The Roblox update that actually has parents breathing a sigh of relief
Roblox is one of the fastest-growing game creation platforms on the planet.
The new Roblox safety features could change how kids use the app.
If your household has a Roblox fan under the age of 16 (and statistically speaking, there’s a good chance it does), this one is worth paying attention to.
Roblox has just rolled out a significant update, and for once, it’s the kind of news that has parents actually feeling good about screen time. Australia is one of the first countries in the world to get access to the new age-based account system, and the changes are more meaningful than your typical platform update.
Here’s what you actually need to know.
Understanding Roblox
Roblox is an online game creation platform where a lot of the content is created by ‘amateur’ game creators and users within Roblox studio.
These games can then be played by kids online and often together. Roblox games reflect the sort of imaginative play you often find in the playground. One child has an idea about a game to play, others join him or her and the rules slowly change as the group decides how to have fun together.
So what’s actually changed?
Roblox has introduced two new account types for players under 16: Roblox Kids, for ages 5–8, and Roblox Select, for ages 9–15. Rather than a one-size-fits-all experience, each account type automatically matches kids to a curated catalogue of age-appropriate games and progresses automatically as they get older. No manual updating required.
What does Roblox Kids look like for the little ones?
For the 5–8 age group, Roblox Kids limits access to games with Minimal or Mild content ratings that have passed a rigorous three-step evaluation process. All communication features are disabled by default, so no chatting with strangers, and the app itself has a distinct blue design so kids (and parents) can immediately see which account type they’re using.
And Roblox Select for the older kids?
For 9–15 year olds, Roblox Select allows access to games rated up to Moderate content, still carefully filtered, with default communication settings remaining in place. The good news for older kids is the vast majority of their favourite games are still accessible. This isn’t a lockdown, it’s a calibration.
What does this mean for parents of Roblox players?
Quite a lot, actually. Parents can now approve specific games that fall outside their child’s default account type, block individual games through age 15, and see exactly which games their child is playing and who their friends are on the platform. It’s the kind of control parents have been asking for and until now, haven’t had.
For a long time, Roblox felt like a place you let your kids into and hoped for the best. This update changes that. More visibility, more control, more peace of mind.
How does Roblox know how old my child is?
Since December last year, Roblox has required facial age checks to access chat, making it the first large online gaming platform to do so. In Australia, 70% of daily active users have already completed an age check. Players who haven’t completed one cannot chat on the platform, regardless of their age. A transition period is in place for those yet to complete the process.
Is this just an Australian thing?
Australia is one of the first countries globally to get access, alongside New Zealand, Indonesia, and the Netherlands. The rest of the world follows next month.
Australia-based father Denny Handlin, a member of Roblox’s Global Parent Council, says this update is a “big win for parents. It’s fantastic to see a platform taking the right steps to ensure our kids can play and learn with total confidence.”
