How to Get Started with Discord
Access Discord., Create an account on Discord., Familiarize yourself with Discord's layout., Access the settings., Learn how to mute users, channels, and servers., Learn how to edit and delete your messages., Find servers that you want to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Access Discord.
Discord can either be used in a web browser on a computer, or by using the Discord application on a phone or computer.
The browser-based version is a good choice if you just want to try out Discord, but the app notifies you when there's a new message in a channel or chat that you're in.
The browser version of Discord can't be accessed on a mobile device.
You'll have to download the app to use Discord on your phone. -
Step 2: Create an account on Discord.
When you start using Discord, you'll often start out by just creating a username.
However, if you create an account, you'll be able to use the Discord app (and not just the browser version).
If you connect an email address to your Discord username, you'll be able to use Discord regularly with the mobile app or computer program. , If you've never used Discord before, or aren't very familiar with instant-messenger apps in general, you may be a bit confused on how to use it.
However, a lot of it is really just learning how to use the layout.
The basics are easy enough to learn, too! The far left side of the screen is where Direct Messages will show up and where any servers you've joined will show up.
The left side of the screen will be either your Friends List or a list of channels in a server, depending on whether you're on the Direct Message screen or a Discord server, respectively.
Underneath these lists will be your username and profile image, your "online" status, whether your microphone is muted, whether your headphones are "deafened"
and your settings.
The center of the screen is the chat messages.
If you're on the Direct Message screen without a chat open, it will just be your Friends list.
The right side of the screen, if you're on a server, will be the list of members on the server and their roles.
If you're on Direct Messages, this won't appear. , To customize your account settings, click on the cog near your username.
You can use the settings to:
Change your username, email, avatar, and password. (Access the Account setting.) Connect accounts (such as Twitch, Skype, and Steam) to your Discord account, as well as authorize apps to use your Discord account. (Access the Connections setting.) Change who can add you as a friend. (Access the Friends setting.) Change how images, links, and emoticons show up in the chat. (Access the Text & Images setting.) Edit your Voice Chat settings and whether you press a button for your microphone to activate in voice chats. (Access the Voice setting.) Edit notification settings. (Access the Notifications setting.) Add or delete keybinds. (Access the Keybinds setting.) Alter the appearance of the Discord window or turn on Developer Mode. (Access the Appearance setting.) Show when you're playing a game on your device. (Access the Games setting.) Choose the language. (Access the Locale setting.) Enable "Streamer Mode"
which is useful if you play video games for a site such as YouTube. (Access the Streamer Mode setting.) Enable two-step authentication for account security. (Access the Security setting.) , At some point, you'll probably want to not get so many notifications on Discord, but still leave the app open.
While there's no way to mute the Direct Message system yet, there are ways of muting single users as well as channels and servers.
Setting your account to Do Not Disturb will mute all incoming notifications unless you're tagged in a message or messaged directly.
Click on your avatar and click on Do Not Disturb.
To mute a single user on a server, right-click on the person's username and check the Mute button.
If you want to unmute them later, just uncheck the button using the same steps.
To mute a channel in a server, right-click on the channel that you want to mute and check the Mute button.
You can also click the alarm bell at the top of the screen.
Follow the same steps to unmute the channel.
To mute a server, right-click on the server icon and check the Server Mute button. , At some point, you'll make a typo or send a message you didn't mean to send, but thankfully on Discord, there are ways to take it fix that.
To edit a message you've sent, right-click the message and click Edit. (If you hit the down arrow on your keyboard, you will automatically open the edit window of your latest message.) To delete a message you've sent, right-click the message and click Delete message.
If you hold down ⇧ Shift while doing so, it will delete the message without prompting whether you want to delete it. , In order to join a server on Discord, you'll need to have an invite to it.
Friends can invite you to a server directly through Discord.
If you have a link to a Discord server, click on the link and you'll join the server. , If you don't read channel guidelines or rules, you may end up getting muted, kicked, or banned from the server.
Use common sense while chatting, too. , It's annoying to many on Discord.
Many channels may ban you if you do this. , When you add someone to your Friends list on Discord, you become able to voice call with them privately, and they get added to a contact list for your direct messages (also called private messages, DMs, or PMs), making it easier to reach them.
To add someone as a friend:
Right-click on a Discord user's name, or use the search function to search for a list of users in channels that you've joined.
Click on Add Friend.
Wait for the person to accept or deny your friend request.
If they accept it, they'll appear in your friends list. , Discord, being primarily for gamers, gives you the ability to voice-chat with people.
If you want to, just make sure that your microphone and headphones are active (meaning that they don't have a red slash through them), and start up a call:
To voice-chat with a single person via Direct Message, you'll need to be on their Friends list.
Click on the button that looks like a phone, or right-click their name and click Call.
To voice-chat with users on a server, click on the voice channel that you want to join and you'll connect to the server. , If a user is driving you up the wall, you can block them from messaging you.
Just right-click their username and select Block from the dropdown menu. , -
Step 3: Familiarize yourself with Discord's layout.
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Step 4: Access the settings.
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Step 5: Learn how to mute users
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Step 6: channels
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Step 7: and servers.
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Step 8: Learn how to edit and delete your messages.
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Step 9: Find servers that you want to participate in.
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Step 10: Read any channel guidelines.
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Step 11: Don't spam.
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Step 12: Add people to your Friends list.
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Step 13: Voice-chat with users if you want to.
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Step 14: Block users who are bothering you or harassing you.
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Step 15: Have fun using Discord!
Detailed Guide
Discord can either be used in a web browser on a computer, or by using the Discord application on a phone or computer.
The browser-based version is a good choice if you just want to try out Discord, but the app notifies you when there's a new message in a channel or chat that you're in.
The browser version of Discord can't be accessed on a mobile device.
You'll have to download the app to use Discord on your phone.
When you start using Discord, you'll often start out by just creating a username.
However, if you create an account, you'll be able to use the Discord app (and not just the browser version).
If you connect an email address to your Discord username, you'll be able to use Discord regularly with the mobile app or computer program. , If you've never used Discord before, or aren't very familiar with instant-messenger apps in general, you may be a bit confused on how to use it.
However, a lot of it is really just learning how to use the layout.
The basics are easy enough to learn, too! The far left side of the screen is where Direct Messages will show up and where any servers you've joined will show up.
The left side of the screen will be either your Friends List or a list of channels in a server, depending on whether you're on the Direct Message screen or a Discord server, respectively.
Underneath these lists will be your username and profile image, your "online" status, whether your microphone is muted, whether your headphones are "deafened"
and your settings.
The center of the screen is the chat messages.
If you're on the Direct Message screen without a chat open, it will just be your Friends list.
The right side of the screen, if you're on a server, will be the list of members on the server and their roles.
If you're on Direct Messages, this won't appear. , To customize your account settings, click on the cog near your username.
You can use the settings to:
Change your username, email, avatar, and password. (Access the Account setting.) Connect accounts (such as Twitch, Skype, and Steam) to your Discord account, as well as authorize apps to use your Discord account. (Access the Connections setting.) Change who can add you as a friend. (Access the Friends setting.) Change how images, links, and emoticons show up in the chat. (Access the Text & Images setting.) Edit your Voice Chat settings and whether you press a button for your microphone to activate in voice chats. (Access the Voice setting.) Edit notification settings. (Access the Notifications setting.) Add or delete keybinds. (Access the Keybinds setting.) Alter the appearance of the Discord window or turn on Developer Mode. (Access the Appearance setting.) Show when you're playing a game on your device. (Access the Games setting.) Choose the language. (Access the Locale setting.) Enable "Streamer Mode"
which is useful if you play video games for a site such as YouTube. (Access the Streamer Mode setting.) Enable two-step authentication for account security. (Access the Security setting.) , At some point, you'll probably want to not get so many notifications on Discord, but still leave the app open.
While there's no way to mute the Direct Message system yet, there are ways of muting single users as well as channels and servers.
Setting your account to Do Not Disturb will mute all incoming notifications unless you're tagged in a message or messaged directly.
Click on your avatar and click on Do Not Disturb.
To mute a single user on a server, right-click on the person's username and check the Mute button.
If you want to unmute them later, just uncheck the button using the same steps.
To mute a channel in a server, right-click on the channel that you want to mute and check the Mute button.
You can also click the alarm bell at the top of the screen.
Follow the same steps to unmute the channel.
To mute a server, right-click on the server icon and check the Server Mute button. , At some point, you'll make a typo or send a message you didn't mean to send, but thankfully on Discord, there are ways to take it fix that.
To edit a message you've sent, right-click the message and click Edit. (If you hit the down arrow on your keyboard, you will automatically open the edit window of your latest message.) To delete a message you've sent, right-click the message and click Delete message.
If you hold down ⇧ Shift while doing so, it will delete the message without prompting whether you want to delete it. , In order to join a server on Discord, you'll need to have an invite to it.
Friends can invite you to a server directly through Discord.
If you have a link to a Discord server, click on the link and you'll join the server. , If you don't read channel guidelines or rules, you may end up getting muted, kicked, or banned from the server.
Use common sense while chatting, too. , It's annoying to many on Discord.
Many channels may ban you if you do this. , When you add someone to your Friends list on Discord, you become able to voice call with them privately, and they get added to a contact list for your direct messages (also called private messages, DMs, or PMs), making it easier to reach them.
To add someone as a friend:
Right-click on a Discord user's name, or use the search function to search for a list of users in channels that you've joined.
Click on Add Friend.
Wait for the person to accept or deny your friend request.
If they accept it, they'll appear in your friends list. , Discord, being primarily for gamers, gives you the ability to voice-chat with people.
If you want to, just make sure that your microphone and headphones are active (meaning that they don't have a red slash through them), and start up a call:
To voice-chat with a single person via Direct Message, you'll need to be on their Friends list.
Click on the button that looks like a phone, or right-click their name and click Call.
To voice-chat with users on a server, click on the voice channel that you want to join and you'll connect to the server. , If a user is driving you up the wall, you can block them from messaging you.
Just right-click their username and select Block from the dropdown menu. ,
About the Author
Susan Kelly
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in organization and beyond.
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