How to Fix "This experience is restricted by your Parental Controls" in Roblox

Have you ever tried to play a game in Roblox, only to be met with the dreaded "This experience is restricted by your Parental Controls" message? As a fellow gaming enthusiast, I totally get how frustrating that can be.

But don‘t worry – with the right tricks, you can get past this restriction and access the full Roblox experience. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to fix the "Restricted by Parental Controls" error for good.

What Causes the Parental Controls Error?

Before we dig into solutions, it helps to understand exactly why you‘re seeing this message.

The parental controls system in Roblox gives parents and guardians a way to restrict what types of games and experiences their kids can access. There are two key settings that trigger the "restricted" error:

Account Restrictions

This setting completely disables the ability to enter any experience tagged as 17+ when enabled. Turning off account restrictions is required to access more mature content.

Allowed Experiences

This setting lets parents select the maximum age rating their child is allowed to play. For example, if set to "All Ages," you can only play games rated All Ages in Roblox.

Here‘s a quick overview of the experience age ratings in Roblox:

All Ages: Suitable for all players.
13+: Mild violence and scary themes permitted.
17+: Intense violence, gore, and other mature content allowed. Requires age verification.

So if your allowed experiences setting is lower than the game you‘re trying to play, the parental controls block access and show the "restricted" message.

Now that you know what causes it, let‘s get into the fixes!

Fix #1: Disable Account Restrictions

If account restrictions are enabled for your Roblox account, you won‘t be able to play any experiences tagged as 17+ until they are disabled.

To turn off account restrictions:

Log into your Roblox account on the website or mobile app.
Go to the Settings menu and select Privacy.
Under Account Restrictions, toggle the switch to Off.

Toggle Account Restrictions to Off in Roblox Settings

With account restrictions disabled, you remove the blanket ban on all 17+ rated content. However, the allowed experiences age setting may still block some games.

Fix #2: Increase Your Allowed Experiences Age

If your allowed experiences age is set below 17, certain games will still be blocked even if you‘ve disabled account restrictions.

To increase the allowed experiences age:

In your Roblox Settings, go to the Parental Controls tab.
Enable the Parent PIN option and set a 4-digit PIN. Roblox requires this to change parental control settings.
Under Allowed Experiences, increase the age to 13+ or 17+.

Increase Allowed Experiences Age in Parental Controls

Setting this to 13+ will allow you to play most Roblox games. 17+ removes all restrictions, but requires age verification.

Fix #3: Verify Your Age to Access 17+ Content

To increase your allowed content rating to 17+ and access unfiltered mature experiences, Roblox requires you to verify your age.

To verify your age on Roblox:

Go to the Account Info tab in Settings and enter your real date of birth. You must be 17 or older.
Select Verify My Age and follow the on-screen instructions to scan a QR code.
Take a photo of your official ID when prompted to complete verification.

Once verified as 17+, you can set the allowed experiences age to 17+ and gain access to all Roblox content!

Troubleshooting Tips

Here are some troubleshooting tips in case you still see the restricted error after making changes:

Double check that both account restrictions are disabled and allowed experiences is set properly. Changing only one won‘t always work.
You must have the parent PIN set to increase the allowed experiences age above All Ages.
Attempting to play games above your allowed rating will trigger the restriction every time, even with other settings changed. Verify your age if aiming for 17+ access.
For users under 13, all experiences besides All Ages will be restricted. This is a firm Roblox policy to comply with COPPA regulations.
On Xbox consoles, parental controls restrictions can also be set through the Xbox Family Settings app. Check this if you only see issues on Xbox.
Deleting browsing history and cookies can sometimes help resolve issues if settings changes aren‘t sticking.

Why Roblox Added Parental Controls

Roblox added its parental controls system in 2020 to empower parents to manage their child‘s Roblox experience. This coincided with Roblox expanding its age ratings to include a broader range of content.

According to Roblox data, over 50% of its player base is under 13 years old. The introduction of 13+ and 17+ rated games allowed Roblox to appeal to an older audience while still protecting younger players.

Parental controls provide a balanced approach, letting parents decide which experiences are appropriate for their child based on their maturity level. For example, a 10 year old may be allowed to play 13+ games, while a 6 year old is restricted to All Ages.

Without parental controls, Roblox would have to take an all-or-nothing approach to age-appropriate content. Parental controls give families more flexibility to use Roblox how they see fit.

The Benefits and Risks of Restricted vs Unfiltered Access

Giving your child unrestricted access to Roblox can enrich their creativity, self-expression and social skills. But it also comes with some risks, especially for very young users.

Benefits of unfiltered access:

Play more complex, high-quality games made by older creators.
Express themselves creatively with fewer limits on content.
Socialize with a wider range of players their own age.

Potential risks:

Exposure to inappropriate language, themes or behavior.
Interacting with strangers who may have ill intentions.
Addiction and overuse due to lack of limitations.
Higher chances of seeing explicit/shocking user-generated content.

The right level of restrictions varies for each family, but most experts recommend:

Keeping kids under 9 restricted to All Ages content only
Slowly expanding access between 10-12 based on maturity, not age
Lifting most restrictions by mid-teens with ongoing supervision

Regardless of parental control settings, parents should still monitor gameplay, set screen time limits, and maintain an open dialogue about Roblox experiences.

Expert Tips for Managing Your Child‘s Safety on Roblox

As a fellow gamer and parent, I‘ve picked up some useful tips for maximizing your kid‘s safety and fun on Roblox:

Only friend/follow your child and other contacts you trust. Vet any new followers.
Enable Restrict Chat to limit strangers from messaging your child in-game.
Set a strong parental PIN so your child can‘t change settings without you.
Remind kids not to share personal info online or circumvent restrictions.
Check your child‘s privacy settings and enable things like "Visible to Contacts Only"
Monitor your child‘s activity in the app and tab between games to get a sense of the content.
Set reasonable screen time limits based on age and maturity level.
Have open conversations about online safety and which games are appropriate or concerning.

Following this advice, along with tailoring parental controls as your child grows up, can help them thrive in the Roblox metaverse safely and responsibly.

In Conclusion

Dealing with Roblox‘s "This experience is restricted" message can be a bummer, but using the solutions in this guide, you should be able to regain access to the experiences you want.

The key fixes include:

Disabling account restrictions
Increasing your allowed experiences age
Verifying your age to access 17+ content

Roblox parental controls are designed to help parents protect their young children while allowing for more freedom as kids mature. With the right balance of guidance, open communication, and tailored restrictions, your child can get the most out of Roblox.

As a fellow passionate gamer, I‘m always happy to provide more gaming safety tips and tech advice. Don‘t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions!