How to Fix the "Ask Your Parent for Help" Error in Fortnite - A Detailed Guide

Have you logged into Fortnite recently and been greeted by an intimidating message telling you to "Ask your parent for help"?

As a fellow gaming enthusiast, I totally get how frustrating this is. One minute you‘re excited to play, and the next you‘re locked out and confused about what to do next.

Not to worry my friend, I‘ve got you covered! In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through exactly why you‘re seeing the "Ask your parent for help" message, what it means, and most importantly – how to fix it so you can get back to battling in Fortnite.

Stick with me, and you‘ll be dropping into Solo, Duos, Trios, or Squads in no time. Let‘s do this!

Why Does Fortnite Say "Ask Your Parent for Help"?

Seeing the "Ask your parent for help" message means one thing:

Fortnite thinks you‘re under 13 years old.

According to Fortnite developer Epic Games‘ terms of service, you must be at least 13 years old to create an Epic account and play Fortnite. This is because of a U.S. law called COPPA – the Children‘s Online Privacy Protection Act.

COPPA requires parental permission for kids under 13 to access online services like Fortnite that collect personal information. It‘s meant to protect children‘s privacy.

So if Fortnite believes you‘re under 13, it automatically locks your account until a parent or guardian verifies you have their consent to play. Pretty annoying, I know.

Let me break down exactly how this happens:

You enter your date of birth when creating an Epic account – If you put that you‘re under 13, Fortnite flags your account
Fortnite checks your activity – Things like having an account without much history can also trigger the "under 13" alert
Your account gets locked – Fortnite requires parental verification before anyone under 13 can access the game

This is why you‘re suddenly seeing the message out of the blue – Fortnite has determined your account is for someone under 13 and needs parental consent.

The Full "Ask Your Parent for Help" Message

Okay, so now we know why Fortnite is asking for parental help. But what exactly does the message say?

When the "Ask your parent for help" screen pops up in Fortnite, here‘s the full message:

_"Ask your parent or guardian for help. Fortnite requires parental consent for players under the age of 13. Once your parent or guardian has given consent, you will be able to continue using this Epic Games account.

If consent is not provided within 30 days, the account will be deleted."_

Yikes, account deleted – that sounds serious! This makes it clear you need to take action and get a parent to verify your account.

What Does Your Parent Need to Do?

Fortnite isn‘t just going to take your word that your parents say it‘s okay for you to play. To remove the "Ask your parent for help" message, a parent has to:

Give Epic their email address – So Fortnite can contact them
Prove they are an adult – By providing the last 4 digits of their SSN or paying a small $0.50 fee online
Confirm consent – Verify they allow you to use the Epic account for Fortnite

Once these steps are done, your account access will be restored. Let‘s look at the process in more detail.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing "Ask Your Parent for Help"

Follow these steps to get your account unblocked so you can play Fortnite again:

Step 1: Enter Your Parent‘s Email

First, launch Fortnite and click the "Ask your parent for help" message. Here, enter your parent or legal guardian‘s email address (it can‘t be your own email).

Double and triple check you enter it correctly! This allows Epic to contact your parent to begin the verification process.

Step 2: Your Parent Checks Their Email

Next, let your parent know to be on the lookout for an email from Epic Games. They‘ll get an email with subject "Parental Consent for Epic Games Account".

Once it arrives, have them open it up.

Step 3: Click "Continue" in the Email

Inside the email from Epic, your parent needs to:

Click the big blue "Continue" button
This takes them to the parental consent page on the Epic website
Click "Continue" again on the next screen

So far, so good!

Step 4: Select "Yes" to Allow Access

On the parental consent page on Epic‘s site, your parent should:

Click "Yes" to confirm they allow you access to the Epic account for Fortnite
This gives Epic their official consent

Step 5: Verify Your Parent is an Adult

Now it gets a little tricky. Your parent has to verify they are an adult. They can:

Provide the last 4 digits of their SSN
Pay a small $0.50 fee online using a credit or debit card

Giving the last 4 SSN digits is quick and easy. But if they choose the card option, make sure they:

Use their own valid card information
Pay the $0.50 fee
The card will be refunded the $0.50 in 8-13 business days

This adult verification is how Epic confirms it‘s really your parent giving consent.

Step 6: Check the Confirmation Email

As soon as your parent completes the adult verification, Epic sends a confirmation email saying:

"Your child‘s Epic Games account has been restored. Your child can now log in."

This means consent is complete!

Step 7: Play Fortnite!

Now for the best part – loading up Fortnite again!

When you log back into your Epic account, the "Ask your parent for help" message will be gone. Full access restored.

Time to collect all those sweet Victory Royales!

And that‘s it – following those steps will get your parent‘s consent verified so you can play Fortnite again.

Why Can‘t I Just Use My Parent‘s Credit Card?

You might be wondering: can‘t I skip all this by just entering my parent‘s card details myself?

Sorry, Epic won‘t allow it.

The small $0.50 card payment or SSN last 4 digits are specifically designed so only a parent or guardian can provide them.

Epic wants to guarantee an adult is personally giving consent. So your parent has to be the one to complete the process.

Based on the "Ask your parent for help" message, if consent isn‘t completed within 30 days, your Epic account will be deleted.

You‘d have to create a brand new account and start totally fresh. All your skins, stats, and progress – gone!

So make sure your parent verifies the account within 30 days. If it‘s taking them a while, give them a gentle reminder to check their email from Epic and follow the steps.

Can I Make a New Epic Account with Fake Info?

You might be tempted to dodge all this by making a new Epic account with a fake age.

I strongly advise against attempting this.

Epic takes account security extremely seriously. If they suspect false info, they will ban your account entirely.

It‘s much safer to go through the proper parental verification process for your existing underage account. This lets you get back to gaming while following Epic‘s rules.

What If I‘m Really Over 13?

If you‘re actually over 13 but entered an incorrect under 13 age when making your Epic account, contact their customer support.

Explain this was a mistake and provide your real date of birth. Epic can update your account age with verified proof you‘re over 13.

That will remove the "Ask your parent for help" message so you don‘t need parental consent.

Still Confused? Here are the Key Points:

Let‘s summarize the key facts about the "Ask your parent for help" message:

It appears because Epic thinks you are under 13 years old
Your parent must complete an adult verification process
This involves providing their email, SSN, and/or card information
Once verified, the message will be removed from your account
If not verified in 30 days, your account may be deleted

I know it‘s a hassle, but this is Epic‘s policy for under 13 accounts. Just follow my guide, and you‘ll be back gaming in no time!

Get Back to Your Fortnite Fun!

Well friend, hopefully this walkthrough has made it crystal clear why you‘re seeing the "Ask your parent for help" message and how to resolve it.

I know how antsy you must be to collect those Victory Royales again!

By entering your parent‘s email, having them verify their identity, and give consent, you‘ll regain access in just a few quick steps.

Just remember, your parent has to be the one to personally complete the process to satisfy Epic.

If you have any other questions about parental verification, I‘m always happy to help! Reach out to me or Epic Games customer support.

Now go get that account unblocked so you can drop into Fortnite with your crew. I‘ll see you on the Battle Bus!