Protect your account
- Use a strong, unique password. Your gaming account may hold payment details and years of purchases. A password manager makes unique passwords easy.
- Turn on two-step verification. Most platforms and stores offer it in their security settings. It stops most account takeovers even if a password leaks.
- Keep your recovery email and phone up to date so you can get back in if something goes wrong.
- Sign out on shared devices and remove saved payment details you do not need.
Privacy and chat settings
Platforms let you choose who can see your profile, send you messages, join your games and talk to you in voice chat. Common choices are everyone, friends only and nobody. Friends only is a sensible default, especially for younger players. Most games also let you mute voice chat entirely, mute individual players or turn off text chat.
- Use a gamertag or username that does not include your real name, age, school or location.
- Do not share your address, phone number, school, passwords or photos with people you meet in games.
- Be careful with livestreams and clips, which can show your room, your voice or details on screen.
Common scams
| Scam | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Free currency or items | A site or message promises free in-game currency if you sign in or download something. | Ignore it. Real offers come through the official game or store. |
| Fake login pages | A link asks you to "verify" your account on a page that looks real. | Sign in only through the app or by typing the official address yourself. |
| Trading tricks | Someone asks you to hand over an item first, or to trade outside the game's own system. | Use only the game's built-in trading, if it has one. |
| Fake support | A player says they work for the game and need your password or a code. | Staff never need your password. Report the player. |
| Cheat downloads | A free cheat or mod program is offered from an unofficial site. | Avoid it. These files can carry malware and may get your account banned. |
Dealing with unkind players
Trash talk and rudeness happen in some online games. You do not have to put up with it. Mute, block and report are there to be used, and leaving a match or a group is always fine. Reports usually go to a moderation team, and you can often add a short note about what happened. For anything threatening, keep a screenshot or recording if you can do so safely.
If someone you met online asks a child for photos, personal details or to move the conversation to another app, or makes them uncomfortable in any way, block and report them on the platform and tell a trusted adult. In cases of threats or exploitation, contact local police. Many countries also have a national hotline for reporting online child abuse.
In-game purchases
Many games sell extra items, characters, cosmetic outfits or in-game currency. Some sell random item packs, sometimes called loot boxes, where you do not know what you will get. Age rating boards now flag games that include in-game purchases. Set a spending limit or require a password for purchases in your platform settings, and treat in-game currency as real money, because it is.
Online safety questions
Is voice chat safe for kids?
It depends on the child, the game and the settings. Many families start with voice chat off or limited to approved friends, then review it as the child gets older. See parental controls.
Someone took over my account. What now?
Use the platform's account recovery page straight away, change your password, turn on two-step verification and check your payment methods for unknown charges. Contact your bank if money was taken.