safetyCommon Term
Restricted Chat
ree-STRIK-ted chat
Definition
The default chat mode for under-13 accounts since the January 2026 age-check rollout. A child on Restricted Chat can't send direct messages to people unless a parent has approved them as a Trusted Connection. In-experience text chat is still heavily filtered. It's an opt-in-to-expand model: locked down by default, opened up only by parent approval.
Example Usage
“His account is on Restricted Chat, so he can't DM anyone I haven't approved.”
Note for Parents
This is a strong default — leave it on. It flips the burden: instead of your child having to avoid strangers, no stranger can DM them in the first place. If your child says chat 'stopped working' in 2026, Restricted Chat after the age-check rollout is usually the reason. See Trusted Connection.