Trust and Safety
The Trust and Safety systems in VRChat are designed to protect users from nuisance users, and enhance the overall experience in VRChat.
VRChat's internal moderation process is based on 
VRChat's Terms of Service, last revised on November 22, 2023. All moderation actions are interpreted and judged according to this document, making it the absolute reference for all content and behavior expected on the platform.
Guidelines
VRChat's Community Guidelines provide a more casual interpretation of the Terms of Service and extend upon scenarios not covered by the Terms of Service. These guidelines are excellent resources for navigating your personal experience on the platform.
The Creator Guidelines for VRChat offer detailed information regarding world and avatar content. They also provide guidelines for VRChat users who create video content for platforms like YouTube and Twitch. These guidelines include content warnings for various mediums within VRChat.
Personal Safety
Safety is a crucial aspect of the VRChat experience. The following options help keep everyone's experience safe and customizable. Advanced safety settings can be configured in the Settings section. Please refer to the Settings article for more details.
Safety Shield
The Safety Shield is the first line of protection when meeting new users and their avatars. It enables or disables certain features based on the Trust Rank of the user or their avatar.
There are several pre-set configurations you can select in the Safety menu. These are available for quick access in the Menus.
For new users, we recommend using Normal or Maximum settings to start. If you want to fully view someone's avatar, click on them and select "Show Avatar".
Using the Custom section allows you to configure how a user of each Trust Rank will appear to you.
Here is a list of options available for customization:
| Option Name | Impacted Feature |
|---|---|
| Voice | User |
| Avatar | Avatar |
| User Icons & Emojis | Social |
| Audio | Avatar |
| Lights & Particles | Avatar |
| Shaders | Avatar |
| Custom Animations | Avatar |
| Animated Emojis | Social |
Multiple Presets are available depending on your preference for security and comfort.
Maximum Safety
This preset is the safest and only allows all features to be enabled for friends. It is ideal for newcomers or when in unfamiliar public spaces.
| Option Name | Visitor | New User | User | Known User | Trusted User | Friends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice | On | On | On | On | On | On |
| Avatar | Off | Off | Off | On | On | On |
| User Icons & Emojis | Off | Off | Off | On | On | On |
| Audio | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | On |
| Lights & Particles | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | On |
| Shaders | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | On |
| Custom Animations | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | On |
| Animated Emojis | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | On |
Normal Safety
This preset is suitable for everyday use.
| Option Name | Visitor | New User | User | Known User | Trusted User | Friends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice | On | On | On | On | On | On |
| Avatar | On | On | On | On | On | On |
| User Icons & Emojis | On | On | On | On | On | On |
| Audio | Off | Off | Off | On | On | On |
| Lights & Particles | Off | Off | Off | Off | On | On |
| Shaders | Off | Off | Off | Off | On | On |
| Custom Animations | Off | Off | On | On | On | On |
| Animated Emojis | Off | Off | Off | Off | On | On |
No Safety
Use this preset with caution. It disables most safety features regardless of Trust Rank. Ensure you are in a safe, familiar environment before using this preset.
Custom Safety
You can set up your own safety settings based on the features you want to enable or disable.
Safe Mode
If you feel overwhelmed or if VRChat is lagging, an emergency Safe Mode "
" button is accessible at any time in the Quick Menu. This feature disables most avatars, users' voices, and anything that can cause lag or be the source of an emergency. Performance should return to a usable state while in Safe Mode. Friends are not affected by Safe Mode.
Safe mode can be quickly activated by pressing both triggers and both Quick Menu buttons at the same time in VR, or by pressing Shift + Esc at the same time in desktop mode.
To exit Safe Mode, open the Quick Menu and click the Safe Mode button again. Alternatively, click the Go Home button to leave the instance.
User Moderation tools
When a situation becomes unmanageable, you may need to take moderation action:
Muting a User
If a user is being annoying or too loud, select that user to lower their microphone volume or mute them entirely.
Blocking a User
If the user continues to be annoying, you can block them. This will prevent you from seeing the user, and they will not be able to see you.
Reporting a User
If necessary, report the user by selecting them (before blocking them) and reporting their specific behavior. Reports are sent to the VRChat Trust & Safety team, who can take action, including banning the user.
Blocking an Avatar
If an avatar is causing annoyance, you can hide the avatar itself. You can also globally hide an avatar, which blocks the avatar by its blueprint ID, preventing you from seeing it even if another user uses it.
Reporting an Avatar
You can report an avatar if it breaks VRChat's guidelines or if it doesn't properly declare its gating options.
Reporting a Group
Groups are created by users, and may break VRChat rules. If necessary, report a group for appropriate action.
Reporting a World
If a world breaks VRChat's Creator Guidelines, file a report to flag it.
Instance Moderation
Instance Moderator Actions are available when you are the owner of an instance or the owner/moderator/admin of a group instance. They allow you to moderate your instance by:
- Warn User: Send the user a message telling them they have been warned.
- Kick User: Remove the user from the instance. They will not be able to join for 1 hour.
- Force Mic Off: Mute the user's microphone. The user can unmute their microphone freely.
- Ban From Group: Bans the selected user from the group that owns the instance. The user will be unable to join group instances from that group and won't be able to join that group.
See also
