Getting started on Roblox in 2026: from your account to your first game with friends
This guide takes you from creating your account to your first game with your friends. At each step, we tell you which setting to change and which trap to avoid.
What exactly is Roblox?
Roblox isn't a single game but a platform that brings together millions of games created by its community. On Roblox, they're called experiences: obstacle courses, role-play, simulation, adventure, there's something for everyone.
The platform was launched in 2006 by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel. Experiences are built with Roblox Studio, a free program, and coded in Luau, a language derived from Lua.
One account is all you need: your avatar, your friends and your Robux follow you from one experience to the next and from one device to another.
Eight things to know before you start
Take a minute to read these points: they'll spare you most of the bad surprises at the start.
- The account is free: no subscription is needed to play.
- Each experience is created by a player or a studio, not by Roblox. So quality varies a lot from one game to another.
- Each experience shows a maturity label that sums up the kind of content you may come across. Check it before launching a game, especially for a child.
- Your date of birth matters: Roblox adjusts the chat and content available based on the age on the account.
- Robux are Roblox's currency. They're bought with real money, only from Roblox or with official gift cards.
- Generally, everyone plays together: a player on a phone can join a friend on a computer or console in the same game.
- No need for a high-end machine: Roblox runs on most recent devices, and graphics quality is easy to lower if needed.
- Anyone can create: Roblox Studio is free on Windows and Mac, and creators can earn Robux from their experiences and items.
The Roblox player's mini glossary
Experience: a game published on Roblox. Server: a running session of an experience, with a limited number of slots. Private server: a session reserved for its owner's guests. Avatar: your character, the same in every game.
Robux: the platform's virtual currency. Game pass: a permanent bonus bought with Robux in a specific experience. Obby: an obstacle course, a great genre for beginners. Group: a community of players or creators that you join from its page.
Creating your account and installing Roblox, device by device
One simple rule: install Roblox only from roblox.com or from your device's official store. Stay away from any other source. Here's what to do depending on what you use.
On a computer (Windows or Mac):
- Go to roblox.com and log in, or create your account if you don't have one yet.
- Open a game's page and press Play: if Roblox isn't installed yet, the site offers to download it. You can also use the official download page.
Install the program:
- Open the file you just downloaded, then let the installation finish: it only takes a few moments.
- A site offers you a “modded Roblox” or “Roblox with unlimited Robux”? Close it: these are traps that can install a virus or steal your passwords.
Setting up your account properly:
- Signing up is free, on the website and in the app.
- Choose a username that reveals neither your real name nor your town, a password you don't use anywhere else, and enter your real date of birth: it's what sets the protections suited to your age. Then add an email address, which you'll need to recover your account.
Starting your first game:
- Pick a game from the home page or with the search bar.
- Press the Play button on its page: Roblox opens the game and puts you on a server.
- Want to play with the Spirit community? Its private server is presented on spirit-roblox.com.
On an Android phone or tablet:
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Search for “Roblox” and check that the publisher shown is Roblox Corporation.
- Tap Install, then open the app.
- Log in with your account: your avatar and your friends will be right there.
On iPhone or iPad:
- Open the App Store.
- Search for “Roblox” and make sure the developer is Roblox Corporation.
- Tap Get, then open Roblox and log in.
On an Xbox or PlayStation console:
- Open your console's store: the Microsoft Store on Xbox, the PlayStation Store on PS4 and PS5.
- Search for “Roblox”.
- Download the game: it's free.
- When it launches, log in to your Roblox account or create one. Note that some experiences aren't available on console.
On a Meta Quest headset:
Roblox is also available in virtual reality. Note: only VR-compatible experiences will launch there.
- Open your headset's app store.
- Search for Roblox and install it.
- Launch it and log in with your usual account.
Installation stuck? Simple fixes
- Restart the device, check your internet connection, then start the download again.
- Update your device's operating system (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS or console): versions that are too old are no longer supported.
- Free up storage space if the installation stops partway through.
- Still stuck? Roblox's official support lists known errors and their fixes.
Your first steps in the game
That's it, Roblox is installed. Here are the moves and settings to know during your first hours of play.
Choosing a good game. On an experience's page, look at three things: the number of players online, the rating left by players and the maturity label. A busy, well-rated game is a good place to start.
Keeping your games at hand. Add a game to your favorites to find it quickly. Roblox also suggests experiences based on what you've already liked.
Moving around. On a computer, you move with the keyboard, jump with the Space bar and turn the camera by holding down the right mouse button. On mobile, a joystick and a jump button appear on the screen.
Customizing your avatar. In the Avatar tab, change your character's body, head, colors and clothes.
Many items are free in the avatar shop: sort the results by price to see them first.
Before spending Robux, try the item on your avatar using the preview, and check who's selling it.
Adjusting your settings. Open your account settings and go through three sections: Security for 2-Step Verification, Privacy to choose who can message you and join you, Notifications to keep only what matters.
Playing with your friends. Roblox gets really fun with others. Here's how to meet up:
- Add a friend: search for their exact username, open their profile and send them a request.
- Join them: when they're in a game, a Join button appears on their profile if their privacy settings allow it.
- Play without strangers: in games that offer it, open a private server and invite only your friends.
Someone behaving badly? Use Block and Report from the game menu or the player's profile. And never agree to continue a chat on another app with someone you don't know.
Account security and parental controls
Your account first. Turn on 2-Step Verification in Settings, under Security. Logging in from a new device will then require a code on top of your password. Write down the backup codes Roblox gives you and keep them somewhere safe: they'll save you if you lose your phone.
For parents. The Parental Controls section in Settings lets you limit chat, spending and the maturity level of available experiences. A parent can also link their own Roblox account to their child's to manage these settings remotely.
Talking is still the best protection. Explain to your child that you never give out your password, address or phone number, that free Robux don't exist, and that they can always talk to you about a message that makes them uncomfortable.
Is your device powerful enough?
Good news: Roblox doesn't need much power. Most recent devices run it with ease.
What matters most is the system version: Roblox no longer supports old versions of Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. The exact list is kept up to date in Roblox's official Help Center.
Is the game choppy? In the game menu (Esc key on a computer), open the settings, switch Graphics Mode to Manual and lower the quality.
Also keep some free space, as Roblox updates often. And for smooth gameplay, a stable connection sometimes matters more than a powerful machine.
The best security setting is the one you turn on before you need it.
Advice from the Spirit community
What's next? Join the Spirit community
You've got your account, your settings and your first games. To go further and stop playing alone, the Spirit community is waiting for you.
Here's what it offers you, and where to find it.
1. A Discord to ask your questions
The Discord button at the top of each page takes you to the community server. There you can ask for help, share a tip or find players.
Discord is a chat app separate from Roblox, with its own age rules: younger players should ask a parent before signing up.
2. A private Roblox server to play together
The community has its own private Roblox server. Everything you need to know to get in is on spirit-roblox.com.
Roblox's rules apply on a private server too: keep the same good safety habits there.
3. More guides to help you progress
Continue with our 10 secret Roblox tips to lock down your account, then read our Robux guide before any purchase.
Just starting out with a child? Read these guides together: that's what they're for.
4. Your very own guide
Did a step give you trouble and it's missing from this guide? Tell us on Discord or through the contact page: that's how the guides get better.
Know a topic inside out? Suggest your own guide: the About page explains how.
There are no silly questions: everyone was a beginner once.
In short: the beginner's checklist
✅ An account created on the official site, with your real date of birth and a verified email address.
✅ Roblox installed from roblox.com or your device's official store, and 2-Step Verification turned on.
✅ Privacy set up, first games chosen by checking their maturity label, and your friends added.
All that's left is to play! And if a question comes up, the Spirit community is here to help.