Apps
Discord
Very high riskA chat platform centered on servers, gaming communities, voice channels, and direct messages that are hard for parents to see.
Start here — 3 things to do today
- 1
Review every server together
Open the server list and leave anything your child cannot explain or that you cannot inspect clearly: left-click server → Leave Server.
- 2
Turn off DMs from server members
User Settings → Privacy & Safety → Allow direct messages from server members → OFF.
- 3
Limit friend requests
User Settings → Privacy & Safety → Friend Requests and uncheck Everyone so strangers cannot add them easily.
- 4
Link Discord's Family Center
User Settings → Family Center → enable the tab, then connect to your teen via QR code in the mobile app to see their servers, contacts, and weekly activity.
What parents worry about most
Discord has no platform-wide moderation of server content. The safety of any server depends almost entirely on its administrators, and there is no reliable way to verify who your child is speaking to in voice chat.
The one thing to do right now
Reviewing the full server list matters more than any single setting. One harmful server can outweigh every privacy toggle you enable.
New since 2025
Discord now has a Family Center parent dashboard (User Settings → Family Center) showing servers, contacts, call time, and weekly purchases, and teen-appropriate content filters are on by default for under-18s worldwide.
Risk level
Age rating
13+ official
Users
Large gaming and community audience
Platform
iOS, Android, PC, Console
Age recommendation
Not recommended under 16 without direct supervision
Gaming communities
Primary use
On by default
Direct DMs
On by default (2026)
Teen content filters
Family Center
Parent dashboard
Warning signs
Warning signs to know
Direct messages from strangers
CriticalChildren in shared servers can receive private messages from adults or older teens they have never met.
Adult or extremist communities
CriticalMany servers have no age checks and can host explicit content, hate speech, or harmful communities in plain view.
Grooming in game-related servers
CriticalAdults can use shared gaming interests to build trust slowly and move conversations into DMs or voice chat.
File sharing creates malware risk
HighChildren can be sent suspicious files, cracked games, or illegal content directly inside chats and servers.
Voice chat is unlogged and hard to monitor
HighLive voice channels create contact risk without a clear record for a parent to review afterward.
Step-by-step guide
Complete step-by-step guide
- 1
Review every server together
Open the server list and leave anything your child cannot explain or that you cannot inspect clearly: left-click server → Leave Server.
- 2
Turn off DMs from server members
User Settings → Privacy & Safety → Allow direct messages from server members → OFF.
- 3
Limit friend requests
User Settings → Privacy & Safety → Friend Requests and uncheck Everyone so strangers cannot add them easily.
- 4
Disable age-restricted content
User Settings → Privacy & Safety → age-restricted content → OFF.
- 5
Enable two-factor authentication
User Settings → My Account → Enable Two-Factor Auth so the account is harder to hijack.
- 6
Connect Family Center
Discord now has a parent dashboard. Go to User Settings → Family Center, enable the tab, then on mobile link to your teen by QR code (parent picks Connect with Teen, teen picks Connect with Parent). You will see recent contacts, the servers they are active in, time on calls, and — since November 2025 — their weekly purchases, plus options to restrict who can DM them. Message content stays private.
- 7
Check the teen-by-default safety filters
As of 2026 Discord applies teen-appropriate settings by default worldwide: sensitive media in DMs from non-friends is blocked, media from friends and in servers is blurred, and teens cannot fully switch the filters off without passing an adult age check. Confirm the account birthday is set correctly so these defaults apply.
- 8
Set a standing review rule
Agree that you can check the server list at any time without notice, because server membership is the main safety issue.