TL;DR
If you’re short on time between soccer practice and dinner, here’s the "cheat sheet" on Roblox chat:
- The "Tags" (####): This is Roblox’s aggressive automated filter. If a kid types something "forbidden" (or just something the AI doesn't understand), it turns into hashtags.
- Spatial Voice: This is "proximity chat." If your kid’s avatar stands near another avatar, they can talk using their actual voice. It requires age verification (usually an ID or a selfie).
- Age Brackets: Roblox recently overhauled its categories. Content is now labeled by age (All Ages, 9+, 13+, 17+), and chat permissions follow these tiers.
- The Big Change: As of late 2024, kids under 13 can no longer directly message others outside of games unless parents explicitly allow it via the new "Parental Labels" system.
Quick Links:
We tend to think of Roblox as a game, but for most kids, it’s a social network that happens to have games inside it. It’s the digital equivalent of the 90s mall. The chat feature is the heartbeat of the experience.
There are three main ways kids talk on the platform:
- In-Game Text Chat: The public box on the left side of the screen where everyone in that specific server can see what’s being said.
- Direct Messaging (DMs): Private one-on-one text conversations.
- Spatial Voice: Real-time voice communication that gets louder or quieter based on how close your character is to someone else.
If you’ve ever watched your kid play Adopt Me! or Brookhaven, you know that the "game" part is often secondary to the "social" part.
In Adopt Me!, chat is essential for trading pets. Without it, they can’t negotiate whether a "Neon Unicorn" is worth a "Mega Fly Ride Dog." In roleplaying games like Bloxburg, chat is how they build stories—deciding who is the "mom," who is the "baby," and why the house is currently on fire.
Taking away chat in Roblox is, to a 10-year-old, like giving them a phone but disabling the ability to text. It’s frustrating, but as parents, we have to decide when they’re ready for that level of exposure.
If you look over your kid’s shoulder and see a screen full of hashtags, don't panic. They aren't necessarily swearing.
Roblox uses a system colloquially known as "Tags." Because the platform is used by millions of kids, their AI filters are incredibly aggressive. For users under 13, the filters are even stricter. They will "tag out" (turn into hashtags) phone numbers, addresses, and even seemingly innocent words that the system thinks might be part of a "grooming" pattern or a way to bypass filters.
Sometimes, kids get "tagged" just for typing too fast or using slang the AI hasn't caught up with yet. While it’s annoying for them, it’s actually one of the better safety nets in the gaming world, especially compared to the Wild West of Discord or Fortnite voice chat.
Ask our chatbot about how to explain internet safety to a 7-year-old
This is the feature that makes most intentional parents nervous—and for good reason. Spatial Voice (or Voice Chat) allows users to talk out loud.
How it works:
If your kid’s avatar walks up to another player’s avatar, they can hear each other. If they walk away, the voice fades out. It’s designed to mimic real-life interaction.
The Safety Catch:
Roblox doesn't just give this to everyone. To enable voice chat, a user usually has to be 13+ and verify their age using a government-issued ID and a "live" selfie.
The Screenwise Take: Even if your kid is 13, spatial voice is a "Level 2" digital skill. It exposes them to the unfiltered voices of strangers. Unlike text chat, there are no "tags" for spoken words. While Roblox uses AI to monitor voice chat for bullying or inappropriate content, it’s not perfect. If your child isn't ready to hear a 19-year-old drop an F-bomb because they lost a race, they aren't ready for spatial voice.
Roblox recently moved away from just "Under 13" and "Over 13." They now use Content Maturity Levels. This is a huge win for parents who want more nuance.
- All Ages: Content is generally appropriate for everyone. Chat is heavily filtered.
- 9+: Content may contain mild violence or heavy "slapstick" humor.
- 13+: Content may contain moderate violence, light blood, or "crude" humor. This is where most of the open social features live.
- 17+: This is a newer tier that requires ID verification. It can include more mature themes and unmoderated (though still technically "compliant") social interactions. Most parents will want to keep their kids far away from this tier.
Learn more about the 17+ Roblox update and what it means for families
Every family is different, but based on community data from Screenwise parents, here is how most intentional families are navigating these features:
Grades K-2 (Ages 5-8)
- Chat Setting: Off or "Friends Only."
- Why: At this age, kids don't have the digital literacy to spot a "bad actor" or even a "mean kid." They should be playing Roblox as a solo experience or with real-life friends only.
- Recommendation: Focus on "walled garden" games like Pet Simulator 99.
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-11)
- Chat Setting: "Friends Only" or "Filtered Text Chat."
- The Nuance: This is the "trading" age. If they play Adopt Me!, they will beg for chat. If you allow it, make sure the Parental PIN is active so they can't change the settings back without you.
- Guidance: Talk to them about "The Ask." If anyone in chat asks for their name, their school, or to move the conversation to Snapchat or Discord, that’s an immediate "Close the Laptop" moment.
Middle School (Ages 12-14)
- Chat Setting: Standard Text Chat; Spatial Voice with caution.
- The Reality: By 13, many kids are using Roblox to hang out with school friends.
- Safety Check: If you allow Spatial Voice, do a "vibe check" once a week. Sit nearby while they play. If the "vibe" of the server feels toxic, help them find a new one.
While Roblox has done a lot to clean up its act, it’s not a "set it and forget it" platform. Here are the things that should trigger a conversation:
- "Condos": These are user-generated rooms designed for "e-dating" or inappropriate content. Roblox deletes them quickly, but they pop up like weeds. If you see your kid in a game with a weird, non-descriptive name and a high "active player" count, check it out.
- Off-Platform Requests: This is the #1 danger. A stranger saying "Hey, I can't talk well here, add me on Discord" is the biggest red flag in the digital world.
- The Robux Hustle: Some kids use chat to "scam" others out of Robux. Teaching your kid that "if it sounds too good to be true, it’s a scam" applies to digital pets just as much as real life.
Check out our guide on common Roblox scams and how to avoid them
Instead of a lecture, try asking these three questions:
- "Who's the coolest person you've met in Brookhaven lately? Are they a real-life friend or a 'Roblox friend'?"
- "Does the 'tagging' system ever get annoying when you're trying to trade?" (This validates their frustration and keeps the door open).
- "What would you do if someone in a game started being super weird or asking where you live?"
Roblox chat isn't inherently "good" or "bad"—it’s a tool. For a kid roleplaying a bakery, it’s a way to practice cooperation and creativity. For a kid left unmonitored in a 17+ server, it’s a liability.
The goal isn't to lock the digital doors forever; it’s to give them the keys slowly as they prove they can drive. Start with heavy filters, use the Parental PIN, and keep the conversation going.
Next Steps
- Check the Birthday: Make sure your kid’s actual birth year is on their account. If you "aged them up" so they could access more games, you also bypassed all the safety filters meant for children.
- Enable a Parental PIN: This prevents your child from changing their own privacy settings.
- Link Your Email: Roblox now allows "Parental Labels" where you can link your account to theirs to see their activity without having to log in as them.
Read our full guide on the 2025 Roblox Parental Oversight update