Roblox voice chat typically requires users to verify their ages via ID, but the platform is now beta testing phone number verification.
A Roblox spokesperson confirmed to PCGamesN that some Robloxians aged 13 and up can now access Roblox voice chat as part of a beta test in the massive sandbox game platform that uses users’ phone numbers for verification.
If implemented, it would provide an alternative method of age verification to the platform’s current requirement that users provide a photograph of ID to confirm their ages.
The Roblox spokesperson shared the following via email with PCGamesN:
Roblox voice chat trials phone verification
“At Roblox, we believe that the metaverse is for everyone and that our communication capabilities we create must be for everyone too. As part of this effort, Spatial Voice is an important rollout toward our long-term vision for the future of communication. With industry-leading measures (ID verification, moderation, etc.), specific members of our community can use Spatial Voice to safely connect with others on Roblox.
“Safety on Roblox is at the core of everything we do. We maintain many systems to keep our users safe and secure and work tirelessly to build a platform that is safe, civil and welcoming for all. That includes ID verification which we launched last year and allows us to offer select 13+ users the option to try Spatial Voice in Beta. We started with ID verification, but it was always our intention to expand to additional ways to verify identity in the future. Today, Spatial Voice requires ID verification – a process that includes providing a government-issued ID and a selfie.”
“Since we announced the first test of this feature, we’ve been slowly expanding the group of people with access to it. It’s a deliberate process, and through it we’ve gained insights about how to scale it and expand with new options like phone verification while maintaining our high safety standards.”
In November 2021, Roblox introduced voice chat. It is only available to users aged 13 and up, and users must verify their ages with a photograph of some form of identification. This process, however, can be a significant barrier for people who do not have such identification or simply do not want to participate in the upload process. Older players turn to Discord and other services in the absence of Roblox voice chat functionality.
By removing the requirement to provide a photographic image, Roblox users may be able to spend more time on the platform because they will no longer need to switch between third-party services to communicate with one another.
Roblox has gained traction among older users in recent years, and it has managed to retain users who grew up with the platform. Because of this shifting demographic, Roblox must continue to find ways to engage its older player base, with expanded access to voice chat being one example.
Increasing access to voice chat could open up more opportunities for Roblox’s push into the metaverse. It could foster a stronger sense of community among players who have previously relied solely on in-game text chat, as well as provide more opportunities for game developers to create games that benefit from vocal interactions. These could include games similar to Among Us, role-playing games, and shooting games with proximity chat features. While there appears to be no guaranteed way to gain access to the beta, some users have reported receiving notifications as they enter games with chat functionality.
By going to settings,’ you can determine whether you have access to voice chat functionality. If the feature is visible, you can enable it by switching the button. Enabling it will then prompt the user to allow Roblox to collect, use, and store voice recordings for safety and moderation purposes. By checking the necessary box and pressing ‘Enable,’ the player gains access to voice chat in all games that support it. The process, like many Roblox beta features, such as the new ‘trade’ button on the item reseller list, will be subjected to extensive testing and feedback. Unless and until it is implemented, it will not be available to all users.
While you wait for your chance to join Roblox voice chat without an ID, take a look at our list of the best Roblox games in 2022. Don’t forget to use our Roblox promo code list for August to get some free avatar gear, as well as our Roblox music codes for August to get some new tunes. Don’t you just love the way that sounds?