If you have been determined to be in the teen age group (13-17), your account automatically receives certain protections. This article explains what those protections are, what they affect, and what can be changed.
We work to place users into the right age group automatically via our age estimation model, so if you're a teen, these settings may already be in place without you having to do anything.
What this article covers:
What Stays the Same for Teens
The core Discord experience, messaging friends, joining voice calls, or servers that are not age-restricted, works the same. Users in the teen age group can still:
- Message friends and server members you're already connected with
- Join and participate in servers that aren't age-restricted
- Make voice and video calls
- Participate in gaming, communities, study servers, and everything Discord is built for
What are the Teen Safety Protections
Users in the teen age group have a slightly different experience across three areas: what content you can see and can’t see, who can reach you, and what others can see about you. Some of these can only be changed by confirming you're an adult. Others can be adjusted at any time.
Content: What You Can and Can’t See
Sensitive content that we flag is filtered automatically. Images and videos flagged by Discord's content filters are blurred or blocked depending on where they appear:
- Direct messages from friends: blurred
- Direct messages from strangers: blocked
- Server channel messages: blurred
Blurred image warning in a channel, showing "May contain sensitive content" with a blurred attachment
Viewing blurred content, or changing these settings to "Show," requires confirming you're an adult.
Sensitive Content Filters settings screen, showing direct messages and server channel media set to Blur or Block
Age-restricted servers and channels are not accessible. Servers and channels marked as age-restricted (18+) are not accessible. Accessing them requires confirming you're an adult.
"Age-Restricted Server" pop-up blocking access, with Confirm Age and Go Back buttons
Age-restricted commands are off. App commands flagged as age-restricted are disabled. Enabling them requires confirming you're an adult.
Messaging Permissions settings showing "Allow access to age-restricted commands from apps in DMs"
For iOS only: The setting “Allow access to age-restricted servers on iOS” is off. This is a separate, additional step adults must take on iOS to reach age-restricted servers described above. It does not apply to teen accounts, which remain blocked regardless of this setting, and it does not apply on Android. Turning it on requires confirming you're an adult.
Content Filters settings showing “Allow access to age-restricted servers on iOS” off
Social: Who Can Reach You
Message requests are on. All direct messages from people you're not friends with are sent to a separate message requests inbox, so you can review them before they appear in your main DM list. Turning this off requires confirming you're an adult.
Direct Message Permissions settings showing Message Requests toggled on with a note that teen accounts can't turn it off
DM spam filters are set to “filter all”. Spam filtering is applied to all incoming DMs. This can be adjusted at any time.
Friend request alerts are on. You will be alerted before accepting a friend request from an unfamiliar user. Unfamiliar users are those you do not have any mutual friends or shared small servers (< 200 members) with. These alerts can help you make more informed decisions about new connections. These alerts cannot be turned off at this time whether you’re in the adult or teen age group.
"Accept friend request?" alert for a message from an unfamiliar user
Profile & Activity: What Others Can See
Activity sharing is limited. Your activity will only be visible to your friends and members of any small servers (< 200 members) you join, not members of all shared servers. This can be adjusted at any time.
"Where I Share Activity" settings, with "Share in servers with 200 or fewer members" selected
Profile visibility is limited. Your full profile details will only be visible to your friends and members of any small servers (< 200 members) you join, not members of all shared servers. This can be adjusted at any time.
Profile Privacy settings, with "Friends & Small Servers Only" selected
Speaking in Stage channels is not available. Speaking in a Stage channel requires you to confirm you’re an adult, as it can broadcast your voice to large audiences.You can still listen to any Stage channel.
"Confirm you're an adult to speak on stages" prompt shown from a voice channel
If We Haven't Determined Your Age Group Yet
If your account hasn't been placed into an age group yet, your age group status is unconfirmed.
Account Status screen showing an unconfirmed age group with a Confirm Age button
You'll get the same protections as what’s stated above, except for your Profile Privacy and Activity Sharing settings:
- Unconfirmed users: Profile Privacy and Activity Sharing is open to Friends & All Servers meaning your profile and activity is visible to friends and to members of any server you join, regardless of size. This can be updated at any time.
"Where I Share Activity" settings with "Share in all servers" (Top) & Profile Privacy settings with "Friends & All Servers" selected (Bottom)
If you are unconfirmed, it doesn't affect core Discord features like messaging friends, joining voice calls, or servers that aren't age-restricted.
If you're an adult and want to access age restricted content, spaces, or settings, you can confirm your age group at User Settings > Account Status. See more information here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I'm an adult and I've been placed in the teen age group. What do I do?
A: Head to User Settings > Account Status, pick whichever method you're most comfortable with, and you can confirm your age group, usually in a few minutes. Find more detailed instructions here.
Q: My account hasn't been placed into an age group yet. What does that mean?
A: It means our age estimation model doesn't have enough signals yet to determine your age group. Additional protections apply in the meantime. Otherwise, the core Discord experience, messaging friends, joining voice calls, or servers that are not age-restricted, works the same.
If you're an adult and want access to age-restricted content, spaces, or settings, you can confirm you’re an adult at User Settings > Account Status. Find more detailed instructions here.
Q: Why do these protections apply to my account?
A: You’ve been determined to be in the teen age group. If you're an adult and think we got it wrong, you can confirm your age group. Find more detailed instructions here.
Q: Can I turn these protections off?
A: Some settings can only be changed after confirming you're an adult. Others, like activity sharing and profile visibility, can be adjusted at any time. See the sections above for details on which protections can be turned off.
Q: Can other people see that I'm in the teen age group?
A: Your age group isn't shown on your profile or visible to other members in a server.
Q: Do these protections apply in the UK, Australia, and Brazil?
A: Teen safety protections may vary slightly depending on where you live, as some regions have specific requirements under local regulation. For region-specific information, see our directory here.
Q: Will these protections change over time?
A: We continue to adjust our approach as regulations evolve. We'll communicate any changes that affect your experience.
Q: I'm a parent, can I manage my teen's settings?
A: Teen safety protections are applied when we believe a user is a teen and most can't be changed by anyone other than your teen confirming they're an adult. A few settings, like Sensitive Content Filters and Message Requests, can be managed by you if you're connected through Family Center, though you'll need to be in the adult age group yourself to update Message Requests. For the full list of what you can manage and how to connect, read our help center article on Family Center.