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Discord · PC / mobile / browser · 5 min · Updated September 2026

How to manage Discord as a parent

Discord is text, voice and communities — often with friends, but servers can also include strangers. Family Center shows activity without reading messages. That is enough to start a conversation about who they spend time with online.

In short

Your child invites you to Family Center. Review servers, friend requests and DM settings together. Set a spending cap for Nitro, and agree what to do if someone wants to move the chat elsewhere. Make it a shared review — not secret monitoring behind their back.

  1. 1

    Connect Family Center

    On your child’s Discord: Settings → Family Center → Invite parent. You get an email and accept in your own Discord account (discord.com or the app). Both must agree — it cannot be forced. That is intentional: Discord wants your child to be on board.

  2. 2

    See the last seven days of activity

    In Family Center you see when Discord is used and which servers were visited — not message text. Use it as a conversation starter: «Which servers are those?» Also ask what they do there and whether it feels like a safe place.

  3. 3

    Review servers and friends

    Ask which servers they are in and whether they know people there offline. Family Center does not let you remove servers — that happens on their account under Settings → Privacy. Agree rules for joining new servers. A simple rule can be: «Ask first if it is a new server.»

  4. 4

    Limit DMs and contact from strangers

    Under Settings → Privacy: turn off «Allow direct messages from server members» if you want to limit strangers. Review friend requests together. Discord is 13+ — younger children should not use regular Discord. Also agree they tell you if someone messages them outside servers.

  5. 5

    Sensitive content and filters

    Under Settings → Privacy & safety you can enable explicit content filters (where Discord offers them). It is not perfect — conversation and reviewing servers together matters more. Talk about what to do if they see something that feels wrong.

  6. 6

    Nitro and spending

    In Family Center you can set a monthly spending cap for Nitro and shop purchases. Nitro can also be billed via the App Store or Google Play — lock purchases on the phone too. Gift cards and external payments may sit outside Discord’s cap. Check in regularly whether they have spent money — small charges are easy to miss.

For grooming, threats or images for payment: police 114, SletDet or Childline 116 111. The App & Game Decoder gives a short overview of Discord. Save those contacts so you know where to turn quickly.

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More help in Denmark

If you need someone to talk to, use these — they are free, and they take parents and children.

  • SletDet counselling 29 27 01 01

    Save the Children’s free counselling in Denmark for children, young people and parents facing bullying, image sharing, hacking and other harmful experiences online. Call 29 27 01 01. You do not need everything sorted before you call.

  • Digital sexual offences

    The Danish police explain grooming and how to report if a child is pressured or threatened online. Read the guidance before confronting the other party.

  • Parents’ Helpline 35 55 55 57

    Børns Vilkår. Free, anonymous counselling for parents and relatives in Denmark on 35 55 55 57. They take calls about screens, conflict and online problems.

  • Children’s Helpline 116 111

    Børns Vilkår. Children and young people in Denmark can call or write anonymously on 116 111. Also when it feels urgent, but does not require 112.

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