Is Discord Safe for Kids? Safety Features and Hidden Dangers Explained

The world has become vertical. This statement came to fruition in the most astounding way. There is an app for everything, and today’s children want to use each one of them. So, when Discord launched an app to facilitate online gamers’ communication with like-minded players, it was impossible for it not to gain the popularity it has. On average, people spend about 80 minutes a day on Discord, which shows just how engaging it can be.

However, the question is Discord safe for kids? 

Being designed for gaming and kids, it is obvious to deduce that the app would be safe; that’s not the case. Although the app offers several benefits, such as allowing children to connect across communities and collaborate on various activities like gaming, studying, or simply chatting with friends, there are a few issues that can be an issue for parents. 

This blog explains what Discord is and whether it is safe for your child to use. Additionally, you will find strategies to protect your child from the negative aspects of the app.  

What Is Discord and How Does It Work?

Discord is a free communication platform primarily designed for gamers to communicate, which has since expanded its horizons to encompass a wide range of uses. Chat rooms, forums, and video calls – you can use the app for everything without spending a penny. The idea originated from two friends trying to communicate without closing the game, so the workflow is precisely based on the need. 

The Discord platform is built around servers, which are community spaces created by individuals or groups. Each server can have multiple channels, organized by topic or activity. Channels can be text-based or voice/video-based, and they can be either public (open to anyone with the link) or private (invite-only). 

The option to create and join servers is what has made everyone join the app. For example, today you will find servers related to education, hobbies, AI art creation, social interaction, and more. 

Users can also message each other directly, share files, or connect through voice and video. The platform is available on desktop, web, and mobile apps, making it accessible for kids and teens everywhere.

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Is Discord Safe to Use for Kids?

Discord is not inherently unsafe, nor was it created with that thought. It’s one of the classic examples of “it’s not the product, it’s how you use it.” Although online multiplayer games have somewhat questionable content and graphics, Discord was primarily intended for communication. However, with expansion and the option to create servers and channels, many predators, cyberbullies, and hackers have joined the app. 

The Discord age requirement is 13 years, aligning with COPPA regulations, and the platform enforces this policy strictly; violations can result in permanent account bans. Still, you can find many underage game enthusiasts on the app. Considering the issues this app has, even 13-year-olds are not safe. 

It is not like Discord is unfamiliar with the issues and their repercussions. They have implemented various safety measures, including privacy settings, moderation tools, and community guidelines. However, there is no proper content moderation within the private chats. Children can receive explicit content or can be manipulated to create such content. 

Understanding the features of the app and the purpose it serves in communication, it doesn’t seem different from other communication apps. Similarly, like other communication platforms, Discord can be a safe outlet with proper moderation and monitoring. 

Why Kids and Teens Love Discord

You will almost never see a child thinking, “Is Discord safe to use?” But you will see them use the app for hours and mention it multiple times. According to recent statistics, 28% of children with an age limit between 13 and 17 have used Discord, and 2 of 3 said that they like using the app. 

The most common reasons children like this app are its sense of freedom, targeted community, and opportunities for collaboration. They can easily join servers that match their hobbies, whether it’s gaming, coding, anime, or art. Additionally, the ability to create and customize servers and roles gives them a sense of ownership and liberty. 

And here is the biggest catch: they can use all the features, including voice chats and calls, without sharing their actual names. Children can choose pseudo usernames and use the app without exposing their real identities. This feature provides them with a sense of privacy and, in some cases, allows them to do as they please. 

The strongest appeal of the app is that it provides a hangout place for both gaming enthusiasts and socially active individuals. While it is not necessarily a bad option, this flexibility increases the risks, as kids may stumble upon servers containing explicit content and other such issues. 

7 Hidden Dangers of Discord Parents Should Know

The following are the dangers that your children may experience while using the Discord app. 

1. Exposure to Inappropriate Content

Discord allows servers to be labeled as NSFW (Not Safe For Work), which are meant for adults (18+). These servers may contain explicit sexual content, pornography, or graphic discussions. 

Although Discord requires age verification when creating an account, some tech-savvy children can easily bypass these verifications. If children get access to such accounts, they may be exposed to adult images, videos, roleplay chats, or harmful discussions that are entirely inappropriate for their age.

2. Stranger Danger and Online Predators

Finding and connecting to strangers is much easier on Discord compared to other apps. If your child is invited to a channel, the chances are that they only know the person who sent the link. 

In such cases, the likelihood of connecting with strangers becomes very high. Also, it provides a window for predators to send friend requests or direct messages to unsuspecting children.

3. Cyberbullying and Harassment

Like other social platforms, Discord isn’t immune to toxic behavior. Being a part of various servers and channels, they are possibility that your children may face cyberbullying, exclusion, or targeted harassment. It can also happen in private messages.

4. Addiction and Screen Time Issues

Discord encourages long conversations, late-night gaming sessions, and constant notifications. Most parents already worry about their children spending too much time on games, and Discord just adds to that worry, as it allows them to be connected 24/7. Following these habits, teens may struggle to balance screen time with school and family life.

5. Risky Links and Malware

Discord allows file sharing and clickable links. Hackers often share suspicious links that can expose children to scams, phishing attempts, or harmful downloads. If your children click on such links, they may be vulnerable to identity theft, and their data may also be at risk.

6. Privacy Risks and Data Sharing

Other than endangering their private information through a malicious link. There is a probability that children overshare personal details in public chats. Since Discord logs messages, these interactions could expose them to risks. Even if they are sharing their private information in DMs with strangers, it can be dangerous. 

7. Hidden Communities and Secret Servers

Some kids may create or join hidden servers to avoid parental oversight. These spaces could host unsafe conversations, extremist views, or inappropriate content.

Going through the dangers may lead you to believe that Discord for kids is not safe, and they should not be using it. Additionally, you may wonder why the app has so many issues if the developers aren’t taking any measures. However, this is not the case. 

What Is Discord Doing About Safety?

Discord has taken the following measures to ensure safety. 

Age Restrictions

Discord requires users to be at least 13 years old, aligning with U.S. child privacy laws. If an individual wants to be part of a server with adult content, they must meet the Discord age requirement of 18+ and undergo age verification.

Community Guidelines and Moderation Tools

The platform enforces strict rules against hate speech, nudity, and illegal activity. The app allows server owners to appoint several moderators who monitor discussions and the media shared with the server. They also have the authority to ban problematic members.

Safety Alerts and Reporting

Discord also has settings that allow users to report inappropriate content or behavior directly. These reports are handled by Discord’s Trust and Safety team, which investigates violations. If the content doesn’t meet the standards, they send security alerts and take action accordingly. 

AI-Powered Content Moderation 

Apart from the safety department, Discord also uses automated detection tools to flag harmful content, spam, and suspicious links before they spread widely.

Privacy & Parental Settings

To protect children from online dangers, Discord offers the Family Center feature. It is 

An opt-in parental supervision tool that helps you understand how your teen uses Discord. 

It provides you with a snapshot of activity, including who your teen has recently added as friends, who they have messaged or called, and which servers they have joined or participated in, all within the past 7 days. However, you won’t be able to read messages or listen to voice/video chat content. Also, you cannot remove the teen from servers or change their Discord settings.

While the aforementioned safety features can be beneficial, they have several limitations. For example, most of the tools are action-oriented and won’t alert you beforehand. It largely relies on server owners and users to enforce rules. Therefore, if you want to protect your children, you must employ additional strategies and external tools to keep them safe.

How Parents Can Make Discord Safer: 5 Proven Strategies

Here are 5 ways you can protect your kids on Discord.

1. Familiarize Yourself with Discord 

One of the first things that you have to do is familiarize yourself with how Discord works. First, do your research and create an account on the app. Explore the features and see what you can do within the app to protect your children. 

Spend time exploring its servers, channels, and features so you know how your child can be tricked and how you can guide them to use Discord responsibly. 

Learn how to set up privacy controls, block direct messages from strangers, and adjust notification settings. Once you have become familiar with the platform and how children can become entangled with it, you will be better equipped to spot potential dangers, such as inappropriate servers or unusual behavior. 

You can also ask your children to give you a tour of their account, using this as an opportunity to understand your child’s thought process when using the app. Rather than banning the app outright, understand what your child likes and whether or not they need extensive monitoring.

2. Use Xnspy Parental Monitoring App

It is highly likely that children don’t share what they are actually doing online. Hence, you need to employ a more effective strategy, such as using a parental monitoring app like Xnspy. 

Xnspy provides insight into your children’s online activities, including call and SMS logs, social media usage, screen time analytics, internet browsing history, location, and more. It also provides remote commands that can help you proactively prevent exposure to adult content and predators. 

The app works follows a simple yet, to date, most effective monitoring principle. You have to install the app once on the target device, and it captures the activity and saves it on the dashboard. You can access the dashboard using your Xnspy account from any browser. After installation, the app remains hidden and operates discreetly in the background, ensuring your child’s experience is uninterrupted. 

To monitor activities on Discord, you can utilize several features of the app. 

Installed Apps and Screen Time: Xnspy logs every installed app on the target device, including hidden ones, and captures screen time, including the frequency of visits to each app and the time spent on each app. You can view the total time your child spends on Discord and other apps. 

With these insights, you can determine whether the app is becoming addictive or negatively impacting your child’s daily routine. Based on the information, you can also set limits and create a schedule that provides the necessary balance. In case of overuse, you can also temporarily block the app. 

Screenshots: With Xnspy’s screenshot feature, you can capture real-time visuals of what your child is doing on Discord. Whether they are chatting, joining servers, or watching shared content, these recordings provide unfiltered insights. You can easily view every activity, even the ones that Discord’s Family Center missed. 

Keylogger: The keylogger records every keystroke typed on your child’s device, including Discord. You can view messages, search results, and even credentials. This helps ensure that children are not sharing their personal information, communicating with predators, or engaging in cyberbullying. 

Keyword Alert: Xnspy enables parents to set custom keyword alerts for terms such as “meet up,” “secret,” or explicit words. If your child uses or receives these phrases on Discord, you will receive instant notifications via email or SMS, based on your customization settings. This feature provides the protection you need to prevent your child from viewing inappropriate content or falling victim to online scams. 

Lock Phone: If you notice suspicious Discord activity that needs to be stopped immediately, or if your child is not limiting their usage, you can temporarily lock their phone. 

3. Use Discord’s Built-in Parental Monitoring Tools 

As mentioned earlier, Discord includes privacy and safety features that parents should configure. Discuss with your teens the dangers of the app and its potential impact on their lives. Ask them to show the settings and disable direct messages from strangers, as well as limit friend requests to mutual contacts. 

You can also set “Safe Direct Messaging” to automatically filter explicit content. Encourage your child to report harassment or inappropriate behavior using Discord’s reporting system. If your child is joining servers, review them together to ensure they are age-appropriate. 

Although these tools have limitations, they shouldn’t be ignored. They can add an added layer of security and offer mild monitoring without invading privacy. 

4. Add Network-level Protections

Most parents are unaware that they can configure settings directly from the network to protect their children. You can set up filters at the network level that prevent inappropriate content from opening in your child’s phone. 

Use tools like OpenDNS or parental control routers to block access to specific servers or filter out inappropriate content across devices connected to your home Wi-Fi. These protections extend beyond Discord by blocking harmful websites, phishing attempts, and malware. 

Network-level controls are handy if your child uses multiple devices. For example, if they are using Discord web, they still won’t be able to access the adult servers. 

5. Educate Your Children 

The most effective safety strategy is open communication. Whether it is using the Discord platform on the internet as a whole, educate your children to be responsible about their actions. State clearly the consequences of oversharing personal information, accepting friend requests from strangers, or clicking suspicious links. 

Explain that not everyone online is who they claim to be, and encourage them to come to you if something makes them uncomfortable. Establish clear rules for screen time and take measures like engaging them in physical activities and spending quality time with them. 

These tactics will empower your children to make safer choices, even when you are not actively monitoring. When you combine guidance with trust, you create a supportive environment where kids feel comfortable and are not hesitant to discuss their online experiences. 

5 Alternatives to Discord for Younger Kids

Discord for kids is not necessarily as problematic, especially if you are careful and use the right strategies. But if you still feel that it is not the right app for your children, especially preteens, you can use the following alternative apps.   

1. Mumble

Mumble is an open-source voice chat application that offers a simple, distraction-free environment. Like Discord, it is popular among gamers and operates on a server and channel format. 

However, Mumble doesn’t focus on social networking or large public communities, making it a safer experience. You can set up private servers for their kids, ensuring that conversations remain limited to family or close friends. This way, you can protect them from engaging with strangers and inappropriate content.

2. Messenger Kids

Messenger Kids, created by Meta (Facebook’s parent company), is specifically for children under 13. It allows you to control every contact on the app, which means kids can only chat with approved friends and family. 

It supports text, video calls, and playful features like filters and stickers. The best feature of this app is that it has no ads and no in-app purchases, so the environment is safe and distraction-free for children.  

3. Kinzoo Messenger

Kinzoo Messenger is a family-oriented messaging platform that prioritizes safety and privacy. The app is safer for children because it does not store any data. You can approve all contacts and review the conversations. 

Kinzoo supports text, voice, and video messaging, as well as fun features like story creation and multimedia sharing. Due to its concept, the app is an excellent alternative for families that support collaboration and seek an app that prioritizes safe digital communication.

4. JusTalk Kids

JusTalk Kids is a video calling and messaging app specifically for children. It offers secure video calls, voice messaging, doodles, and stickers like most messengers. However. Unlike Discord, JusTalk Kids does not allow strangers to find or message your child and gives you the option to approve all contacts. 

It also doesn’t display any ads. With this app, you can be assured that your children are talking to familiar people without having to check up again and again. 

5. Google Meet 

Google Meet, although not specifically designed for kids, offers a safe and structured way for children to connect with classmates, family, or teachers. You can set up meetings and share secure links, ensuring that only trusted participants can join. 

Unlike Discord’s open servers, Google Meet is invitation-only, minimizing exposure to strangers. Also, since Google Meet integrates with Google accounts and parental controls, it provides reliable options for monitoring. 

Conclusion

Discord is a great platform that offers kids and teens a chance to connect with like-minded friends, collaborate on hobbies, and enjoy a sense of belonging in digital communities. But is Discord safe for kids? Yes, it can be, if you use it wisely.

Every social media and communication app comes with its limitations; however, you cannot completely discard the app. Discord may have specific issues, but they are nothing that you cannot prevent with the right strategies. 

Using Xnspy parental monitoring apps, Discord’s built-in privacy settings, open communication, and network-level protections, you can ensure a safer and more positive experience for your children. Instead of avoiding the app, guide your child on how to use it responsibly and transform Discord into a safe space for creativity, friendship, and learning.

FAQs

What is the Discord age requirement?

Discord requires individuals to be at least 13 years old in compliance with COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act). For servers containing adult or NSFW content, the minimum age requirement is 18 years. Discord has set the age verification system for these servers. You should keep in mind that even after restrictions, tech-savvy kids can sometimes bypass them, so you have to keep an eye on their activities. 

Is Discord safe for 10 year olds?

No, Discord is not considered safe for children under 13, including 10-year-olds, as they don’t meet the platform’s minimum age requirement. While the app has many positive features, it also exposes users to unmoderated content, strangers, and online risks. Younger kids may not have the maturity to navigate these challenges. Even 13-year-olds should be monitored while using the app. 

Does Discord have parental controls?

Yes, Discord has built-in parental and safety controls, including privacy settings, Safe Direct Messaging, and the Family Center. Family Center allows parents to see who their teen is interacting with and what servers they join without exposing private messages. Parents can also limit direct messages from strangers and set filters for explicit content. These features can be helpful in many cases, and parents should utilize them to oversee Discord activities. 

How can I make sure my child isn’t exposed to inappropriate content on Discord?

First, understand how they can access the content or how they may accidentally come across it, and then create a strategy accordingly. Use the built-in tools and network filters, and for complete security, use the Xnspy parental monitoring app. Using the tools, review the servers your child joins, and in case of any questionable content, don’t hesitate to use the app blocking and phone locking features. Also, encourage them to stick to age-appropriate, moderated communities. 

How can I block strangers from contacting my child on Discord?

You can block strangers by adjusting Discord’s privacy settings. Go to the settings menu and disable the option to receive direct messages from server members and restrict friend requests to “Friends of Friends.” This ensures only people your child knows can contact them. Talk to your children and ask them never to accept random friend requests. Also, tell them about the repercussions and ask them to report any unwanted interactions.