Updated on: April 23, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best parental control app for Roblox in 2024:
- 🥇 Qustodio. Offers industry-standard parental control features for safeguarding your kids on Roblox. Some of these features include web and app monitoring, screen time supervision, app daily limits, and activity reports. It’s also very user-friendly, offers affordable plans for 5 or unlimited devices, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Roblox is a dynamic virtual playground filled with user-generated games and experiences. However, it’s not necessarily the safest haven for kids of all ages. While its potential for creativity is vast, many parents are left pondering the safety of the platform. Understandably, the expansive nature of Roblox introduces concerns, from exposure to inappropriate content to encounters with digital mischief-makers.
Despite Roblox having in-built safety measures, they might not offer a universal shield. The vastness of the platform underscores the need for more comprehensive protection. That’s where a parental control app steps in. It not only amplifies Roblox’s native parental controls but also delivers consistent monitoring across devices.
After rigorous assessment, Qustodio emerged as my top pick. It’s adept at providing precise control over your child’s Roblox activities, and its user-friendly nature spans all the platforms that Roblox is available on.
What Are the Risks of Roblox?
Roblox’s vast universe of user-generated games comes with both charms and challenges. While it’s a hub of creativity, there are certain risks parents should be aware of:
- Age-inappropriate games: Roblox’s strength lies in its user-generated content. However, this also means that not all games are age-appropriate. Some might contain mature themes or explicit content, not suitable for younger users. Parents should be vigilant and regularly review the games their kids play.
- User interactions: One of the interactive features of Roblox is the ability for players to communicate. This opens the door to potential threats like bullying and scams. Even more concerning is the risk of inappropriate messages from predators exploiting the platform. It’s crucial to remember that online interactions aren’t always with peers; sometimes, they might be with adults who have harmful intentions.
- Potential addiction: Roblox games, with their engaging nature, can lead to prolonged screen time. This excessive usage might have potential impacts on a child’s mental and physical well-being, from disrupted sleep patterns to reduced physical activity.
- ODers (Online Daters) on Roblox: Some players misuse the platform for virtual dating. This is especially concerning considering Roblox’s primary audience is children. Such interactions can expose kids to mature themes, and there’s always the risk of kids thinking they’re talking to someone their age when it’s actually an adult.
- Overspending on Robux: Roblox has its own virtual currency, Robux. Kids might be tempted to overspend, either with their money or their parents’, to get in-game advantages or aesthetics.
- Scams: A recent scam targeted Roblox players, primarily children, with ads promising free Robux. These ads tricked players into downloading malware, emphasizing the need for caution when encountering offers that seem too good to be true.
By understanding these risks, parents can take informed steps to ensure a safer Roblox experience for their children.
What Age Is Roblox Appropriate For?
Roblox has gained immense popularity among users from a variety of age groups. While the platform is designed to cater to all ages, understanding its age-appropriateness is crucial for a safer gaming experience.
Firstly, Roblox is rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) as T for Teen, with a Content Descriptor of Diverse Content: Discretion Advised. This suggests that the platform is most appropriate for teenagers and offers access to a variety of content — some of which may not be appropriate for all ages. However, many parents also allow younger children to play under supervision, especially since Roblox provides age-based categories such as All Ages and 9+.
Roblox also takes a proactive stance toward safeguarding its younger players using its chat function. Users under the age of 13 can only send and receive pre-selected chat phrases and cannot type custom messages to others. Meanwhile, players aged 13 and older have the ability to use more open chat functions, but even then Roblox employs filters to block inappropriate language and personal information sharing.
In summary, Roblox’s ESRB-assigned rating is T for Teen — however, its built-in safety mechanisms aim to ensure a secure environment for younger players, too. Parents are encouraged to be proactive, use the platform’s parental controls, regularly discuss online safety with their children, and employ the use of third-party parental control apps like Qustodio.
How to Keep Your Kids Safe on Roblox
The realm of Roblox is huge, and while it offers a universe of creativity and fun, every parent’s top priority is their child’s safety. The good news is that with the right tools and practices in place, it’s completely possible for your children to have a safe and enjoyable experience on Roblox. Below are some valuable tips to ensure their online protection.
1. Install a Good Quality Parental Control App
Parental control apps are digital watchdogs for your child’s online activities. Here are some parental control features that apply specifically to Roblox:
- Screen time management: Set a limit on how long your child can be online, preventing excessive playtime.
- Activity reports: Get insights into which games your child is playing and with whom they’re interacting (my favorite parental control app Qustodio has highly detailed reports).
- Flagging inappropriate messages: Advanced apps can flag and block suspicious or inappropriate conversations, offering an added layer of protection.
- App restrictions: Control when and for how long your child uses the Roblox app.
2. Use Roblox’s In-Built Parental Controls
Roblox is well aware of its younger demographic and has integrated safety tools parents can leverage. These include:
- Account age setting: Ensure that your child’s account is set to their real age — this activates age-appropriate safe chat modes and gameplay restrictions.
- Chat controls: Customize who can message, chat, or follow your child.
- PIN protection: Set up a 4-digit PIN that restricts changes to the account settings, ensuring your child can’t alter the safety controls you’ve put in place.
3. Have Open Conversations About Online Safety
Open the floor for conversation with your children. Talk to your kids about the dangers of sharing personal information and the importance of reporting anything that makes them uncomfortable. Emphasizing trust and understanding makes it more likely that they’ll come to you when they have concerns.
4. Set Ground Rules and Boundaries
Discuss and establish clear online rules. This could include:
- No accepting friend requests from strangers.
- Playing Roblox in common areas of the house, not behind closed doors.
- Setting time limits on gameplay during weekdays or weekends.
5. Play Together
Join your child in the Roblox universe. Not only is this a bonding opportunity, but it gives you firsthand knowledge of their activities and the games they’re into.
6. Ensure Digital Hygiene With Antivirus Software
Roblox is secure, but external links or game downloads can sometimes carry threats. A reliable antivirus like Norton ensures your child doesn’t fall for Robux scams and accidentally download malware or fall prey to phishing schemes.
3 Best Parental Control Apps for Roblox in 2024
Quick summary of the best parental controls for Roblox:
- 🥇 1. Qustodio — Best parental control app for Roblox (with app time limits & great web filtering).
- 🥈 2. Norton Family — Great parental control app for monitoring Roblox players + can block Roblox app.
- 🥉 3. Bark — Excellent screen time management tools for restricting your kid’s Roblox usage.
🥇 1. Qustodio — Best Parental Control App for Roblox in 2024
Qustodio is the best parental control app for Roblox in 2024. It presents a comprehensive suite of features tailored to your concerns about Roblox and other online activities, and it’s intuitively designed for both parents and children.
I’m a big fan of Qustodio’s web filtering, which lets you handpick the website categories or specific sites your kids can access. With Qustodio, you can set filtering rules for the official Roblox website or opt to allow access to the site but receive an alert when your child connects to it.
I tested the web filtering using two of my phones — one for a parent account and the other for a child account. During my tests, I was able to prevent the child device from accessing the Roblox website entirely.
I also like Qustodio’s app filtering feature, which lets you block access to the Roblox app on your kid’s Android, iOS, or Windows device. You can also use it to set a daily time limit for the Roblox app, so you can control how long your child plays Roblox games each day. In my tests, Qustodio was able to instantly block and limit the Roblox apps on my Android and iOS phones.
An alternative to Qustodio’s app daily time limit is the screen time daily limit. So instead of just setting a time limit for the Roblox app, you can set a time limit for how long your kid can use their device at all. You can also restrict specific time periods — say from 6pm to 8pm — if, for instance, you want to ensure they’re doing their homework and not playing Roblox games.
Another pretty helpful feature is Qustodio’s YouTube monitoring tool. Given that Roblox tutorials and gameplays are popular on YouTube, it’s great that Qustodio lets you oversee what Roblox content your child searches and watches.
I like that Qustodio provides detailed activity reports that give you a holistic view of your child’s online activity. With this feature, you can track when your kid accesses Roblox and how much time they spend on the app.
Qustodio offers both a decent free plan and advanced premium options. However, only the Complete plan, which costs $99.95 / year, offers all the features discussed above and comes with a 3-day free trial. It’s also backed with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Qustodio is the best parental control app for controlling and monitoring your child’s access to Roblox. It blocks the official Roblox site, allows you to block access to the Roblox app, and sets time limits for the Roblox app and website. Qustodio also alerts you when your child visits the Roblox site and has a great YouTube monitoring feature that monitors Roblox content your child accesses on YouTube. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
🥈 2. Norton Family — Great Monitoring Features for Safeguarding Roblox Players
Norton Family stands out as an all-in-one solution for parents looking to ensure a safe online experience for their children, especially for those who enjoy platforms like Roblox. Its ability to manage and monitor unlimited devices, coupled with its user-friendly design, makes it a top choice for modern families.
Like Qustodio, Norton Family provides industry-standard parental control features like web filtering, which lets you have a say on the sites your child can access. I tested Norton Family’s web filtering on my Windows and Android devices by trying to access the Roblox official site after I restricted it, but Norton Family blocked my connection.
I also tested Norton Family’s App Supervision tool, which monitors and blocks iOS, Android, and Windows apps. The tool succeeded in blocking the Roblox app; however, it took about 8-10 minutes for the changes to reflect on the Roblox apps. Qustodio, on the other hand, blocked the Roblox apps instantly during my tests. I’d also prefer if Norton Family had a feature similar to Qustodio’s app-specific time limit. This would allow you to directly restrict the Roblox app, instead of limiting the entire device’s usage.
The Time Supervision tool is really invaluable. It lets you set the screen time allowance on your kid’s device for each day, so you can restrict how long they spend on their phone or PC, thus preventing them from playing too many Roblox games.
Norton Family also provides activity reports that show you which apps your child uses the most and which ones they installed or uninstalled. This way, you’ll be able to identify if your child is getting addicted to playing Roblox games and can restrict the app accordingly.
Norton Family provides only one standalone plan, which goes for $49.99 / year. However, it’s also included in some of Norton’s 360 plans, which provide access to the best antivirus on the market, a good VPN, and much more. This is great, as an antivirus app can also help protect your kids from malware and other cyber threats that target Roblox players. All Norton plans include a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Norton Family is great for protecting your kid’s safety on Roblox. The app restricts access to the official Roblox site on unlimited devices, blocks the app, and allows you to set daily time limits to ensure your kid isn’t spending too much time playing Roblox. It also offers detailed reports that keep you informed about the apps your kid is using the most, including Roblox. Norton Family’s plan offers a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full Norton Family review
🥉 3. Bark — Good Screen Time Management for Roblox Usage
Bark is another great parental control app for Roblox. It’s user-friendly and provides all the features you need to monitor your child’s Roblox-related activities, including an effective screen time management feature.
I was impressed with Bark’s web and app filtering. To enforce these filters, Bark uses a virtual private network (VPN) to route all internet activity on your child’s device through an encrypted server. This ensures you can restrict access to the Roblox website and apps as required.
Another impressive tool is the screen time management feature, which allows you to restrict apps and websites to different times of the day — for instance, during school hours or bedtime. However, unlike Qustodio, you can’t set strict time limits (say 2 hours per day) for specific apps like Roblox.
Bark also provides activity reports, but I’m not really a fan of them. They are very vague and don’t really provide much insight into your child’s online activities. I much prefer the activity reports that Qustodio and Norton Family provide, as they offer very detailed information about your child’s activities on the Roblox website and apps.
Bark offers two plans starting at $49.00 / year. Bark Premium includes all Bark’s features, while Bark Jr. lacks content monitoring. Both plans cover unlimited devices and come with a 7-day free trial; however, they lack a money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Bark allows you to easily manage your kid’s screen time on Roblox. It lets you restrict access to the Roblox site and app at different times of the day and the week, so you can adjust your child’s Roblox time to their schedule. Plus, its apps are very easy to use, so you’ll have no problem setting any Roblox restrictions. All plans come with a 7-day free trial.
Comparison of the Best Parental Controls Apps for Roblox in 2024
How to Choose the Best Parental Controls for Roblox in 2024
- Find a parental control app with good time management tools. All the parental control apps I recommend allow you to set screen time limits to ensure your kid doesn’t spend too much time playing Roblox on their devices. Qustodio even lets you set time limits for the Roblox app only.
- Check for good app web filtering capabilities. A good parental control app allows you to set restrictions and filters on what type of websites your kid access. Each parental control app on my list is able to whitelist and blacklist the official Roblox site and block your kid from accessing the Roblox app.
- Consider the quality of the parental control app’s activity reports. I recommend apps that come with detailed and insightful activity reports, so you can see exactly how much time your kid spends playing Roblox and whether you need to adjust your screen time allowances.
- Go for user-friendly and intuitive apps. I prefer parental control apps with user-friendly designs since they make it much easier to set up and enforce restrictions and monitor Roblox-related activities.
- Get a parental control app that offers great value. The parental control apps I recommend offer a lot of other useful features, like location tracking and uninstall protection, as well as money-back guarantee or free trials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I let my kid play Roblox?
Yes, Roblox can be an enriching experience for kids. It’s not just a gaming platform — it’s a tool that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. However, it’s crucial to be aware of its online nature. Engage with your child about their gaming experiences, ensure they understand online etiquette, and employ safety tools like third-party parental control apps. Regularly check in to understand who they’re interacting with and what games they’re playing. By being proactive, you can provide a safe and enjoyable environment for your child.
Is Roblox ok for a 7-year-old?
Yes, Roblox has an All Ages category that caters to younger audiences, ensuring stricter content moderation and chat filters. That said, for a 7-year-old supervision is paramount. As a parent, you can set enhanced parental controls on your kid’s Roblox account. You can also engage with them about the games they’re playing, perhaps even playing alongside them. This not only ensures their safety but also provides bonding opportunities. Furthermore, using a third-party parental control app like Qustodio would provide additional protection.
Are there inappropriate games on Roblox?
Yes, there are. While Roblox has a dedicated team that continuously monitors for inappropriate content, the sheer volume of user-generated games means some may slip through. It’s essential for parents to actively monitor their child’s gaming journey. Regularly review the games they’re playing and teach them to recognize and avoid inappropriate content. Using Roblox’s parental controls as well as third party parental control apps will also help in curbing such content.
Are there child predators on Roblox?
Yes, there are. Any online platform, especially those catering to younger audiences, can attract inappropriate individuals. Roblox does invest in safety protocols and has mechanisms like chat filters to reduce risks. However, the best defense is an informed child. Educate them about the dangers of sharing personal information and the importance of reporting any unsavory encounters and encourage open communication, so they can confide in you if something feels off. Using a parental control app like Qustodio can also assist you in monitoring your child’s Roblox activities and ensuring they’re safe from child predators.
How to make Roblox safe for children?
There are several ways to make Roblox safe for your kids. Start by setting their account to their appropriate age category (All Ages, 9+, 13+, and 17+). Use Roblox’s built-in parental controls, which include regulating chat functions and curating a list of approved games. Regularly discuss online safety and consider adding an extra layer of security with a parental control app like Qustodio to monitor your child’s activity and screen time.