How to keep kids safe in Fortnite with parental controls

Nearly a decade after its release in 2017, Fortnite is still one of the most popular online games in the world. The game has more than 650 million registered players globally and continues to draw tens of millions of players each month. In fact, Fortnite was still ranked among the most-played games in the world in 2026. 

Learn how you can keep your child safe with Fortnite parental controls that can help parents manage communication features, purchases, and privacy settings.

Key takeaways:

• Fortnite includes parental controls that allow parents to manage chat, purchases, and privacy settings.
• Children can encounter strangers, inappropriate language, scams, and pressure to spend money while playing.
• Voice chat, text chat, and social features can be customized based on a child's age and maturity level.
• Purchase controls can help prevent unexpected spending on V-Bucks and cosmetic items.
• Parents should combine Fortnite's safety features with regular conversations about online safety.
• Additional parental control tools can help protect children beyond Fortnite itself.

Is Fortnite safe for kids?

Fortnite has a PEGI 12 rating in Europe and remains one of the most popular games among older children and teenagers. While the game includes cartoon-style combat, many of the risks parents worry about have less to do with the gameplay itself and more with social features that allow players to communicate, join groups, and interact with others online.

Safety often depends on a child's age, maturity, privacy settings, and understanding of online risks.

Related: How to keep kids safe in Minecraft: Parental controls and safety settings

Potential Risks in Fortnite

Talking to strangers.  Depending on the settings, children may communicate with other players through voice chat or party features. It's still a good idea to remind children not to share personal information such as their real name, school, phone number, or address.

Related: From kids to grandparents: How to talk about stranger danger today

Inappropriate language and behavior. Children may occasionally hear offensive language, witness arguments between players, or encounter behavior that makes them uncomfortable. Fortnite includes tools that help limit some of these interactions, but it's equally important for children to know they can mute players, leave a conversation, and talk to a trusted adult if something doesn't feel right.

Spending money on V-Bucks. If your child plays Fortnite, you've probably heard about V-Bucks. Fortnite is free to play, but players can spend V-Bucks on character skins, emotes, Battle Passes, and other cosmetic items. While these purchases don't provide a competitive advantage, they can be very appealing, especially when friends are showing off the latest items.

Fortnite-related scams. Wherever large numbers of players gather, scammers tend to follow. Children may come across offers promising free V-Bucks, rare skins, or exclusive rewards. These offers often appear on social media, video-sharing platforms, messaging apps, and websites outside the game itself.

Excessive screen time. If you've ever heard "Just one more match!", you're not alone. Fortnite is designed to keep players engaged with rewards, challenges, new seasons, and special events. None of this is necessarily a problem, but it can make it harder for children to log off when it's time for homework, family activities, or bedtime.

Related articles:

• 10 Screen Time Rules Every Parent Should Set for a Healthy Digital Balance
• Is your child addicted to screens? What parents should watch for, according to a therapist

How to Set Up Fortnite Parental Controls

Fortnite includes several parental control features that can help parents manage communication, purchases, and privacy settings.

How to Access Fortnite Parental Controls

1. Open Fortnite.
2. Select the main menu.
3. Navigate to Parental Controls.
4. Follow the prompts to create or access your parental control settings.

Parents can also manage some account-related settings through their Epic Games account.

Create a Parental Controls PIN

One of the first things you'll be asked to do is create a six-digit PIN.

This PIN prevents children from changing parental control settings without permission. Choose a number your child won't easily guess and keep it private.

Manage Voice and Text Chat

Depending on your child's age and comfort level, you can:

• Allow voice chat only with friends
• Limit who can communicate with your child
• Disable voice chat entirely
• Adjust social settings to reduce interactions with unknown players

Restrict Friend Requests and Social Features

Fortnite includes social features that allow players to add friends and join parties. Review these settings carefully and consider limiting who can send friend requests or invite your child to groups. Restricting social interactions can help reduce unwanted contact from strangers.

Filter Mature Language

Fortnite includes a mature language filter that can help hide offensive language in supported communications. While filters are not perfect, they can help create a more family-friendly experience, particularly for younger players.

Control Purchases and Spending

If a payment method is linked to your child's account or gaming device, enable purchase protections.

Consider:

• Requiring approval before purchases
• Using a PIN for purchases
• Monitoring V-Bucks spending
• Discussing spending limits with your child

Review Privacy Settings

Take a few minutes to review your child's privacy settings regularly.

Check who can:

• See their online status
• Invite them to parties
• Join their games
• Communicate with them

Privacy settings may change as Fortnite introduces new features, so it's worth revisiting them periodically.

Best Fortnite Settings for Younger Children

Every child is different, but many parents find the following settings helpful for younger players:

These settings can help reduce unnecessary risks while still allowing children to enjoy the game with trusted friends.

Fortnite Parental Controls vs. Bitdefender Parental Control

Fortnite's built-in parental controls are a great starting point, but they only work inside Fortnite.

However, children's digital lives extend far beyond Fortnite. They often switch between games, social media platforms, messaging apps, video-sharing sites, and web browsers throughout the day.

That's where broader parental control tools can help.

Bitdefender Parental Control helps parents manage their child's broader digital life, including websites, apps, internet time, and online activity beyond Fortnite.

How to Keep Children Safe Online Beyond Fortnite

Even if you've reviewed every Fortnite safety setting available, your child's online experience doesn't stop when they leave the game.

Many children move between Fortnite, YouTube, Discord, TikTok, messaging apps, and social media. That's why safety settings inside the game are only part of the picture.

Regular conversations about privacy, online friendships, scams, and healthy screen habits can help children make safer choices wherever they spend time online. And if children know they can come to you with questions or mistakes without immediately losing access to their favorite games, they're more likely to ask for help when something goes wrong.

If you're looking for protection that extends beyond Fortnite, Bitdefender Family Plans help protect the entire household, including children, teenagers, parents, and grandparents, with security tailored to the online habits and threats that affect each family member.

Bitdefender Parental Control is one of the tools included in the Family Plan. While it helps parents guide their children's online activity, a Bitdefender Family Plan also protects the household against phishing attacks, scam websites, malicious links, malware, account takeover attempts, and other digital threats.

Take a look at one of our family plans.                                                                   

FAQs

Does Fortnite have parental controls?

Yes. Fortnite includes built-in parental controls that allow parents to manage voice chat, privacy settings, social features, language filters, and purchases.

How do I make Fortnite safer for my child?

Start by enabling Fortnite's parental controls, limiting communication with strangers, protecting purchases with a PIN, and discussing online safety with your child regularly.

Can I turn off voice chat in Fortnite?

Yes. Parents can disable voice chat entirely or limit communication to approved friends.

How do I stop my child from buying V-Bucks?

Enable purchase protections, require a PIN for purchases, and avoid storing payment information on devices used by younger children.

What age is Fortnite appropriate for?

Fortnite has a PEGI 12 rating in Europe and is generally considered suitable for older children and teenagers. Parents should consider their child's maturity level and use parental controls when appropriate.

Can strangers talk to my child on Fortnite?

Depending on the settings, yes. Fortnite includes communication features that may allow interactions with other players. Parents can restrict or disable these features through parental controls.

Are Fortnite parental controls enough?

Fortnite's parental controls help manage activity inside the game, but children often spend time across many apps, websites, and platforms. Additional parental control tools and ongoing conversations about online safety can provide broader protection.

How can I limit Fortnite screen time?

Parents can establish household rules, use device-level screen time controls, or use parental control solutions that allow screen time management across multiple devices and apps.

Can Fortnite parental controls block strangers?

Fortnite parental controls can limit who can communicate with your child, send friend requests, or join their parties. Parents can choose settings that allow interactions only with approved friends.