How To Set Up Fortnite Parental Controls on Any Device (2026 Guide)

Fortnite offers robust parental controls that live on the child’s account (not the parent’s) and are locked by a six-digit PIN. You can set these controls in Fortnite or on Epic’s website, and they follow the child’s account across every device they sign in to.

In this article, we’ll cover how to set up Fortnite’s parental controls, which settings matter most, what you’ll need to set up on the console, and how to change or turn them off. We’ll also cover the best parental control apps to supplement Fortnite’s controls and help protect your children outside the game.

How to set up Fortnite parental controls

You can set up Fortnite parental controls in-game or through Epic’s dedicated parental control site. Here are the instructions for each.

Set up Fortnite parental controls in-game

1. Launch Fortnite.

2. Select the Player Icon in the upper right corner.

3. Select the Menu icon (the three stacked lines).

4. Choose Parental Controls from the list.

5. Tap Set Up Parental Controls.

6. Confirm the parent’s email address.

7. Set a six-digit PIN. This PIN locks changes to parental controls and access to restricted features, so make sure it’s something your child won’t guess.

Set up Fortnite parental controls from the Epic parental control site

1. Head to the Epic Games Parental Controls page.
2. Sign in with your child’s account.
3. Confirm the account ID matches the one shown in-game.
4. Enter your PIN or create a new one if it’s your first time enabling parental controls.

If a child says they are under 13 when creating their account, the account will be a Cabined Account. With a Cabined Account, certain features are off by default, including voice chat, free text chat, and real-money purchases.

When creating the account, they’ll be asked to provide a parent or guardian’s email address, and the parent will receive an email confirming the account creation and requesting permission to access Cabined features.

Fortnite parental control settings to know

Fortnite offers several useful parental control settings, including chat restrictions, spending controls, and time limits.

Voice and text chat

Fortnite provides four settings for voice chat and text chat:

• Everybody
• Friends, team members, and connections
• Friends Only
• Nobody

“Connections” essentially means friends of friends. Epic caps chat settings to Friends Only for kids under 10 and to Friends, team members, and connections for kids under 13 — these settings can’t be exceeded if your kids are in those age ranges. There’s also a mature language filter (this is always on for kids under 13) and the option to require a PIN to send or accept friend requests.

Spending and V-Bucks

Fortnite has two basic spending controls: requiring a PIN for purchases through the Epic Games payment platform, and a toggle to allow your child to use V-Bucks (Fortnite’s in-game currency) to purchase items with a random reward. Additionally, under-13 accounts get a $100 daily limit on Epic payments.

This PIN doesn't cover purchases made through the PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, or Steam stores. If your child plays on one of those platforms, you’ll need to set spending limits directly on the console. The PIN also doesn’t apply to V-Bucks spending.

Time limits and reports

Fortnite has robust time limit controls. You can set a schedule for when play is allowed and a maximum time limit within those hours, and set this for all days or customize it for each day of the week. There’s an optional toggle for allowing requests for more time (via email).

Time limits apply to any device signed into the same account. You can also view reports on how much time your child spends on Fortnite and request a weekly email summary.

Content ratings, Creative, and AI chat

Each Fortnite island has its own age rating, and you can lock everything above a certain rating with a PIN. The options are Teen, Everyone 10+, and Everyone. Battle Royale is rated Teen, so if you set the limit below that, it will also be blocked.

There are also two useful toggles: one to restrict access to Creative Mode and the Unreal Editor for Fortnite, and one to prevent communication with AI features in the game. Turning off Creative access prevents your child from designing games and experiences in Fortnite and from joining friends who are designing their own experiences.

Console and phone settings to pair with Fortnite's controls

While Fortnite’s parental controls are fairly robust, they can’t stop chat through a console’s own systems, and the PIN won’t cover console store purchases. That means parents should also set up controls specific to each device their child plays on:

• PlayStation: Head to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management to set parental controls on PlayStation consoles.
• Xbox/Windows: Microsoft Family Groups handle these controls. Our guide to Minecraft parental controls walks you through setting them up.
• Nintendo Switch: Head to System Settings > Parental Controls. For more details, see our guide to Nintendo Switch parental controls.
• iPhone and Android: Use the built-in Apple and Google systems. On iPhone, head to Settings > Screen Time > [child’s name]. On Android, use the Family Link app.

How to change or turn off Fortnite parental controls

If you’ve found your parental control settings too strict, you can change them easily from the in-game menu or the Epic web portal. Remember, you'll need your PIN for all changes.

How to turn off parental controls on Fortnite

Unfortunately, once activated, you can’t simply toggle all parental controls off. You also can’t remove the PIN. However, you can change each setting to its least restrictive option, which effectively removes the parental controls. You’ll just need to go through the settings one by one. Make sure to read each setting carefully so you know what you’re changing. Epic does a pretty good job explaining what each setting does.

Forgot your Fortnite parental controls PIN?

If you forget your Fortnite parental controls PIN, don’t panic. There’s a simple way to reset it. Go to the parental controls site and click "Forgot your PIN?" under the PIN entry. A reset email will be sent to the email address on file. Note that this email will always go to the parent’s email address, even if the reset is requested from the child account.

Best third-party parental controls for Fortnite

Fortnite's built-in controls are a good starting point, but they won't tell you what's happening when your child moves to Discord, YouTube, or other apps. To monitor activity beyond the game, consider these three of our best parental control apps for teenagers.

Choose Aura if you're concerned about gaming conversations. Aura's Safe Gaming feature monitors supported gaming chats, including Discord, for potentially harmful interactions. It's a good fit if your biggest concern is who your child is talking to while gaming.

Learn more in our Aura Parental Controls review.

Choose Qustodio if you want more visibility into your child's overall activity. Beyond monitoring certain gaming chats, Qustodio offers YouTube monitoring and other parental controls to help you manage how your child uses their devices. It's a better fit if you want broader oversight rather than focusing only on conversations.

Learn more in our Qustodio review.

Choose Bark if your child spends a lot of time on social and messaging apps. Bark specializes in monitoring supported platforms like Discord, Snapchat, and YouTube for concerning content and interactions. Consider it if your child regularly moves between Fortnite and other apps to chat with friends.

Learn more in our Bark review.

Keep in mind that monitoring capabilities vary by device, platform, and app. None of these services can monitor every Fortnite conversation or replace the game's built-in chat restrictions.

Bottom line: Are Fortnite parental controls enough?

Fortnite’s parental controls are detailed and cover the main risks kids are likely to encounter in the game: strangers in chat, surprise spending, and excessive playtime. However, they sit behind a PIN that’s easy to lose (and potentially easy to guess), don’t cover console-level chat or store purchases, and don't work outside Epic’s own games.

If you’re considering parental controls for Fortnite, you're not alone: our survey of parents found that 96% track their children’s digital activities and communication, and more than half check their kids’ gaming history.

Epic’s controls are definitely worth using, but I’d recommend supplementing them with console chat and spending controls. As always, make sure the setup includes a conversation with your kids about why these controls are in place and how to handle the scenarios they might encounter while gaming.

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