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Fortnite

Online shooter with cartoon violence, played in squads with voice chat. Controls sit in two places: Epic’s account and the console or device.

GameAbout 12 minutesSource confidence: highChecked 20 August 2026

Menu names shift between software versions and between phone makers. If a name here does not match what you see, look for something close by rather than assuming the setting is gone.

There is a version built for younger children

A Cabined Account, an account type in Epic Games. Epic switches this on when a player gives an age under 13, or under the local age of digital consent where that is higher. Voice and text chat with other players, real-money purchases, custom display names and account linking are all off.

Worth knowing: It gates the account, not the game. The content they see is the same. It lifts on its own when they reach the local age, or sooner if you give consent by email.

The official page for a Cabined Account

What to watch for

Before you start

  1. 1

    Set the parental controls PIN

    Everything else depends on this. Without it, the settings are suggestions.

    Fortnite main menu → ☰ → ⚙️ → Parental Controls

    1. From the main menu, open the three-line menu, then the gear icon.
    2. Choose Parental Controls.
    3. Create a 6-digit PIN. Don’t reuse a PIN your child already knows.
    4. Confirm the email address that receives reports.

    Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.

  2. 2

    Set voice and text chat

    This is the biggest one. Random squad fill puts your child in a voice channel with strangers by default. Nobody is the safest setting and also the most likely to get undone, because Fortnite is a team game and no voice means no playing properly with friends. Friends Only takes the strangers out and leaves the game worth playing, which is why it is the recommendation from about 11 upwards.

    Parental Controls → Voice Chat / Text Chat

    1. Set Voice Chat and Text Chat to the level below.
    2. Confirm with your PIN.
    Recommended by age
    Under 7NobodyNobody can message, call or speak to them on this app. Not strangers, and not their friends either.
    7–11NobodyNobody can message, call or speak to them on this app. Not strangers, and not their friends either.
    11–12Friends OnlyOnly people already on their friends list can reach them. Strangers cannot.
    13–15Friends OnlyOnly people already on their friends list can reach them. Strangers cannot.
    16–17Friends Only, or Friends & Teammates if agreedTheir friends, plus whoever the game puts them with. That includes strangers, for as long as the match lasts.

    The options are Nobody, Friends Only, Friends & Teammates, and Everybody.

    Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.

  3. 3

    Turn on the mature language filter

    Replaces swearing in text chat with heart symbols. Small thing, easy win.

    Parental Controls → Filter Mature Language

    1. Toggle Filter Mature Language on.

    Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.

  4. 4

    Require your PIN to add friends

    It turns every new friend request into a two-second conversation, which is exactly what you want.

    Parental Controls → Require a PIN to add Epic friends

    1. Turn it on.

    Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.

  5. 5

    Set playtime limits and weekly reports

    Fortnite matches don’t end at a convenient moment. A scheduled limit avoids the 'one more game' loop.

    Parental Controls → Playtime

    1. Set a daily limit (adjustable in 15-minute increments).
    2. Set a different schedule for weekends if that suits you.
    3. Turn on Weekly Playtime Reports so you get an email summary.

    Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.

  6. 6

    Require your PIN for purchases

    V-Bucks purchases are two taps away otherwise.

    Epic Games Store settings → Parental Controls → require PIN for purchases

    1. In the Epic Games Store parental controls, turn on the requirement for a PIN on all purchases.
    2. Remove any saved payment card if your child plays unsupervised.

    Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.

  7. 7

    Set the console or device controls too

    Epic’s controls don’t govern the console’s own chat and spending. Both layers are needed.

    1. PlayStation: set communication and spending limits in Family Management.
    2. Xbox: set Privacy & online safety and spending in Microsoft Family Safety.
    3. Switch: set restriction level and play-time limits in the Parental Controls app.
    4. iPhone/iPad: use Screen Time. Android: use Family Link.

    SafeStart has a guide for each console. Pick your device on the home screen.

Safety check

Worth talking about

Official sources

Has something already happened?If your child has been contacted by an adult, is being threatened over an image, or is being bullied, settings are not the first thing to deal with. Here is what to do, and who to tell.

Menus move. If something on screen does not match these steps, check the official link above.