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Fortnite (Epic Games) parental controls
📣 Communication controls (start here)
Who can talk to your child is the most important setting. Controls stack in layers: console/device → platform account → in-game. Set every layer, because one layer doesn't always control another. Communication Safety Hub →
Fortnite / Epic: Epic account (also covers Rocket League & Fall Guys), plus console
| Text chat | Everybody / Friends, team members & connections / Friends Only / Nobody |
| Voice chat | Same four options |
| DMs / whispers | Covered by text chat setting |
| Friend requests | Optional PIN to send or accept Epic friend requests |
| Parties / joining | Console party chat is separate from Epic's |
| Online status / location | Not confirmed |
| Images, links, gifts | Not confirmed |
| Parents can see | Settings in the Epic parental controls |
| Parents can't see | Not confirmed |
| Block / report | Voice & text reporting always on for under-18s (rolling 5 minutes of audio, sent only if reported) |
| Defaults by age | Under 10: max Friends Only. Under 13: max Friends, team members & connections. Under 13 or local consent age: Cabined account with chat off until a parent consents |
Turn it fully off:
- Epic parental controls → Voice chat: Nobody, Text chat: Nobody ("Nobody" still allows safe phrases like "Nice one!").
- Also turn off console party chat (see console section).
Limit to approved friends:
- Set voice and text to Friends Only.
- Turn on Require PIN to add friends.
How it layers: Epic says turning off its voice chat doesn't turn off a console's own party chat.
⚠ Online-status, image/link and gifting communication controls not confirmed.
Sources: [1] [2] · "Not confirmed" means we couldn't verify it in official sources yet.
Xbox (Microsoft family): system-level communication
- Xbox: Settings → Account → Family settings → Manage family members → child → Privacy & online safety → Xbox privacy → View details & customize → Communication & multiplayer.
- "Others can communicate with voice, text, or invites": Everyone / Friends / Block.
- "You can communicate outside of Xbox with voice & text": Block.
- "You can add friends": set so you approve friends.
Even on Block, members of a club can still talk to your child if Clubs is set to Allow. Mute stops a player speaking to you; Block stops their messages and invites, removes them as a friend, and hides your online activity from them.
PlayStation (PS5/PS4): system-level communication
- PS5: Settings → Family and Parental Controls → Family Management → child → Parental Controls → Communication and User-Generated Content → Restrict. Also in the PlayStation Family app.
Restrict turns off text messages and voice chat (pre-written in-game messages still allowed), sharing and viewing user-generated content, and linking some third-party communication apps. Kids can request a per-game exception, which you approve in the Family app. Roblox chat is NOT controlled by this setting.
Nintendo Switch / Switch 2: system-level communication
- Parental Controls app or System Settings → Parental Controls → "Communicating with Others" (In-Game Communication with Others): Restricted, for all software or per game.
Presets: Teen = not restricted; Child and Young Child = restricted. This covers chat, messages, images and user-generated content.
iPhone / iPad: system-level communication
- Settings → Family → child → Allowed Contacts: choose who they can call, message and FaceTime, and require approval for new contacts.
- Settings → Family → child → Communication Safety On.
Covers Messages, FaceTime and Phone only, not chat inside games or other apps. Communication Safety blurs detected nudity, gore or violence. Under 13s need the Screen Time passcode to view it. Apple doesn't see the images.
Android (Family Link): system-level communication
- Family Link → child → contacts: "Only contacts I add" or "Contacts I add & limited groups."
Only applies to Google Messages, Google Dialer and Samsung Messages on watches. Other messaging apps aren't covered, so block them in Family Link if needed. If your child changes their default apps, the limits may stop working.
Every control, by topic
Epic account setup & Cabined Accounts
What a Cabined Account is · Give consent & set controlsFortnite voice chat, text chat & language filter
Voice & text options · Voice & text reporting · Mature language filter · Console chat is separateFortnite friend requests
Require a PIN to add friendsV-Bucks, spending limits & refunds
Payment controls · Unauthorized purchases · FTC settlementFortnite ratings, Creative/UEFN & AI features
Content ratings · Epic Games Store ratings · Creative & UEFN · AI features · Sign in with EpicFortnite time limits & reports
What you can setForgot Fortnite PIN & troubleshooting
Reset the Parental Controls PIN · Parent support requestsFortnite parental controls: real parent questions answered
How do I turn parental controls off? · Where is my Parental PIN? · How does Epic verify I'm a parent? · Can I stop my child receiving or sending gifts? · Fortnite on Switch or Xbox: which controls apply?Recommended settings by age
| Under 10 | 10–12 | 13+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max voice/text chat | Friends Only | Friends, team members & connections | Any (incl. Everybody) |
| Mature language filter | Always on | Always on | Optional |
| $100/day Epic payment cap | Yes | Yes | No |
| Our suggested start* | Chat Nobody/Friends · ratings Everyone 10+ · payment PIN on · 1 time window | Friends Only · friend-request PIN · paid random items off | Friends, team & connections · time reports on |
Rows other than "Our suggested start*" come from the official source. *Suggested starting points are KidSafeSetup's editorial opinion, not the company's. Adjust for your child.
Platform differences
| Platform | What's different |
|---|---|
| All platforms | Epic controls follow the account across devices, including time limits. source |
| Xbox / PlayStation / Switch | Console party chat and store purchases are not covered by Epic's payment PIN. Refunds go through Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo. source |
| Switch | Use Nintendo's play-time limit as a second layer. It works independently of Epic's. source |
| iOS / Android | Review Screen Time / Google Play controls. Epic links to both from its parental page. source |