Roblox is a digital playground where millions of kids gather to play, socialize, and create. But for all its popularity, it’s also faced some serious criticism over the years, especially when it comes to child safety. Parents have long voiced concerns about inappropriate content, the risk of online predators, and the sheer lack of control they’ve had over their kids’ experiences on the platform.
In a major move that shows Roblox is finally taking these concerns seriously, the company has just rolled out a suite of powerful new parental controls. And they’re more than just surface-level tweaks. For the first time ever, parents can now block specific games and even individual friends from their child’s account. This might sound like a small update, but it’s a huge step forward for digital safety and for restoring trust between Roblox and the millions of families who use it.
Why Roblox Needed to Act
For years, Roblox has been under pressure. Although the platform boasts over 70 million daily active users—many of them under 13, it’s also been accused of failing to protect young users from things like grooming, violence, and explicit content.
In 2023, multiple reports emerged detailing how bad actors were exploiting the platform’s chat and game features. Combine that with Roblox’s complex network of user-generated content, and you have a perfect storm where kids can easily stumble into unsafe territory.
This growing backlash forced Roblox to reassess its safety strategy. The result? A more hands-on, parent-first approach that gives guardians more oversight, more tools, and more confidence in how their children are engaging with the platform.
New Control #1: Blocking Individual Games (aka “Experiences”)
One of the biggest changes is the ability for parents to block access to specific experiences on Roblox. That’s right—if there’s a game that seems too violent, too creepy, or just not age-appropriate, parents can now remove it from their child’s reach entirely.
This is more than just blanket age restrictions. Roblox already had maturity ratings in place, but now parents get to handpick which games stay and which ones go. It’s like having a customized content filter built just for your child.
And the best part? If your kid really wants access to a certain game, they can request permission. This puts the power in the parent’s hands while still keeping the door open for conversation.
New Control #2: Blocking Specific Friends
In the past, Roblox let parents see who their kids were friends with but that was about it. If you spotted someone suspicious, your only real option was to talk to your child and hope they’d remove the friend themselves.
Now, parents can proactively block individuals from interacting with their child. That includes cutting off direct messages, stopping game invites, and preventing in-game interactions. For children under 13, these blocks can’t be reversed without parental approval, giving parents an extra layer of control and peace of mind.
This is a particularly big deal for families worried about online grooming, which remains one of the more insidious dangers of any open social platform. With this tool, Roblox empowers parents to take immediate action if something doesn’t feel right.
New Control #3: Experience Tracking
Wouldn’t it be helpful to know exactly what your child has been doing on Roblox each week?
Parents can now see the top 20 experiences their child interacted with in the past 7 days, sorted by time spent in each one. This is a game-changer. It’s one thing to glance at a username or see a game title, it’s another to see a full activity breakdown that shows you where your kid is really spending their time.
This feature is about transparency and trust. It opens the door to better conversations between parents and children about what games are fun, safe, or potentially problematic.
How to Set It All Up
To access these new tools, parents need to link their account with their child’s Roblox account. That process requires verifying your identity with either a government-issued ID or a credit card. Yes, it’s an extra step, but it ensures the system can’t be abused by random users.
Once linked, parents can go to the “Parental Controls” section in their settings. From there, it’s easy to manage blocked games, friends, screen time limits, and maturity levels. It’s all centralized and simple to navigate, which is a welcome change for busy parents.
Why These Changes Matter
It’s easy to brush off parental controls as just another box to tick. But these updates represent a genuine shift in how platforms like Roblox think about safety. For years, the default has been openness kids could message anyone, join any game, and interact freely. That freedom was part of what made Roblox fun, but it also came with real dangers.
Now, Roblox is prioritizing safety over pure freedom. And that’s the right call.
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Empowerment: Parents are no longer passive observers. They now have real tools to protect their children in real time.
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Customization: Every child is different. These controls let families create a Roblox experience that matches their values and comfort levels.
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Transparency: Knowing where your child spends time and with whom creates space for meaningful conversations.
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Trust: These updates may help rebuild trust between Roblox and families who felt let down by past safety lapses.
What Still Needs Work?
While these new features are a leap forward, there’s still room for improvement. Some parents may wish for more granular control like blocking certain types of in-game purchases, moderating chat logs, or setting time limits per game, not just per day.
There’s also the ongoing challenge of moderating user-generated content, which is always evolving. Even with tighter controls, Roblox needs to remain vigilant with its AI moderation systems and human review teams.
Finally, educating parents remains key. Controls are only effective if parents know how to use them. That means Roblox should continue investing in educational resources, email guides, and in-app tutorials to help parents get the most out of these new tools.
If you’re a parent who’s felt unsure about letting your child play Roblox, now might be the time to take another look. The platform is clearly making child safety a priority, and these new features show a real commitment to helping families take control of their digital experiences.
Is it perfect? No platform ever is. But Roblox’s decision to allow parents to block specific games and friends, track playtime, and manage requests in a transparent and responsive way is a massive step in the right direction.
