Roblox rolls out age-based Kids and Select accounts worldwide

The new account structure adds age checks for chat, extra game reviews, and parental controls that change as children get older.

Roblox has introduced Kids and Select accounts worldwide, with different content, chat settings, and parental controls based on a user's age. Credit: Roblox

Roblox has introduced its Kids and Select accounts worldwide, changing how users younger than 16 access games, chat features, and social tools on the gaming platform.

The global rollout began on June 16 and follows an earlier release in Australia, Indonesia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Roblox says users are now automatically placed into an account type based on their age, although the precise age ranges, games, and features may vary by region.

Roblox Kids accounts are intended primarily for younger children and have the strictest standard settings, including chat being switched off. Roblox Select accounts give older children and younger teenagers access to a broader range of content, with some communication features becoming available gradually.

Users who have not completed an age check cannot use chat, regardless of their self-declared age. Age checks use identification verification or Roblox's secure Facial Age Estimation system.

Parents who connect their own Roblox account to a child's account can adjust chat, game, screen-time, spending, and friend settings, with the level of direct control reducing as the child approaches adulthood.

Age checks control access to chat

Age-checked users between five and eight are placed into Roblox Kids accounts, with chat disabled by default. A parent can choose to enable text chat, but communication is limited to users in the same or a similar age group and people designated as Trusted Friends.

Users aged nine to 15 who complete an age check are placed into Roblox Select accounts. Chat access increases gradually according to age, although parents can continue changing the standard settings until the child turns 16.

Users aged 16 or older can access a standard Roblox account after completing an age check. Chat is switched on as a standard setting for this group.

Self-declared users aged five to eight are placed into Roblox Kids accounts, while self-declared users aged nine or older are placed into Roblox Select. Neither group can access chat without completing an age check, and Roblox says they will not receive the full platform experience.

Where chat is available, Roblox limits communication to similar age groups or Trusted Friends. It also applies text filtering and chat rephrasing and says conversations are monitored for child exploitation.

Social media links can now only be shared or viewed by age-checked users aged 16 or older. The restriction applies to profiles, game information pages, Community pages, and the Creator Hub.

Games face additional reviews before reaching younger users

Roblox says all published games already pass through its moderation systems and receive a content maturity rating.

Games included in the Kids and Select catalogs must now undergo further checks before becoming available to younger users.

Developers publishing games for these accounts must verify their identity, protect their account using two-factor authentication, and either hold a Roblox subscription or pay a refundable one-time publishing fee.

Roblox will also run real-time evaluations of gameplay and consider reports submitted by users aged 16 or older before adding games to the younger-user catalogs.

Games featuring social hangouts, free-form drawing, or sensitive issues are excluded from Roblox Kids and Roblox Select. Roblox Moments, which allows users to share clips from their gameplay, is also unavailable to both account types at launch.

Roblox says users will retain access to tens of thousands of games, although it has not published a complete global catalog or a breakdown of how availability differs between regions.

In the United States, examples of games available through the age-based accounts include Driving Empire, Grow a Garden, and How to Train Your Dragon.

Parental controls change as children get older

Parents can link their Roblox account to their child's account to view and change selected settings.

Until a child turns 13, parents can review their friend list, block or report other users, approve or reject Trusted Friend requests, and set screen-time and spending limits.

Parents retain the ability to adjust chat settings and allow or block individual games until their child turns 16.

Between the ages of 16 and 18, parents have less direct control but can continue receiving spending notifications and viewing information about screen time and friend lists.

Leonardo S., a Brazilian father and member of Roblox's Global Parent Council, says: "These new accounts provide more peace of mind by pairing built-in safeguards with tools that help parents stay connected to their child’s experience."

He adds: "This combination makes it much easier as parents to stay engaged and guide their children's digital journey as they grow."

Roblox also provides families with conversation guides developed with child development specialists. The resources cover online behavior, safety settings, and the gradual transfer of account control from parents to teenagers.

Roblox Kids and Roblox Select are now available globally, but account age bands, standard settings, games, and features may differ between countries. Users must complete an age check before gaining access to chat or moving into a standard account intended for people aged 16 and older.