Discord is a communication platform popular with gamers and online communities. While it offers useful features, the unmoderated nature of many servers requires careful parental attention.
13-17
Recommended Ages: Discord requires users to be 13+. Due to the platform's open nature, active parental involvement is essential for teens of all ages.
Discord's Parental Controls Are Limited and Opt-In
Discord's Family Center gives parents a dashboard showing who their teen talks to and which servers they join (never message content), and a late-2025 update added a few guardian-locked settings for DMs and content filtering. But Family Center requires your teen to opt in from their own device, there are still no time limits inside Discord, and most safety settings live on your teen's account — which they can change. Plan for active monitoring and open communication alongside these tools, not technical enforcement alone.
Significant Risks
Discord has been associated with predator activity, exposure to inappropriate content, and cyberbullying. Understand the platform before allowing use.
Servers : Community spaces (public or private) on specific topicsChannels : Chat rooms within servers (text or voice)Direct Messages (DMs) : Private conversations between usersVoice Channels : Live voice/video chatBots : Automated programs that add features
Gaming coordination (playing together)
School/study groups
Hobby communities
Friend groups
Content creator communities
Discord's Family Center links your account to your teen's for activity visibility and a few guardian-controlled settings.
1
Both Install the Mobile App Setup must be completed in the Discord mobile app on both phones. You need your own Discord account.
2
Teen Generates a QR Code On your teen's phone:
User Settings Family Center Connect with Parent
3
Scan the Code On your phone:
User Settings Family Center Connect with Teen Scan your teen's QR code — codes expire quickly, so do this together.
4
Teen Accepts Your teen must accept the connection request to complete setup.
Recently added friends (names and avatars)
Servers joined or participated in
Who they've messaged or called, and when — never the content
Time spent in voice and video calls over the past week
Purchases made in the past week (Nitro, Shop items)
Weekly activity summary emails
A late-2025 update added settings only a connected guardian can change:
Who can send your teen direct messages
Whether sensitive content is filtered
How Discord uses your teen's data, including personalized ads
Cooperative, Not Enforced
Family Center depends on your teen's participation — they must opt in from their own device. Check periodically that the connection is still active.
Discord scans images and videos for sexually explicit and graphic material:
User Settings Privacy & Safety Sensitive Media Options for each filter: Show, Blur, or Block. Set both to "Block" for teens.
These filters are enabled by default on teen accounts, and teens can't turn them off entirely — only choose between blurring and blocking. (This replaced Discord's older "Safe Direct Messaging" and explicit image filter settings.)
Discord shows teens a safety alert when someone messages them for the first time, with options to block the sender or view safety tips. Enabled by default for teen accounts.
User Settings Privacy & Safety Server Privacy Defaults Allow direct messages from server members :
OFF: Only friends can DM
ON: Anyone in shared servers can DM
Recommended: OFF
Disabling DMs from server members significantly reduces contact from strangers.
User Settings Privacy & Safety Options for "Who can send you a friend request":
Everyone
Server Members
Friends of Friends
Consider setting to "Friends of Friends" only.
User Settings Privacy & Safety Server Privacy Defaults Control whether server members can add you to other servers.
Some servers are marked as NSFW (Not Safe For Work) and require age verification. These should be inaccessible to accounts with teen birth dates.
In the UK (since the Online Safety Act took full effect in July 2025) and Australia, Discord now requires a one-time age check — facial age estimation or an ID scan — before users can access age-restricted content or loosen certain default safety settings.
Public servers : Anyone can join, unvetted membersPrivate servers : Invite-only, but invites can spreadOfficial servers : Run by companies/creators, usually moderatedSmall private servers : Friends only, safest option
Explore Public Servers
This feature lets users browse and join public servers. Many contain inappropriate content or communities.
Periodically review which servers your teen has joined:
Look at server names
Ask about unfamiliar servers
Discuss what happens in those communities
Discord uses birthdate to:
Gate access to NSFW servers
Filter certain content
Restrict some features
Ensure your teen's account has accurate birthdate.
Within servers, individual channels can be marked NSFW. These should be blocked for teen accounts.
If your teen is seeing NSFW content:
Check their birthdate on the account
Set the Sensitive Media filters to "Block"
Review their server memberships
Voice channels allow real-time communication with potentially many strangers.
Can't be filtered like text
May expose teens to inappropriate language
Difficult to monitor
Discord supports video calls in DMs and some servers.
Users can share their screen ("Go Live"). This could expose personal information visible on their computer.
Voice Chat Concerns
Many concerning interactions happen in voice channels because there's no log or filter. Monitor who your teen voice chats with.
Enable 2FA to prevent account theft:
User Settings My Account Enable Two-Factor Auth Discord accounts can be valuable targets.
Use a parent-accessible email for the account to maintain oversight and recovery options.
Use strong, unique password
Don't share with friends
Enable 2FA
Discord has been used by predators to:
Contact children via DMs
Build relationships over time
Move conversations to other platforms
Request personal information or images
Red Flags :
Adult wanting to be "special friends"
Asking to keep conversations secret
Requesting photos
Offering gifts or money
Trying to move to other platforms
Servers exist for:
Adult content
Drug discussion
Hate groups
Illegal activities
Even accidentally joining exposes content.
Can occur in servers or DMs
Group pile-ons in voice channels
Screenshot sharing and mockery
Sharing personal information (address, school, etc.) as harassment.
Even with Family Center connected, you cannot:
See message content remotely
Set time limits in Discord
Approve friend requests
Monitor voice chats
Family Center : Connect it for visibility into who they talk to and guardian-locked DM/content settingsOpen Communication : Discuss what servers they're in and who they talk toRegular Check-ins : Periodically look at their Discord togetherKnow Their Friends : Understand who they communicate withDevice Controls : Use platform parental controls for time limitsThird-Party Software : Consider monitoring software (with their knowledge)
Watch for:
Secretive behavior about Discord
Quickly switching screens when you approach
New "friends" who seem older
Receiving gifts from online contacts
Emotional changes after Discord use
If your teen primarily needs Discord for gaming:
Allow only:
Private server with real-life friends
Official game servers (moderated)
Turn off DMs from server members in all servers.
Only voice chat in servers with known friends.
Why strangers might want to contact them
What predator behavior looks like
That online friends aren't the same as real friends
How to handle uncomfortable situations
That they can always come to you
Which servers are approved
Who they can voice chat with
No sharing personal information
No sending/receiving photos
Keep conversations appropriate
Consider whether Discord is necessary
Strict privacy settings
DMs from friends only
Only pre-approved servers
No public server joining
Frequent check-ins
Consider not allowing
Privacy settings enabled
DMs restricted
Discuss server choices
Know their main servers
Regular conversations
Open communication about interactions
Trust-based approach
Safety features enabled
Ongoing conversations
Gradually increasing independence
Discord Enforcement Is Limited — Prevention Must Be Proactive
Outside the few guardian-locked Family Center settings, Discord's safeguards live on your teen's own account — they may simply be using Discord without the settings you agreed on. Focus on conversation and device-level controls alongside app-level fixes.
Turned on DMs from server members
Check Settings > Privacy & Safety together and reset to recommended settings
Settings are on the account — your teen controls them, so re-locking requires their cooperation or a device-level restriction
With Family Center connected, DM restrictions can be locked so only you can change them
Joined servers you didn't approve
Open Discord together and review the server list (left sidebar)
Ask them to walk you through what each server is about
Have them leave any servers that don't fit your agreed rules
Joined Discord despite being banned from it
Check if they created a new account (look for a different username)
Use iOS Screen Time or Android Family Link to block the Discord app entirely
Block discord.com in browser restrictions as well
Using Discord via browser (to avoid app restrictions)
Add discord.com to the blocked sites list in iOS Screen Time (Limit Adult Websites > Never Allow) or Family Link
This prevents browser access even if the app is removed
Sharing personal information in servers or DMs
If you discover this, don't panic — address it calmly
If location was shared: assess whether anyone concerning has it; consider informing school if relevant
If photos were shared: report to Discord Trust & Safety if they were inappropriate
Review and tighten DM settings together
Concerning contacts or interactions discovered
If a contact seems like an adult targeting your teen, report via Discord's Trust & Safety: dis.gd/request
Document the conversation (screenshots) before blocking
For serious situations (exploitation, threats), contact local law enforcement
Sit down together and review current Discord settings
Re-establish the approved server list
Use device-level blocking if trust has significantly broken down
Consider whether Discord access should be paused temporarily while you reset expectations
Focus on rebuilding communication — technical controls alone won't work long-term on Discord
Account created with accurate birthdate Parent-accessible email used Two-Factor Authentication enabled Family Center connected and guardian controls set Sensitive Media filters set to 'Block' DMs from server members DISABLED Friend requests limited to Friends of Friends Server list reviewed together Discussed Discord safety and risks Established rules about use Agreed on check-in schedule Device-level time limits set This prevents all contact.
Report for harassment, dangerous behavior, or illegal activity.
Can be done instantly.
For serious issues: dis.gd/request
For threats, exploitation, or illegal activity, contact local law enforcement.
Official Discord safety resources
Discord's guide for parents
Independent Discord review and safety info
Stay Involved
Discord requires more active parental involvement than most platforms. Regular conversations and ongoing monitoring are essential for safe use.
Follow these steps to configure parental controls. Check off each step as you complete it — your progress stays on this page.
