Why blocking Roblox specifically
Roblox is not a single game. It is a platform of user-generated experiences -- tens of millions of them -- which means there is no natural end point. A child finishes one game and is immediately surfaced another. That structure is closer to a content feed than a traditional video game with a credits screen. Roblox reports its engagement in quarterly earnings, and the numbers are large: well over 80 million daily active users, a majority of them under 16, with average daily engagement that has run above two hours per active user. That is well above most other mobile titles.
Three factors make it particularly hard to limit organically. First, social pressure: if a child's friend group is on Roblox, logging off means missing a shared social space, not just a game. Second, Robux: the in-experience currency creates a microtransaction loop that extends sessions ("I'm this close to affording the item"). Third, the variety of games means a child who gets bored of one experience is one click from a fresh one. There is no boredom ceiling.
Worth noting: Roblox is not only for young children. The 18-and-older segment is the fastest-growing demographic on the platform. If you are a parent of a teenager or an adult who plays compulsively, the dynamic differs from managing a 9-year-old's iPad. The methods below are labeled accordingly.
Method 1: App Limit
How: On the child's iPhone, go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit. Tap "Games" to set a limit for the whole category, or tap into Games and check only Roblox to target it specifically. Set the daily allowance -- 30 minutes, 1 hour, whatever your household rule is -- then tap Add.
Strength: 2/10 without a Screen Time passcode; 7/10 with one the child does not know. Without a passcode, "Ignore Limit For Today" appears as a button when the limit hits. One tap bypasses the restriction for the rest of the day. The App Limit is essentially a gentle reminder unless it is backed by a passcode.
When to use: First step for any parent who has not set Screen Time up yet. Takes two minutes, costs nothing, and immediately shows you whether your child will self-regulate with a soft boundary or not. If the limit is bypassed within the first day or two, you have your answer: escalate to Method 2.
Method 2: Screen Time passcode held by the parent
How: Settings > Screen Time > Use Screen Time Passcode. Set a 4-digit code that is different from the device unlock code and that only you know. Once the passcode is set, any change to Screen Time settings -- including overriding an App Limit -- requires entering it. The child cannot adjust their own limits or dismiss restrictions without coming to you.
Strength: 9/10 for younger children. The only bypass routes are guessing the passcode (low odds with a non-obvious 4-digit code), a full device wipe (which also wipes their accounts and save data -- a known nuclear option), or social engineering the parent. For most families with children under 13, this is the primary enforcement mechanism.
Parent setup note: iOS also prompts you to enter a recovery Apple ID when you set the Screen Time passcode. Use an email address the child does not have access to. If you forget the passcode yourself, Apple's recovery process through that address is the only route back in -- there is no backdoor. Keep a record of the code somewhere the child cannot find it.
When to use: This should be set up at the same time as Method 1 for any child under 13. It is the control layer that makes every other Screen Time setting meaningful. Without it, every restriction is advisory.
Method 3: Delete the app via Family Sharing (Ask to Buy)
How -- delete: Hold the Roblox icon on the child's device > Remove App > Delete App. Roblox is free, so the re-download is equally free and takes about 30 seconds. Deleting alone is low-friction for a determined child.
How -- block re-install via Ask to Buy: On the parent's iPhone, open the Settings app > tap your name > Family Sharing > your child's name > Purchase Requests > make sure "Ask to Buy" is on. Then in Screen Time (with the passcode set), go to Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases > Installing Apps > Don't Allow. Now even free apps -- including Roblox -- require parent approval to install. The child cannot re-download it without you tapping Approve in the Family Sharing notification on your phone.
Strength: 8/10 combined (delete + Ask to Buy + install restriction). On its own, deletion is 2/10.
When to use: When you want Roblox off the device entirely rather than just time-limited. Useful for breaks ("no Roblox during exam week") or as a consequence for rule violations. Pair with the Screen Time passcode so the child cannot turn Ask to Buy off themselves.
Method 4: Content Restrictions + block the Roblox website
Why this matters: Kids who lose the app often route around it via the browser. Roblox's web client at roblox.com works on mobile Safari and lets a determined child play almost everything available in the app. Blocking the app without blocking the website is an incomplete fix.
How -- block app installation: Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > turn on > iTunes & App Store Purchases > Installing Apps > Don't Allow.
How -- block roblox.com in Safari: Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Web Content > Limit Adult Websites. Under "Never Allow", tap Add Website and enter roblox.com. This blocks the domain in Safari regardless of how the child tries to reach it (direct URL, search result, or shared link).
How -- age rating limits: While in Content Restrictions, also set App Store age ratings to "12+" or "9+" depending on your child's age. Roblox is rated 12+ on the App Store. Setting the allowed rating to 9+ would block it from being installed at all, even if the install restriction is somehow bypassed.
Strength: 9/10 combined with the Screen Time passcode from Method 2. The app cannot be installed, the website is blocked, and alternative app stores are not available on iOS without sideloading, which requires disabling MDM controls that are also Screen Time-gated.
When to use: When you want a thorough block that covers both the native app and the web fallback. This is the setup for parents who have tried time limits and found they do not hold. Trade-off: blocking app installation means any new app -- not just Roblox -- requires toggling the restriction off and on, so save it for situations where you want a lasting restriction rather than a temporary one.
Method 5: Verified-exercise consequence (for older teens and adults)
Who this is for: Methods 1-4 are parental controls -- they work because a parent holds the passcode and controls the device. They are not appropriate for an older teenager who should have increasing autonomy over their own phone, and they do not translate to an adult who plays Roblox compulsively and is self-aware enough to want to stop. This method is for that person: a 16-to-25-year-old who has tried soft limits, deleted the app, and keeps reinstalling it.
How: Set a total daily phone-time limit in iOS Screen Time (for example, 2 hours across all apps). Install ScreenFine ($1/week subscription). When you go over your daily limit, ScreenFine tracks the overage and charges a verified-exercise consequence -- 25 pushups per 15-minute overage block, counted by the phone's camera. Roblox time counts toward the daily total alongside everything else.
Strength: 8/10. The consequence is real and physical, not a gentle reminder. The user can pause the jar at any time -- that is an intentional autonomy escape hatch, not a flaw -- but pausing is a deliberate decision rather than a one-tap bypass. Unredeemed fines expire into a recorded slip count (there is no per-overage card charge; the only payment is the flat $1/week subscription).
When to use: When the person in question is old enough to set their own rules and has decided they want a structural commitment device rather than a passcode controlled by someone else. ScreenFine is a self-accountability tool for adults -- it requires the user to genuinely want to change their pattern, not just submit to external enforcement. For a young child, use Methods 1-4. For a 16+-year-old who is self-motivated, this is the cleaner option because it preserves autonomy while adding real friction to overconsumption.
Which method should you pick?
- Child under 10, first setup: Method 1 (App Limit) plus Method 2 (Screen Time passcode held by you). Do both at the same time. The passcode is what makes the limit real.
- Child under 13, limits keep getting bypassed: Add Method 4 (Content Restrictions + block roblox.com). The web fallback is the most common workaround for younger kids who know the app is blocked.
- You want Roblox fully off the device for a period: Method 3 (delete + Ask to Buy + install restriction). Pair with the Screen Time passcode so the restriction sticks.
- Teen 13-15, limits are advisory only: Method 2 passcode plus Method 4 restrictions is still appropriate. Have a direct conversation about the rules so the controls are not a surprise -- trust erodes faster if a teenager discovers hidden restrictions.
- Older teen (16+) or adult who self-identifies as over-playing: Method 5 (ScreenFine verified-exercise consequence). Parental controls at this age tend to create conflict rather than change; a self-chosen commitment device is more likely to stick.
- If all four soft methods have failed and the pattern is severe: Method 5, or hardware. The Brick device and Light Phone II remove smartphone capability entirely during set hours. Heavy, but effective for users for whom engineered engagement has fully overwhelmed willpower.
One pattern to watch for: a child who routes around every restriction within 24 hours is not a child who needs a stronger restriction -- they are a child who needs a different conversation about why the rule exists. Technical controls and communication work better together than either does alone.