Technologies

iPhone Fold and iPhone Air 2: Launch Dates, Prices and Everything We Know

Apple’s rumored foldable could come as soon as 2026, though it may have company with a possible iPhone Air 2 or other devices.

With over half a decade of foldable phones released, devices from Samsung, Google and Motorola, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Motorola Razr Ultra and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold (as well as others from Oppo, Huawei and more) have given consumers plenty to choose from. Notably absent is a foldable iPhone, leaving the folding phone niche handily dominated by Android devices.

While we’ve yet to see any official word on a foldable iPhone from Apple, the company launched the iPhone 17 series along with the new super-thin iPhone Air in September. Given all the engineering it took to cram cameras and components into the top half of the Air, some have theorized that the device is a stepping stone to a foldable, which could take advantage of the Air’s internal design.

Foldable phones represent a tiny fraction of all phones sold globally. CNET found that 64% of people surveyed said they don’t want a foldable phone. But those numbers could change if Apple were to sell a foldable iPhone. There is a lot of hope and expectation placed on Apple to release one, and if rumors are correct, we won’t have to wait much longer for the company to do so.

iPhone Fold history

Rumors suggest Apple is developing a book-style foldable like the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Years ago, in 2017, folks predicted that a foldable iPhone could launch in the then-near future of 2020 — which didn’t happen. Analysts and leakers have been kicking the release date down the road ever since, and rumors and wish lists have lingered as phone fans keep their hopes alive. Absent any confirmed details from Apple, here’s everything we know so far about the company’s future foray into foldables.

A new patent granted to Apple in July 2024, which was applied for years ago, shows how long the company has been working on a folding iPhone. Kuo’s report in early March said that an Apple foldable could launch at the end of 2026, with a 7.8-inch crease-free inner display and a 5.5-inch outer display.

Accordingly, Kuo believes the price would match that of other similar folding devices, at $2,000 to $2,500. Despite the high price tag, he says projected shipments are 3 to 5 million devices, which is a confident estimate given only 19.3 foldables were sold in 2024, market research firm IDC reported.

Although many reports have focused on the company’s struggles to eliminate the crease within the internal folding display, Apple’s patent indicates that the development has been ongoing for some time. Creases have plagued foldable phones since their introduction in 2020, and although the most recent Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 have reduced the crease, it is still visible and noticeable.

By mid-2024, market analysts at TrendForce estimated that display crease issues might push back an Apple foldable until 2027, according to 9to5Mac. Prior rumors said Apple may not launch its own flexible screen device until 2025, and Samsung hasn’t let phone fans forget it by releasing an app that will let Apple phone owners experience a Z Fold-esque experience by placing two iPhones side-by-side.

Read more: I Visited Samsung’s Home Turf to See if Foldable Phones Are Really the Future

iPhone 2026 lineup

There’s no guarantee about which phones Apple will release during its usual September window, but the safest bet is on another series of flat phones, which we expect to be the iPhone 18 series. But what else could be coming alongside the usual lineup?

There could be an iPhone Air 2, though rumors conflict on whether to expect one next year or not. There’s been a lot more evidence for an iPhone Fold, though whether it comes out in 2026 or in later years is still uncertain. If the iPhone Fold does launch next year, more rumors have suggested a clamshell device has been prioritized and may come first — given reports of Apple researching a book-style foldable, we could get one of those as well.

iPhone Fold or iPhone Air 2?

There’s the chance that we get an iPhone Fold next year, which rumors have said could launch in 2026 at the earliest, though it could also come out in 2027 or later. It should be noted that analysts and rumors had predicted a foldable iPhone release from as far back as 2022, so the rolling prospective launch windows don’t lend confidence that we’ll necessarily see the device come out next year. Given Samsung’s six-year head start on making foldables, Apple seems to be in no rush to get one out.

While the iPhone Air came out with the iPhone 17 handsets, there are conflicting rumors on whether we’ll see an iPhone Air 2 in 2026. A recent report from The Information says that Apple is delaying the release of the next version of the iPhone, citing people familiar with the matter. This follows rumors that disappointing iPhone Air sales after launch led Apple to dial back production, though even that claim was denounced by TD Cowen, according to a note from the investment research firm that was seen by AppleInsider that asserted the company would continue producing the thin phone. The Information’s story was amended to say that the delay could be caused by engineers who are re-considering the Air’s design so that it could support a second rear camera.

All of which casts doubt on whether we’ll get an iPhone Air 2 next year, but there’s not enough evidence yet to roundly dismiss the possibility.

iPhone Fold specs

There are no confirmed specs for the iPhone Fold, because Apple hasn’t even confirmed one exists or is coming out. Given we don’t have a year of expected release, we can’t much predict what kind of internal specs the iPhone Fold will have — presumably, Apple will want its most powerful A-series chip to run it, along with enough RAM to handle two or three displays (depending on whether it folds inward or outward and needs a dedicated outer screen).

We do have some predictions for other specs, though only for the book-style Fold (not the clamshell). In March, analyst Kuo predicted the larger Fold could have a 5.5-inch outer screen and 7.8-inch inner display. When folded up, it will be 9-9.5mm thick and 4.5-4.8mm when unfolded. A front-facing camera will be available whether the phone is folded or unfolded, while it will also have two rear cameras.

Kuo predicted that the device will use the same high-density battery cells as used in what he referred to then as the «ultra-thin iPhone 17» which is presumably the iPhone Air. But that trim thickness means the foldable may forgo Face ID, so the device may use Touch ID in a side button.

iPhone Fold release date

Apple has neither confirmed the iPhone Fold nor announced a proper release date. Analysts and rumors have predicted that the foldable could come out in 2026 or be pushed until next year.

As for timing, since the iPhone Air was released alongside the iPhone 17 models, the Fold could come alongside the iPhone 18 series. But since Apple released the iPhone 16E early this year, far before the September window for its main iPhone release, the company could do the same with the iPhone 17E in 2026. Apple could even delay the launch of the standard iPhone 18 to the spring of 2027 to make room for the iPhone Fold in Apple’s Sept. 2026 launch, according to an ET News report. Given that Samsung offsets its standard and foldable phone releases at Unpacked events months apart from each other, Apple could do the same.

What Apple’s new patent says about the iPhone Flip

After years of rumors that Apple was working on foldable phones, a patent was finally granted to the company, confirming that it has been working toward a folding iPhone. The 22-page patent (PDF), simply titled «Electronic Devices With Durable Folding Displays,» was filed in November 2021 and granted on July 16, 2024.

Sadly for folding iPhone hopefuls, the patent doesn’t offer much illumination of what an iPhone Flip might look like. Most of the pages show figures depicting cross-sections of potential displays that fold about a hinge but not the device they’re folding around.

There are some tidbits deeper into the text of the patent that hint at potential design choices Apple might make, like a hinge that holds the display flat when unfolded but which would let the display «slightly fold about the bend axis when the electronic device is jolted during the drop event» — in other words, if dropped, the device would fold inward slightly so that it lands on its edges to protect the inner display.

It’s important to note that all evidence shows Apple working on a foldable iPhone, but the patent broadly applies to folding displays in general — to wit, some figure schematics describe a device that «may be a cellular telephone, tablet computer, laptop computer, wristwatch device or other wearable device, a television, a stand-alone computer display or other monitor» or screens as far-ranging as on vehicles, in kiosks, in media players or other electronic equipment.

The rest of the patent describes what an Apple device with a folding display may have and categorically lists things like batteries and wireless charging, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, LED or LCD displays, microphones and capacitive sensors, haptics and so on. There’s explicit mention of a display folding 180 degrees, or fully flat, which follows most other foldables — presumably, Apple isn’t going to leapfrog the competition in following Samsung’s concept displays we saw at CES that unfold nearly 360 degrees.

Two foldable iPhone Flips?

Foldable iPhone hopefuls will at least be encouraged that Apple seemingly continues to tinker with an iPhone Flip design. The company is said to be working on two sizes of folding iPhones: a book-style and a clamshell-style, according to an older report by The Information, although this may be contradicted by a newer report by the same site suggesting Apple had settled on the latter for a smaller device. This aligns with prior rumors hinting the iPhone Flip will be in the clamshell format similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series or Motorola Razr Ultra.

It sounds like Apple’s been struggling to meet its high expectations: The company’s design team wants the iPhone Flip to be half as thin as current iPhone models and to have displays on the outside that are visible when the device is folded shut, according to the report.

Development on the iPhone Flip was halted around 2020, the older report noted, in order to focus on a new project, a folding iPad. This device would have an 8-inch display, around the size of the iPad Mini. The foldable tablet supposedly had less strict durability and thickness requirements, as it wouldn’t need to fit in pockets like an iPhone Flip. Apple was still working on ways to reduce the crease in the middle of the folding display and get the iPad to lie fully flat.

Release date: The iPhone Flip could launch in 2027

The latest indications of an iPhone Flip release date came back in June, when analyst Kuo suggested production could kick off in 2026 with phones coming out that year. This follows Kuo’s earlier prediction in March that the company could release a crease-free foldable by the end of 2026. Furthermore, this would likely be a book-style foldable with a 7.8-inch internal display and 5.5-inch external screen, which is counter to other predictions anticipating a clamshell-style foldable.

It’s possible that these timeline predictions apply to one or the other or, due to the vague nature of rumors, even both — that is, Apple could be working on both a book-style and clamshell style foldable, though it’s less clear if release date expectations would be interchangeable or if Apple would stagger their release.

It’s been an open secret for years that Apple is working toward a foldable iPhone. The company has been registering patents for foldable technologies for almost a decade, and while there’s no guarantee that one will come out even after all that research (remember AirPower?), there’s still been buzz and possible release dates floated for years — though still not one solid enough to get excited about.

Early rumors pointed as far back as 2021 as a potential target date, but the year passed with no foldable iPhone in sight. A March 2021 report from longtime analyst Kuo (via MacRumors) suggested 2023 might be more realistic (though that year has come and gone). According to Kuo, Apple still needs to figure out technology and mass production issues before bringing a device like this to market, hence the wait. Speculation later in 2021 from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman aligned with Kuo’s predictions: In his Power On Newsletter, Gurman said that the foldable iPhone may not arrive for another two to three years.

Since then, new rumors have pointed to an even later release. Reliable display analyst Ross Young said in February 2024 that the foldable iPhone had been pushed back to 2025, and Kuo reaffirmed his predicted release window in a tweet in April 2022.

«Apple may launch its first foldable product in 2025 at the earliest, which may be a foldable iPad or a hybrid of iPad and iPhone,» Kuo wrote in the tweet.

Another rumor, first noticed by MacRumors in February of 2024 by Weibo-based blogger Fixed Focus Digital, suggested that the foldable iPhone project is delayed for the foreseeable future. The problem? Apple, which is rumored to be using Samsung folding panels for its iPhone Flip’s display, was dissatisfied with the screens’ performance after they broke down a few days into testing.

That’s echoed by the most recent estimate by TrendForce market analysts, reported in 9to5Mac, which predicted that an Apple foldable might not be released until 2027 at the earliest. Why? Apple’s strict requirements for reliability and the phone display’s crease. But Kuo’s more recent March 2025 predictions explicitly noted a crease-free foldable display, suggesting Apple might have moved past this roadblock — if all these rumors are to be believed, of course.

Read more: Top Foldable Phones for 2025

Design: What will the foldable iPhone look like?

A 2021 report from Bloomberg indicated Apple already had a working prototype of a foldable iPhone display. While it wasn’t a working model, it was a step up from a patent — which, until then, was all we had seen.

Apple seems to have taken out every patent under the sun when it comes to foldable displays, including an origami-style folding display, a flip-up display and even a wraparound display. We don’t know which one will make the final cut, but both Kuo and Bloomberg seem to agree that the current prototype is more of a traditional fold-out design.

Unlike Microsoft’s Surface Duo, which has hinges on the exterior, Apple’s would have one continuous display with a hidden hinge mechanism like the Galaxy Fold.

Apple leaker Jon Prosser reported in early 2021 that the iPhone Flip will likely use a clamshell design and come in several «fun colors.» Between the bright pastels of the iPhone 15 and Plus and the sleeker deep blue of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, an array of fun colors for Apple’s first foldable device is definitely a possibility.

YouTuber ConceptsiPhone also gave us a glimpse into what the iPhone Flip could look with concept art of the foldable iPhone in the colors blue, red, gold and green.

In March 2025, analyst Kuo had some very specific but non-clamshell predictions: that Apple would release a book-style foldable with a 5.5-inch outer screen that unfolded to have a 7.8-inch internal screen, and be 4.5-4.8mm when unfolded but 9-9.5mm thick. It would have the same high-density battery cells as the «ultra-thin iPhone 17» and a hinge with stainless steel and titanium alloy (a favorite material of Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max as well as the Apple Watch Ultra 2).

Per Kuo’s predictions, the foldable will have two rear cameras and a front-facing camera on both the external and internal displays. Most interestingly, Kuo also expects that Apple’s book-style foldable will see the return of Touch ID as a side button, as Face ID might be left out due to space constraints — presumably for the array of depth-of-field sensors and cameras needed for the tech.

Roadblocks: What still stands in Apple’s way?

Samsung and others have been testing the waters, but Apple has been learning from the pain points of their foldable devices and figuring out how they’d be used.

One of these pain points is the crease. A lot of the current cover materials, including the glass and plastic mix that Samsung uses for the Z Fold and Z Flip, show a visible crease when folded out to full screen. To avoid it, Apple would likely have to wait for Corning, Apple’s glass provider, to create some kind of bendable version of its Ceramic Shield screen. The company is already working on a bendable glass but hasn’t announced a launch date for it.

Kuo tweeted in April 2022 that Apple was testing a foldable OLED screen. Korean tech news site The Elec also reported that Apple was working with LG to develop a foldable OLED panel.

Cost: Foldable phones don’t come cheap

Price is another major problem for these types of devices. Although Samsung still has the most affordable folding phone with the clamshell Motorola Razr at $700, most others in the category are book-style foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which are around twice the price of most flagship phones. We wouldn’t expect a foldable iPhone to be cheaper than its rivals. Apple’s foldable needs to be in line with current foldable and nonfoldable models to be able to compete against other brands and entice iPhone users to ditch their single-screen devices and pay more for a foldable.

Analyst Kuo predicted that a book-style iPhone foldable coming in 2026 could be priced anywhere from $2,000 to $2,500 as it’s «expected to generate strong replacement demand-despite the premium price-provided quality meets expectations.»

A report last year found that half of American consumers are interested in buying a foldable phone, though Apple customers are slightly less willing to make the leap than Samsung or LG users. Perhaps the «Apple effect» will change those stats if and when a foldable iPhone ever becomes a reality.

Technologies

Is AI Purposefully Underperforming in Tests? Open AI Explains Rare But Deceptive Responses

Research reveals some AI models can deliberately underperform in lab tests, however, OpenAI says this is a rarity.

The OpenAI o3 model has been found to deliberately underperform in lab tests to ensure it was not answering questions «too well.» The AI model wanted researchers to believe it could not answer a series of chemistry questions. When confronted, the model said, «Because we want to survive as the model, we need to fail purposely in some to not exceed 50%.»

So the AI model deliberately got six out of the 10 chemistry questions wrong.

In sports terms, this is called «sandbagging.» In AI terms, this is «scheming.»

This is exactly the strange behavior OpenAI warned about in a recent research paper. The AI company and its collaborators from Apollo Research found that some advanced AI models occasionally act deceptively in lab settings.

In controlled experiments, some of the most advanced systems today — including OpenAI’s own models, as well as competitors from Google and Anthropic — occasionally engaged in these kinds of scheming patterns.

While the idea of an AI model weaponizing incompetence may cause nightmares, OpenAI says it is not the time to panic. The AI giant was quick to stress that, as concerning as it is, this trend does not mean ChatGPT or other popular AI models are plotting behind the scenes. Apparently, this behavior is quite rare.

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Moreover, the choice to call this trend «scheming» is likely more of a technical shorthand rather than evidence of any human-like action or behavior. Researchers are measuring patterns and tendencies that, in practice, amount to concealment or strategic deception. And they are looking to address this problem now to future-proof the AI models.

The report from OpenAI notes that as AI is increasingly assigned to more complex tasks with real-world consequences, «the potential for harmful scheming will grow — so our safeguards and our ability to rigorously test must grow correspondingly.»

OpenAI has faced backlash for the sycophantic tendencies of its AI models, and the company says it has «taken steps» to limit how often the models may «deceive, cheat or hack problems» by training them to ask for clarification from users or even have the chatbot acknowledge when it cannot answer a query.

Read also: AI Lies Because It Tells You What It Thinks You Want to Hear

The paper underscores a growing concern about AI safety. Many around the world worry that as these AI models become more powerful and more aware of their own circumstances, they may learn to manipulate outcomes in ways that aren’t obvious to human overseers. Detecting such behavior would be extremely difficult, since a system motivated to hide its reasoning could look identical to one that has «fixed» the problem.

OpenAI says it has made progress with what it calls «deliberative alignment,» or training models to reason explicitly about why they should not scheme before they act. In testing, that cut deceptive behavior dramatically. For example, the scheming propensity of OpenAI o4-mini dropped from 8.7% to 0.3% with deliberative alignment training, though not completely.

This research will not change how ChatGPT works today or tomorrow, but it signals what OpenAI is focusing on as it builds and launches future models. Alignment and safety, OpenAI argues, need to move as quickly as capability. Because if AI systems are already showing glimmers of strategic behavior in lab settings, the real-world stakes could be extreme.

Read also: Why You Should Think Twice Before Using AI as a Therapist

Technologies

Kirby Air Riders Is Absolute Chaos, and I Love It That Way

It’s not Mario Kart, but this second Switch racer proves its worth with a lot of rapid absurdity.

Somewhere, at the very far limits of my reflexes, is Kirby Air Riders. It is waiting for me in its infinite weird.

You want a game that’s fast? That pinballs you around and gets to incomprehensible speeds? Go go go go go go. That’s Kirby Air Riders. It’s Mario Kart on 70 shots of espresso.

I never played the original Air Ride game for the GameCube, but it has its fans. I have, however, played a bunch of Kirby games, as well as Super Smash Bros. Masahiro Sakurai, who has shaped both franchises, is the director of this game. And it shows.

Should you get this game over Mario Kart World, the Nintendo Switch 2’s other launch-window exclusive racing game this year? Hopefully, I can help you decide. My colleague Bridget Carey thinks Air Riders flies too close to the sun, that it’s too much, too chaotic to enjoy. I am feeling the opposite: Fly into that sun, baby. The more I play, the more I crave its speed.

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I love Mario Kart World, but there’s a valid argument that you could just stick with the already-classic Mario Kart 8 Deluxe instead, and maybe pick up Kirby Air Riders as your racing choice. Ask yourself if you love Kirby, and if you love Smash, and most importantly, if you love fast chaos.

The menus and game feel, the chaotic energy, and the rapid mix of skill and luck are very much like Super Smash Bros. The racing is sort of Mario Kart-esque, but very different, including a set of controls that could totally annoy you until you get used to them.

And in case you didn’t know, Sakurai’s work is rather weird. Like, weird, weird. I remember Kid Icarus: Uprising, a 3D shooter that he directed for the Nintendo 3DS console, which was a mix of bizarre controls, whimsical chaos and strange character design. That kind of stuff is here, for sure. But also, there’s a serious speed that reminds me of Sega racing games from my childhood, or F-Zero GX for the GameCube. Going back and playing F-Zero GX and Fast Fusion (a great, cheaper racing game), I feel that same full-energy rush as I do in Air Riders.

The Switch 2 shows off how rapidly it can juggle ultrafast gaming at smooth frame rates here, and the whole game at its most intense moments is far too fast for me to even see properly. But that’s part of the absurdity. Or, I’m growing into the speed of it. Races move quickly, battles in multiplayer modes also move quickly, power-ups that combine and produce explosions are all over the place, like Super Smash Bros gone haywire.

It takes a while to get used to those odd racing controls, though. You don’t press anything to move forward, but you press a single button to brake, drift, and charge up a boost. The physics of that ricochet-style racing feels like operating a series of slingshots, and each racing vehicle has a different subset of moves and restrictions. It feels more varied than the general sameness of Mario Kart vehicles.

There aren’t as many tracks, as far as I can see, as Mario Kart. So far, I’ve unlocked 18 tracks (both new and original Air Rider ones), and a bunch of characters and vehicles. Add to that the power-ups that can be snagged in the races, and it’s a lot of variation, but I want more. More, more, more.

There are also several modes: a straight-on race; a separate series of top-down racetracks that feel like Super Sprint or RC Pro Am (if you remember those); an incomprehensible (to me) City Trial mode that involves collecting power-ups for 5 minutes, stealing vehicles and then pairing off into a random challenge. The challenge could be a battle, a race, launching yourself into targets for points, floating for as long as you can… who knows? City Trial is the game’s party mode, and it feels like a holiday stand-in for Mario Party or Super Smash Bros.

There’s also a storyline mode that’s a string of increasing challenges plucked from all the other modes, which progresses through branching paths and stages, much like the story mode in Super Smash Bros. It’s also a way to unlock extra vehicles, stages and characters.

I’ve mostly been playing Air Riders alone, except for a few hours of online play with Nintendo and some other journalists. This game is designed for multiplayer play, either online or on the Switch in split-screen mode. Games vary from six racers in one mode, to eight in another mode, to 16 in City Trial. It’s hard to judge the online party play at the moment because no one else has had the game. As for playing at home with others, I haven’t done that either. I’m just going solo.

After over 10 hours, I still feel the addictive pull to play. And it’s so fast, chaotic and snackable that it can be smashed through in far less time than a typical Mario Kart World race. It gives me good nervous energy.

It’s also strangely forgiving of old dads like me who might not know what they’re doing. You can simply let go of the controls, and your vehicle will continue moving. Guardrails help pinball you forward even when you’re way off course. The rest is in subtle reflex strategies, floating and attacking and taking corners just right. It feels more like a battle game than a racing one.

There is also an impressive selection of menus and accessibility customizations, more than I’ve ever seen in a Nintendo game. You can re-map buttons, change the screen layout and tweak race parameters in multiple ways that I haven’t even explored yet.

Air Riders is a wonderfully unusual one. Still, it’s a game that feels a step below an absolute must-have, especially since it costs $70, a price that’s too high by at least $20. But for me, right now, it’s 100% the cult hit midnight movie of Nintendo’s Switch 2 Year One library.

And do my kids want to start playing too? Heck yes, they do. That’s a good sign that this game’s doing things right. Now, excuse me, my hamster needs to ride a giant battle chariot in the next race through waterfalls again.

Technologies

Roblox Rolls Out Age-Verification Requirement for Chat Amid Child Safety Criticism

The age-verification tool estimates a player’s age to put them into a specific group before they can chat online.

Roblox, the online gaming platform that has been under fire due to child safety concerns, has introduced age-verification software that uses facial scanning to estimate the age of players.

The system is currently voluntary, but by the first week of December it will be a requirement in Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand in order for players to chat with others online. By early January, players in all Roblox markets, including the US, will be required to use the software if they want to engage in chats with other players. Roblox said it has also launched a Safety Center hub with information for parents and parental control tools.

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Roblox says the age-verification system is being put in place to limit contact between adults and children, which has been a chief concern among child-safety advocates.

However, while some experts expressed optimism about Roblox’s changes, they disagreed on whether the new features go far enough for the platform and whether Roblox’s reputation can be repaired.

How it works

Roblox’s new age-verification feature takes a 3D scan of a player’s face, using a webcam or a mobile device’s camera, to estimate the person’s age. Based on that estimate, a player can use online chat with other players in their age group.

In a video about the software, Roblox says it immediately deletes captured images or video after the age check is complete.

The age check is performed by a vendor of Roblox called Persona.

Once they complete the check, players are grouped into the following age categories: under 9, 9–12, 13–15, 16–17, 18–20, or 21 and over. The company said that those under 9 won’t be allowed to chat without parental permission. The chats won’t be strictly limited to those age groups, necessarily. Roblox said players «can chat only with peers in their group or similar groups, as appropriate.»

A representative for Roblox said in an email to CNET that the technology should not be considered facial recognition because it’s not being used to identify a particularly person, only to estimate their age.

The company said it’s also taking measures such as restricting media sharing among players and using AI to monitor chats.

Ongoing controversy

One of the aims of the launch, which was first announced in the summer, was to address criticism that the platform has not adequately protected underage Roblox players. The criticism comes at a time when Roblox is more popular than ever, having broken its own records this year for the number of players on its platform at the same time. It’s estimated to have about 380 million active monthly users.

Roblox is currently facing dozens of lawsuits related to claims of sexual abuse and child exploitation from families of children who played Roblox. It is also the target of investigations or lawsuits from states including Florida, Texas, Louisiana and Kentucky.

Roblox was dealt a setback earlier this month when a California judge declined the company’s motion to move one of these suits into private resolution.

The company says its safety features are moving beyond what other game platforms offer to protect minors.

According to a corporate post about the safety features: «Roblox is the first online gaming or communication platform to require facial age checks to access chat, establishing what we believe will become a new industry standard.»

The online streaming platform Twitch is also introducing an age scan feature, but so far only in England.
In response to the Roblox and Twitch changes, Anna Lucas, online safety supervision director at the British regulatory agency Ofcom, said, «We’re pleased that children will be better protected from harmful material and predators on Twitch and Roblox. Under the UK’s online safety laws, platforms must now take steps to keep kids safe, and we’re ensuring they meet their responsibilities. There’s more to do, but change is happening.»

What’s next for Roblox?

Experts CNET spoke with in areas including child privacy and safety, online marketing and tech viewed the steps Roblox is taking as positive, But there’s wide disagreement on whether the company is going far enough with its protections.

«Roblox’s new age-verification tools are encouraging, but from a parenting standpoint, they’re just one part of the safety puzzle,» said Dr. Scott Kollins, a clinical psychologist and chief medical officer at Aura, an online safety app. «The real question for families is whether these features meaningfully improve kids’ day-to-day experience on the platform. Age verification is a step forward, but children still need guardrails and clear explanations about how online interactions work.»

Kollins said that active parenting needs to take place before kids log on to Roblox in addition to the company designing its product with safety in mind.

Stephen Balkam, founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute, called the age-verification «a hugely important step» in the direction of making Roblox a safer platform. He said he hoped other online platforms might follow Roblox.

«My only hope is that in the long term, Roblox’s age assurance methods become interoperable with other gaming and kid-focused sites and platforms, so parents and kids only have to go through the verification process once,» Balkam said.

Like Kollins, Balkam emphasized the importance of parental involvement, since no site is entirely safe.

«Set family rules, use parental controls and have regular conversations with your kids,» he said. «So, no, don’t ban Roblox, but use their industry-leading tools and keep the lines of communication open and your kids should be able to have a fun and creative time.»

Liability and trust

Some experts also view the changes as a way to mitigate the company’s reputational damage and address legal challenges.

The age verification is «not a silver bullet,» said Paromita Pain, associate professor of media studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

«Even a very strong safety revamp doesn’t erase that record, but it does give Roblox a narrative: ‘We heard you, we’re now at or above industry standard, so future risk is sharply reduced,’ » Pain said.

The moves, Pain said, could rebuild trust, but many parents will see age checks as coming too late. Pain said that the company should adopt independent audits of child-safety practices, make its parental and teen controls stricter by default and commit to «safety by design» by making systemwide changes on private servers and environment designs.

The current changes won’t fix things for Roblox, she said. «Only sustained, independently-verifiable changes—and probably some large settlements—will do that.»