature Language Filter)
Where:In-game Settings → Text Chat → Filter Mature Language
Filters profanity in match text chat. Doesn't catch everything but cuts the volume.
Friend requests: locked
Where:Epic Account → Privacy → Friend invites
Limit to "Friends of friends" or "No one" so randoms can't add the kid. Most friend-request scams come from strangers using stolen avatars.
V-Bucks spending controls
Where:Epic Account → Family → Purchase approval
Every V-Bucks or item purchase requires your approval. Without this, kids buy battle passes / skins on saved cards. Ask any parent of a Year 5.
Game-mode age caps
Where:Epic Account → Family → Game-mode restrictions
Restrict to age-appropriate Fortnite modes (Lego Fortnite, Festival, Save the World) and block the 13+ Battle Royale if they're under that age band.
Official Epic parent docs: Parental Controls — Fortnite.
Minecraft parental controls: the locked settings
Minecraft (Bedrock — the version on iPad / Switch / Xbox / PC) is controlled through Microsoft Family. The biggest single decision is which serversthe kid plays on; once that’s right, the rest is housekeeping.
| Setting | Where to find it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
Use Microsoft Family + child account | account.microsoft.com → Family | Adds Minecraft (Bedrock) to your family group. Lets you control multiplayer access, friends, and store purchases from one parent dashboard. |
Multiplayer toggle (per-server / off) | Microsoft Family → Xbox & gaming → Multiplayer & social | Default for under-13s is OFF. Don't turn it on globally — turn it on per-realm or per-trusted-server. Stranger servers = the highest-risk surface in Minecraft. |
Realms over public servers | In-game → Realms (subscription) for family-only worlds | A Realm is a private invite-only world (Realms Plus subscription, AUD pricing varies). Worth every cent vs the lottery of public-server moderation. Only the friends YOU invite are in there. |
Friend list + party chat lockdown | Microsoft Family → Friend & follower management | Block friend-request DMs from non-family. Block party chat with non-friends. Doesn't stop the gameplay — stops the side-channel chat where most issues happen. |
Store purchase approval ON | Microsoft Family → Spending → Ask before purchasing | Marketplace skins, mash-ups and texture packs are the spending traps. Turn approval on so every Minecoin purchase pings your phone. |
Mod / addon source check | Outside the game — your conversation | Most mod scams ("download this for unlimited diamonds") live on YouTube tutorials, not in the game. Talk about WHERE mods come from before talking about WHICH mods. |
Use Microsoft Family + child account
Where:account.microsoft.com → Family
Adds Minecraft (Bedrock) to your family group. Lets you control multiplayer access, friends, and store purchases from one parent dashboard.
Multiplayer toggle (per-server / off)
Where:Microsoft Family → Xbox & gaming → Multiplayer & social
Default for under-13s is OFF. Don't turn it on globally — turn it on per-realm or per-trusted-server. Stranger servers = the highest-risk surface in Minecraft.
Realms over public servers
Where:In-game → Realms (subscription) for family-only worlds
A Realm is a private invite-only world (Realms Plus subscription, AUD pricing varies). Worth every cent vs the lottery of public-server moderation. Only the friends YOU invite are in there.
Friend list + party chat lockdown
Where:Microsoft Family → Friend & follower management
Block friend-request DMs from non-family. Block party chat with non-friends. Doesn't stop the gameplay — stops the side-channel chat where most issues happen.
Store purchase approval ON
Where:Microsoft Family → Spending → Ask before purchasing
Marketplace skins, mash-ups and texture packs are the spending traps. Turn approval on so every Minecoin purchase pings your phone.
Mod / addon source check
Where:Outside the game — your conversation
Most mod scams ("download this for unlimited diamonds") live on YouTube tutorials, not in the game. Talk about WHERE mods come from before talking about WHICH mods.
Official Microsoft Family docs: Microsoft Family Safety.
Schoolyard-pressure scripts
The hardest part of being the parent who actually configures these games is the social pressure from other kids’ setups. A few lines that have worked for me:
| What they say | What you say |
|---|---|
| "Everyone else can voice chat!" | "Cool. In our house, voice chat is for people we've met. Add them to friends, voice chat is on. Stranger in a lobby, it's off." |
| "But Jamie has 200 friends!" | "And Jamie's parents will deal with the next thing that happens to Jamie. We do friends-we-know in this house." |
| "Can I have $20 of Robux?" | "Pocket money goes to your account. Top-ups happen monthly, not on demand. The cap stays the cap." |
| "Someone said they'd give me a free skin if I logged in on their site." | "That's a Crook. Block them, screenshot the message, show me. Then we'll have a quick look at who sent it together — sometimes it's a scam, sometimes it's something we want to report properly." |
They say
"Everyone else can voice chat!"
You say
"Cool. Voice chat is for people we've met. Friends, on. Stranger in a lobby, off."
They say
"But Jamie has 200 friends!"
You say
"Jamie's parents will handle Jamie. We do friends-we-know in this house."
They say
"Can I have $20 of Robux?"
You say
"Top-ups happen monthly, not on demand. The cap stays the cap."
They say
"Someone offered me a free skin if I log in on their site."
You say
"That's a Crook. Block them, screenshot, show me. We'll look at who sent it together."
Getting help in Australia
eSafety: Online gaming
Parent-facing pages on chat moderation, in-app spending, and gaming-specific harms. Use the report tool here for serious incidents.
ACCC Scamwatch
Report any in-game scam, account-takeover attempt, or fake-currency offer. Adds it to the AU national list.
Kids Helpline · 1800 55 1800
Free, 24/7. Counsellors trained for ages 5-25. The kid can call themselves; you can call too.
