Sign in Subscribe
Guides

How to set up Call of Duty and Warzone parental controls: chat, cross-play, spending and screen time

Call of Duty and Warzone are PEGI 18. If your teen plays, set console controls first, then switch off voice and text chat, filter content and block COD Points spending.

✅
Verified: Last checked on Monday 5 October 2026 against Activision Support's Communication Features in Call of Duty: Warzone and Communication Features in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 articles, Activision's Call of Duty Voice Chat Moderation FAQ, Activision's Ratings & Resources and Privacy for Young People pages, the PEGI database entry for Call of Duty: Warzone, the Battle.net Account Parental Controls page, and Activision's Modern Warfare 4 editions page. Covers Warzone (free-to-play) and the current premium games (Black Ops 7, and Modern Warfare 4 from its 23 October 2026 launch) on PlayStation, Xbox, PC (Battle.net or Steam) and Nintendo Switch 2 (Modern Warfare 4).

Note: we checked these steps against Activision's current written instructions. We haven't tested them in the games for this edition, so menu names may be a little different after season updates. Modern Warfare 4 isn't out yet, so we've assumed its menus will match Black Ops 7 and Warzone. We'll re-check after launch.

⏱ Time to complete: about 25–40 minutes (most of it on the console's own family settings)
🔧 Difficulty: Medium–hard. Call of Duty's in-game settings aren't PIN-locked, so your child can change them back. The settings that actually stick are on the console or PC platform.

First: the age rating

Call of Duty games, including free-to-play Warzone, are rated PEGI 18 in the UK. PEGI says Warzone has graphic violence (including dismemberment) and strong language, plus in-game purchases. Modern Warfare 4 is listed as PEGI 18 (provisional) on the Xbox UK store ahead of launch.

PEGI 18 means "not suitable for persons under 18". Whether your teenager plays is your call. If they do, this guide helps you make it as safe as you can. If they're younger, the simplest step is to block 18-rated games in your console's family settings.

The short version (for very busy parents)

  1. Decide whether they should play at all (PEGI 18). If not, set your console's age limit to block it.
  2. If yes: set the console or PC family controls first — communication, spending limit, playtime. These are the ones your child can't undo.
  3. In the game: Settings → Audio → Voice Chat. Turn Voice Chat off, or set Game Chat Voice to Party Only or Friends Only. Turn off Proximity Chat.
  4. Settings → Account & Network → Text Chat → Disabled.
  5. Turn on content filters (gore, profanity), show your child how to mute, block and report, and check settings regularly — they're not locked.

What you'll need

  • Your console's parent account: PlayStation Family Management, Xbox Family Settings, or Nintendo Switch Parental Controls. On PC, your Battle.net or Steam family settings.
  • Your child's Activision account login (Call of Duty links each console/PC account to an Activision account).
  • The console or PC they play on, with the game installed.
  • 25–40 minutes, ideally with your child there so you can test chat together.

Step-by-step

Step 1: Set the platform controls (the bit that sticks)

Activision says some communication options "may also be managed within your platform account's settings, which may override your in-game settings". Platform settings are PIN- or password-protected; in-game settings aren't. So start here.

  • PlayStation 5: In Family Management, set Communication and User-Generated Content to Restrict, set a Monthly Spending Limit (default £0), and pick an age level that blocks 18-rated games unless you've decided otherwise.
  • Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One: In the Xbox Family Settings app, set content filters, Ask to buy, and communication/multiplayer to Friends or Block. Check cross-network play — this lets them play and chat with PlayStation and PC players.
  • Nintendo Switch 2 (Modern Warfare 4): In the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, restrict Free Communication With Others and eShop spending.
  • PC — Battle.net: Battle.net's Parental Controls page lets a parent "adjust privacy settings, limit social interactions, set play limits, and generate weekly play reports". Sign in as your child at account.battle.net, open Parental Controls, and follow Unlock Parental Controls to link your email. Battle.net notes that parental controls set on other platforms are honoured through those platforms, and may not apply to all features in all games.
  • PC — Steam: If they play Call of Duty through Steam, use Steam Families (see our Steam guide).

[Screenshot: PS5 Family Management showing Communication and User-Generated Content set to Restrict] [Screenshot: Battle.net Account → Parental Controls page]

💡
Cross-play tip: Call of Duty matches PlayStation, Xbox and PC players together. Restricting communication on the console is what stops strangers on other platforms reaching your child through the console's own chat and party systems.

Step 2: Turn voice chat off or down

Activision's steps (same in Warzone and Black Ops 7):

  1. Open the main menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Audio, then the Voice Chat tab.
  3. Adjust these:
Setting What it does DeviceDaddy starting point
Voice Chat Hear and speak to other players Off for most under-16s
Game Chat Voice Who they talk to: All Lobby, Party Only, Friends Only, Friends & Chat Channels Party Only or Friends Only if you allow voice
Proximity Chat Talk to nearby opponents during a match Off
Body Shield Chat Talk to an opponent while holding them as a body shield Off
Last Words Voice Chat Opponent hears them after an elimination Off

Activision notes Proximity, Body Shield and Last Words chat only work when Game Chat Voice is set to All Lobby — so choosing Party Only or Friends Only switches them off anyway.

[Screenshot: Settings → Audio → Voice Chat tab in Warzone]

⚠️
Voice chat is recorded and moderated. Activision uses an AI system (ToxMod, by Modulate) that monitors and records voice chat to spot abuse in supported games. Activision says players who don't want this can turn in-game voice chat off.

Step 3: Turn text chat off

  1. Go to Settings → Account & Network.
  2. Find Text Chat and choose: - Disabled (Off) — no text chat in Game Chat or Chat Channels (DeviceDaddy pick) - My Chat Channels Only — text only within their Chat Channels - Enabled (On) — text everywhere

[Screenshot: Settings → Account & Network → Text Chat set to Disabled]

Chat Channels are invite-only group chats (up to 16 players) that work across recent Call of Duty games. Ask your child to show you which channels they're in, under the Chat (headphones icon) section of the main menu.

Step 4: Content filters (gore and bad language)

Internet Matters says Call of Duty lets you turn off dismemberment and gore effects, filter profanity and exclude text chat. In Activision's documentation for earlier games these sit under Settings → Account & Network → Content Filters (for example Graphic Content and Profanity Filter).

  1. Open Settings → Account & Network and look for Content Filters (or similar).
  2. Turn on the profanity filter and turn off graphic/gore content where available.

[Screenshot: Content Filter options in Account & Network]

We couldn't confirm the exact content-filter wording for Black Ops 7 or Modern Warfare 4 in Activision's current help pages. Look for these options in Account & Network and tell us if they've moved.

Step 5: Teach mute, block and report

Mute (lasts for that session only — and muting someone also stops them hearing your child): - Lobby: highlight the player → Select → Mute. Or choose Voice → Mute All. - In a match: open the Scoreboard (View on Xbox, Touchpad on PlayStation, TAB on PC) → highlight the player → Toggle Mute.

Block (stays until unblocked; removes them from the Activision friends list): - Lobby: highlight player → Select → Block Player. - In a match: Scoreboard → highlight player → View Profile → Block Player. - Review blocked players in Social → Recent → Blocked Players, or Settings → Account & Network.

Activision notes that blocking doesn't remove the player from your child's PlayStation, Xbox or Steam friends list — do that on the platform too.

[Screenshot: Scoreboard with a player highlighted and "Toggle Mute" option]

Step 6: Spending (COD Points)

Warzone is free, but it sells COD Points for cosmetic items and battle passes. These are bought through the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop, Battle.net or Steam — so the platform spending controls are what matter.

  1. Set the console's spending limit to £0, or use Ask to buy / purchase requests.
  2. Don't leave your card saved on their account.
  3. Agree a budget if you do allow spending (for example, a battle pass each season).

Step 7: Activision account and young players

Activision's Privacy for Young People page says that, depending on where you live, a parent's or guardian's consent may be needed before a child uses its services, and that a parent can ask to see, edit or delete a child's personal information. Use support.activision.com/privacy/request for those requests.

  • Check the date of birth on your child's Activision account is real. Age-based protections depend on it.
  • Never share passwords. Activision says its staff will never ask for one.

Step 8: Test it (2 minutes)

  1. Join a lobby with your child. You shouldn't hear strangers.
  2. Check Text Chat shows Disabled.
  3. Try a COD Points purchase. It should be blocked or send you a request.
  4. On the console, try starting a party chat with a non-friend. It should be blocked.

Keep it working

  • In-game settings aren't locked. Glance at Audio and Account & Network settings every few weeks.
  • New seasons and new games can reset or add settings. Modern Warfare 4 launches 23 October 2026, and Activision says digital pre-orders get Campaign Early Access from 16 October. Re-check settings when it arrives.
  • Several accounts: a new console or Activision account starts with none of your settings.
  • Discord and other apps often carry Call of Duty chat outside the game. Ask who they talk to and where.
  • Worried about contact from someone? Block and report in the game and on the platform. If a child is asked for images, personal details, to move to another app or to meet up, report to CEOP (ceop.police.uk).

Related guides (links to follow)

  • 🎮 PlayStation 5 Family Management — [link to add]
  • 🎮 Xbox Family Settings — [link to add]
  • 🎮 Nintendo Switch & Switch 2 parental controls — [link to add]
  • 🎮 Steam & Steam Deck parental controls — [link to add]
  • 💬 How to talk to your child about screens — [link to add]
🔁
Spotted a change? Tell us. Call of Duty changes menus with new games and seasons. If something doesn't match, [report a change: add DeviceDaddy contact form or email link here]. Tell us the game (Warzone, Black Ops 7 or Modern Warfare 4), your platform and what's different. The ✅ stamp shows when we last checked.

Sources (checked 5 October 2026)

Read next

Comments ()