If you’ve ever tried to type a quick “nice pass” to your Brawl Ball teammate only to get hit with a random censor error, or couldn’t join your clan’s private scrim because of a content restriction, you’ve run into Brawl Stars’ default family friendly filter. This setting is turned on automatically for all new accounts to keep younger players safe from inappropriate content, but it can feel unnecessarily restrictive for older players who want full access to the game’s social features. I dealt with this exact issue last year when I got locked out of a regional community tournament, so learning how to turn off family friendly in Brawl Stars made a huge difference in how I interact with the game. This guide will walk you through every step, plus what to watch out for so you don’t run into account issues later.
How to Turn Off Family Friendly in Brawl Stars: Exact Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Before you get started, confirm you are at least 13 years old to be eligible to disable the filter per Supercell’s terms of service. Lying about your age to turn off the filter can lead to permanent account suspension, so it’s not worth the risk. The process only takes about 30 seconds if you meet the age requirement.
First, launch Brawl Stars and wait for the main menu to load fully. Tap the three horizontal line icon in the upper right corner of the screen to open the side menu, then select the “Settings” option marked with a gear icon. Scroll down the settings page until you find the “Family Friendly” section, which is usually located near the bottom above the support options. You’ll see a toggle switch labeled “Enable Family Friendly Mode” that is switched on by default.
Tap the toggle to turn it off, and a pop-up prompt will appear. The prompt will warn you that you’re about to access unfiltered user-generated content, and ask you to confirm your age. You must enter a valid age of 13 or older to complete this step. If you enter an age under 13, the toggle will automatically switch back on, and you won’t be able to adjust the setting for 30 days, so double check your entry before confirming. Once you submit your age, the setting will save immediately, no game restart required in most cases.
If you don’t see the toggle at all, or it’s greyed out, that usually means you previously entered an age under 13 when setting up your account, or your Supercell ID is linked to a parental control account. If the toggle is greyed out, you will need to contact Supercell support to update your age information if you entered it incorrectly.
What Changes When You Disable Family Friendly Mode?
A lot of players assume turning off the filter only removes chat censors, but it unlocks a handful of other features you might not have known you were missing. The core gameplay won’t change at all, but your access to social and community features will expand significantly.
- Unrestricted real-time chat in matches, clan lobbies, and friend messages, with no random censoring of common phrases the default filter incorrectly flags
- Access to all user-hosted custom matches and community tournament lobbies that restrict entry to players with the filter turned off
- Full visibility of unfiltered player profiles, clan descriptions, and battle note messages that other users have set
- Ability to use custom emojis and casual phrases in chat that are otherwise blocked by the strict default filter
You will see unfiltered in-game chat, both in team matches and clan channels, so be prepared to encounter content that might be offensive or inappropriate for younger audiences. The tradeoff is that you’ll be able to communicate more naturally with teammates, which is a huge plus for competitive play where quick, clear communication matters. I personally stopped missing key callouts after turning off the filter, since the default mode used to censor half of my quick match messages for no obvious reason.
It’s important to note that disabling the filter doesn’t exempt you from Supercell’s community guidelines. You can still get reported and banned for posting hate speech, harassment, or other inappropriate content, even with family friendly mode turned off.
Important Risks and Considerations Before Turning Off the Filter
Before you decide how to turn off family friendly in Brawl Stars, take a minute to think about what you’re using the game for, and whether the extra features are worth the potential downsides. Most older players will benefit from turning it off, but it’s not the right choice for everyone.
The biggest downside is that you will be exposed to unmoderated user content. Supercell’s automated filter catches most obvious offensive content, but it doesn’t catch everything, and player reports can take time to process. You might see slurs, harassment, spam, or inappropriate references that the default mode would have blocked immediately. If you’re a parent letting a teen play, or you’re sensitive to offensive language, it’s probably better to leave the filter turned on.
Another risk is account penalties for falsifying your age. If you lie about being 13 or older to turn off the filter, and Supercell finds out, your account can be suspended or permanently banned with no chance of recovery. It’s never worth losing years of progress on your account just to access unfiltered chat.
Disabling family friendly mode does not give you permission to break the rules. A lot of players think turning off the filter means they can say whatever they want in chat, but that’s not true. If other players report you for abusive or inappropriate content, you will face the same penalties as anyone else, regardless of your filter settings. The good news is that you can switch the filter back on at any time, no age check required, if you decide you don’t want to see unfiltered content anymore.
Troubleshooting Common Issues With Family Friendly Mode Settings
Most players run into issues when they first try to figure out how to turn off family friendly in Brawl Stars, so you’re not alone if the toggle doesn’t work right away. These are the three most common problems players face, and how to fix them quickly.
The first and most common issue is a greyed-out toggle. As we mentioned earlier, this almost always happens because you entered an age under 13 when setting up your account, or your Supercell ID is linked to a parental control account. If you entered your age incorrectly, you can submit a support ticket to Supercell with proof of your age to get the restriction lifted. If you’re on a parental control account, you’ll need to ask the account owner to adjust the content restrictions for you before you can change the setting.
The second common issue is that you turned off the filter, but chat is still censored. This is usually a temporary glitch caused by the game not saving your settings properly. First, try closing the game completely and restarting it to refresh your settings. If that doesn’t work, check if you have a separate content filter enabled on your phone’s operating system, like Apple’s Screen Time or Google’s Family Link, that might be overriding the game’s internal settings. Disabling those system-level filters for Brawl Stars will usually fix the problem.
The third issue is that you turned off the filter but still can’t join certain custom matches. A lot of tournament hosts have additional entry requirements, like a minimum trophy count, specific character unlocks, or clan membership, that have nothing to do with your content filter settings. Double check the match description to make sure you meet all the entry rules, not just the family friendly requirement. I ran into this last year when I tried to join a pro scrim, I thought my filter was the problem but it turned out I just didn’t have enough 3v3 competitive wins to qualify.
At the end of the day, whether you keep family friendly mode on or off is totally up to your personal preference and age eligibility. If you’re old enough and want to access all of Brawl Stars’ social and community features, learning how to turn off family friendly in Brawl Stars only takes a minute, as long as you follow the steps correctly and are honest about your age. Just remember to be respectful of other players even when the filter is off, and you can always switch the setting back on if you ever run into too much unwanted content. There’s no right or wrong choice here, just pick the option that makes your Brawl Stars experience the most fun for you.