Minecraft is rated PEGI 7 and it is easy to set up well for children. The game requires a Microsoft account, for a child that should be a child account linked to yours, and you manage parental controls on the Xbox website. Multiplayer is switched off by default on child accounts. This guide shows how to turn on only what you want: chat, multiplayer, Realms with friends and Marketplace purchases. It covers both Java and Bedrock, as of 19 October 2026.
What age is Minecraft for?
Minecraft is rated PEGI 7 for mild unrealistic violence and scenes that may frighten young children. In the Microsoft Store the PEGI 7 label also lists violence, fear, online play, user interaction and in-game purchases. In the US it carries an ESRB rating of Everyone 10+. You can check it in the PEGI database.
The violence is cartoonish. There is no blood, and players respawn after dying, except in Hardcore mode. You fight animals and monsters, and in multiplayer other players too. The game has two main modes: Creative, which is pure building, and Survival, where your child manages hunger and health. It can be played alone offline or with others online.
Microsoft account and child account
Java, Bedrock and Realms all require a Microsoft (Xbox) account. Children under 16 (in the EU and the US) get a child account, which has to be linked to an adult’s account. Only the parent can change the child account’s settings.
How to set up parental controls
- Go to account.xbox.com/settings and sign in with your account.
- Pick your child’s account.
- Under Online Safety, allow or block multiplayer, clubs and Realms, and adding friends.
- Under Privacy, choose who can communicate with your child by voice, text and invites: Everyone, Friends or Block.
On child accounts, multiplayer in Java and Bedrock is off by default. If your child wants it, you have to allow it. Parental controls only work in versions from 1.16.4 onwards and not in modded versions, which is why Mojang recommends keeping the game up to date. The official overview is in Mojang’s Parental Controls article.
Chat and reporting players
The simplest protection is to set communication under Privacy to Friends. Your child then only chats and talks with people on their friends list. With Block, they cannot communicate with anyone.
Since version 1.19.1, Java has a Player Reporting tool in the pause menu. Your child can hide messages from a specific player and report an inappropriate message to moderators, even on private servers. Anything the tools cannot solve (chat, skins, behaviour in game) can be reported through the Report a Concern form. That includes griefing, meaning wrecking other people’s builds, which only happens in multiplayer.
Java or Bedrock for a child?
Mojang recommends Bedrock for younger players. It is connected to Xbox services, moderated online and its parental controls can be fine-tuned. Marketplace content is curated. Java is more open, third-party content may be unsuitable, and in the official edition comparison it has no parental controls through a Microsoft account. For modded versions Mojang provides no parental controls at all. More differences are in our Java vs Bedrock guide.
Playing safely with friends: Realms and servers
If your child wants to play with friends, Realms is a safer route. It is a private server from Mojang for invited players only, so you control who joins. It runs around the clock and friends can play even when the owner is offline. Realms is a paid subscription, and new subscribers get the first month free. Plans and prices are on minecraft.net, and our server setup guide covers servers in more detail.
If your child wants public servers, minecraft.net has an official server list of servers verified to follow the community standards, filterable by age and play style. On consoles you also need a platform subscription for online play. Who can play with whom on which device is summed up in our crossplay guide.
Purchases: Minecoins and the Marketplace
Bedrock has a Marketplace with paid content (worlds, skin and texture packs) bought with Minecoins, the game’s virtual currency. On PlayStation, Tokens are used instead. The game is fully playable without buying anything.
One change to know about: from 27 October 2026, Minecoins bought on Nintendo can only be spent on Nintendo, and Minecoins bought elsewhere cannot be spent on Nintendo. So check the platforms printed on any gift card.
Consoles, phones and Chromebook
Consoles have their own parental controls (Nintendo Switch and PS5, for example), and Chromebooks are managed through Google Play. It is worth setting those up as well.
If you want to talk about online safety with your child inside the game, Minecraft Education has learning worlds on online safety. You can also try the game without paying through the official trial, see Minecraft for free. Mojang has its own parents’ guide too.
Join our Discord to ask other parents and players how they set up Minecraft: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Minecraft is rated PEGI 7 for mild cartoon violence and scenes that may frighten young children. In the US it is rated ESRB Everyone 10+.
At account.xbox.com/settings, pick your child’s account and under Privacy set voice, text and invites to Friends or Block. With Block, your child cannot communicate with anyone.
Multiplayer is off by default on child accounts. You can allow it at account.xbox.com/settings under Online Safety. Consoles also need a platform subscription.
Mojang recommends Bedrock for younger players. It is moderated through Xbox services, has a curated Marketplace and parental controls through a Microsoft account. Java is more open, and parental controls do not work in modded versions.
No. Paid Marketplace content bought with Minecoins is optional, and the game is fully playable without any purchases.
Information verified on 19 October 2026. More guides are waiting in our Minecraft section.