Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Look for any Discord.exe entries, right-click each one, and select End Task. Then try launching Discord again.
Press Win + R and type %appdata%. Open the Discord folder, then delete the Cache, Code Cache, and GPUCache folders. Relaunch Discord — it will rebuild the cache automatically.
Open Finder → Go → Go to Folder → type ~/Library/Application Support/discord. Delete the Cache and Code Cache folders, then relaunch Discord.
Right-click the Discord shortcut or Discord.exe → Run as administrator. Sometimes permission issues prevent Discord from writing its update files, causing a silent launch failure.
If Discord opens but shows a black screen, the issue is hardware acceleration. If you can reach Settings: go to User Settings → Advanced → disable Hardware Acceleration. If you can't open Discord at all, you can disable it via the settings JSON file at %appdata%/discord/settings.json — set "HARDWARE_ACCELERATION_DISABLED": true.
Download the latest Discord installer from discord.com/download. Uninstall Discord first (Windows: Apps → Discord → Uninstall), delete the leftover %appdata%/Discord folder, then run the fresh installer.
While troubleshooting the desktop app, use discord.com/app in your browser for uninterrupted access to your servers and messages.
If Discord opens but you can't hear others, they can't hear you, or video isn't working, follow these fixes:
Press the volume icon in the bottom-left of Discord → select the correct output device. If you don't see your headset or speakers, go to User Settings → Audio & Video and ensure the correct device is selected under "Output Device".
Go to User Settings → Audio & Video. Under "Input Device", select your microphone. Click Let Me Test to verify Discord detects your voice. If it shows no input, check Windows Sound Settings or macOS System Preferences to ensure the microphone is not muted.
Ensure you have granted Discord camera permissions in your operating system. On Windows: Settings → Privacy → Camera → enable Discord. On macOS: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera → enable Discord. For screen share, macOS requires Screen Recording permission in the same location.
Echo usually happens when your microphone picks up your own speaker output. Go to User Settings → Audio & Video and enable Noise Suppression and Echo Cancellation. Also ensure your output volume isn't set too high.
Discord may fail to connect due to network restrictions, firewalls, or VPN problems:
Visit discordstatus.com to confirm Discord's servers are operational. If there's an outage, you can only wait for Discord to resolve it.
Windows Firewall may block Discord. Go to Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall → ensure Discord is checked for both Private and Public networks. If not present, click "Allow another app" and navigate to the Discord executable.
Some VPNs interfere with Discord's ability to connect to voice servers. Try disconnecting your VPN temporarily. If Discord works without the VPN, try switching VPN servers or protocols, or whitelist Discord in your VPN settings.
If you're on a corporate or school network, Discord ports may be blocked. Discord uses ports 443 (TCP), 80 (TCP), and 443 (UDP). Contact your network administrator to allow these ports. At home, try restarting your router.
Can't sign in to Discord? Here's how to resolve common login issues:
Click "Forgot your password?" on the login screen. Enter your email or phone number associated with your Discord account. Check your email (and spam folder) for a password reset link from Discord.
If you have 2FA enabled but lost access to your authenticator app, you'll need your backup codes. If you don't have backup codes, contact Discord support. You can also try logging in via the mobile app where 2FA might be cached.
If your account is locked, you'll receive an email from Discord explaining why. Follow the instructions in the email to appeal. If you believe it was a mistake, contact Discord support through their support portal.
Keeping Discord updated ensures you have the latest features and security fixes:
Discord typically updates automatically. To manually check for updates: click the gear icon (User Settings) → scroll down and click Check for Updates. If an update is available, it will download and install automatically. Restart Discord to apply the update.
If Discord gets stuck on "Updating...": close Discord completely (End Task in Task Manager), then navigate to %appdata% (Windows) or ~/Library/Application Support/discord (Mac), delete the Update folder if it exists, and relaunch Discord.
Clearing Discord's cache resolves many issues including black screens, crashes, and slow performance:
%appdata%, press Enter~/Library/Application Support/discord~/Library/Caches/discord and clear that cache tooDiscord may not open due to a corrupted cache, a background process preventing relaunch, an outdated installation, antivirus blocking Discord, or a Discord server outage.
End all Discord processes in Task Manager, then delete the Discord cache folder at %appdata%/Discord/Cache. Relaunch Discord to rebuild the cache.
A black screen is usually caused by hardware acceleration conflicting with your GPU. Disable hardware acceleration in Discord Settings → Advanced → Hardware Acceleration.
Yes. A clean reinstall resolves most launch failures. Uninstall Discord, delete the AppData/Discord folder, then download and install the latest version from discord.com/download.
Check Discord's status at discordstatus.com. If servers are fine, try disabling your VPN, allow Discord through your firewall, or restart your router. Discord requires ports 443 (TCP), 80 (TCP), and 443 (UDP) to be open.
Go to User Settings → Audio & Video and ensure your microphone is selected as the Input Device. Click "Let Me Test" to verify Discord detects your voice. Also check your OS microphone permissions and ensure no other app is using the microphone.