Roblox Has 4 New Safety Features To Better Protect Teens

Months after rolling out parental controls for users 13 and under, Roblox just announced some new ones to keep teens using it safer. 

The gaming platform, which launched in 2006 and contains thousands of free user-created games, announced four new protections for those ages 13 to 17 on July 17, 2025.

“The reality is Roblox is part of kids’ lives,” says Tami Bhaumik, the vice president of civility and partnerships at Roblox, and a mom of two. “We want to make sure that they’re having a great time and a really positive time.”

Here’s how the new safety features aim to give parents peace of mind as their teens can still enjoy the uber popular app.

New Roblox Safety Updates

While previous protections focused on kids 13 and under, the new Roblox safety features are targeting teens. Here’s what’s changing:

Trusted connections

The term “Friends” is being changed to “Connections” on the platform. With that comes “Trusted Connections” for those 13 and older. By adding each other as “Trusted Connections,” they can communicate freely in chat and voice. (Chat communication has already been turned off for those 13 and under.) This prevents users from leaving Roblox to chat on other platforms.

“The reason why we did that is because we know that teens want to talk to each other organically if they are playing a game with each other,” says Bhaumik. “And they were leaving Roblox to go to other platforms to communicate naturally with one another. We felt that that is where the danger comes in because once they leave our platform, we have no more control.”

What’s more, users 13 to 17 can only add someone 18 and older through a QR scan in person or by “Contact Importer” (adding their number to their phone). Roblox also says it will continue monitoring communications to spot critical harm.

But “Trusted Connections” can only be unlocked using the feature below. 

Age estimation

Roblox has implemented age estimation technology which can detect a user’s age through a video selfie. This is optional, though, and those over 13 years old can verify their age via ID.

If they do provide a video and age estimation detects that they are 13 or younger, their age will be corrected and they will not be able to access features meant for older users.

If age estimation fails to confidently determine a user’s age, they will be able to confirm their age through ID.

Privacy tools

Teens are now encouraged to set boundaries and focus on their well-being. Users can now change their online status, meaning they can decide who sees if they are on Roblox. This feature came after Roblox’s Teen Council—aka a group of teens who provide feedback to the company—said they sometimes feel guilt.

“If they’re shown online and their friend wants to play a game, they may feel guilty about not responding if they want to sleep, or they want to do homework,” says Bhaumik. “If they’re not shown that they’re online, then it alleviates that pressure.”

Teens can also set the “do not disturb mode” to prevent push notifications during a specific window. This can be helpful to promote better sleep for teens as smartphone use before bed can impact their quality and sleep duration.

Teens will now also be able to see how much time they are spending on Roblox and which games they play the most. They have the option to set a daily limit. 

Insights for parents of teens

With their teen’s permission, parents can link their Roblox account to keep tabs on their activity. That includes viewing their teen’s “Trusted Connections and Connection Insights,” as well as how long their teen has been on Roblox and which games they play. They can also get notifications on their teen’s transactions or opt for high-spending alerts. 

Staying Safe on Roblox

Roblox has no official age requirement for users. Parental-control app Bark suggests only children 11 and older use it while Common Sense Media says the platform is safe for those 13 and older.

But kids of all ages are on Roblox. For example, data from Statista in 2024 found 20% of Roblox users were under 9, while another 20% were 9 to 12. That’s why it’s important for parents to know what Roblox is and how their kid is using it.

“The biggest piece of advice that I give is get into Roblox and play with your kids,” says Bhaumik.

This allows parents to bond with their kids while also learn about their experience on the platform.

“Ask them, ‘What’s your favorite game? Why do you like playing it? Take me in there with you. Let’s play together,'” she continues, pointing out that “Grow a Garden” is currently a very popular Roblox game among kids.

Bhaumik says parents often fear Roblox because they don’t understand how it works. They also may not realize that they can protect their children through safety features.

“Once they understand the platform, they can go to parental controls and set things up the way that they feel comfortable,” she explains. “You know the maturity of your child and their sensitivity levels. So you should be able to go and adjust things the way that you feel comfortable.”

Even with parental controls in place, parents should always check in with their kids and have ongoing conversations about apps and their experience on them. If you notice signs of digital distress or screen addiction, know that help is available.