A Comprehensive Guide to Discord

With over 140 million users, there’s no denying that Discord has become the go-to chat app for gamers and non-gamers alike. The company which started as a communication tool for gamers rebranded in 2020 with the tagline “Your Place to Talk.”

The change came after the majority of its users reported that they simply want a platform where they can hang out and talk comfortably with their communities and friends. Since then, Discord has servers dedicated to basically anything – from cryptocurrencies to meme sharing.

Not sure how to get started? Here’s everything you need to know about the Discord app.

Discord Explained

Founded in 2015, Discord was originally designed to provide gamers with a way to easily communicate via text and voice chat. Now, the platform hosts different kinds of communities – from hobbyists to working professionals.

The Discord service enables users to create servers with chat rooms dedicated to specific topics. It is a hybrid of a VoIP chatting system, streaming service, message board, and chat lobby.

Why Discord Is Better Than Other VoIP Platforms

Much like Skype, Discord enables users to talk with other people on the platform. Even better – the app runs on browsers, allowing you to tweak mic levels and enjoy a lower-latency voice chat.

Likewise, gamers can run the app on a PC as an overlay while playing games. This allows easy typing or toggling of audio levels without the need to switch to a different window.

How to Get Started with Discord

Discord works perfectly on desktop and mobile devices. You can download the mobile app on your Android or iOS device. For PC users, you have the option to run the platform on a web browser or download the program to unlock advanced features like game overlays.

Here’s an easy-to-follow guide for setting up your Discord account:

Step 1 – Choose a username. You can use your real name or a pseudonym, as most of the users do. To avoid duplicate names, Discord attaches a unique string of digits to the end of each username.

Step 2 – Link your username to an email and password.

Step 3 – Create or join a server. Some servers are public, while others require an invite to join.

That’s about it, you can start building your community or connect with users that share the same interests as you.

A Few Things to Remember About Discord…

For a better user experience, here are a few tips for setting up your Discord account.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Safeguard your account from hacks and malware attacks by setting up 2FA – a security measure that requires two forms of identification to access an account.

Setting up Discord Two Factor Authentication

To set up 2FA, download an authenticator app, preferably Google Authenticator or Authy. After that, open your Discord app, go to Settings located at the bottom of the window. Click My Account then enable two-factor authentication under the Password and Authentication section.

Every time you log in to your account, the system will ask you to input your password and a code generated by the authenticator app.

Toggle Discord Notifications

Discord notifications can be annoying, especially if you are a part of several servers. Thankfully, Discord enables you to customize your notification settings.

To adjust the settings, go to the Notifications tab under the User Settings.

Here, you can set which type of notifications you’d like to get: All Messages, Only @mentions, or Nothing. You can also turn on server-wide mute instead of turning off notifications for each channel individually.

Organize Servers in Folders

For easy access, you can create folders and organize servers by category.

• For desktop users: Create a folder by clicking, holding, and dragging a server on top of another server, then dropping it in. Tweak the settings or mark a folder as read by right-clicking on it. You can also adjust the folder name and color under Folder Settings.
• For mobile users: Long press the server icon and drag it over another server, then drop it in. Move the folder in the server list by long holding it. Likewise, you can access the Folder Settings and Mark Server Folder as read by long-pressing the folder when opened.

Set Up Spoiler Tags

Don’t let spoilers ruin your friendship by setting up spoiler tags. This feature enables users to mark an individual or entire block of text as a spoiler. Simply highlight the text and click the eye icon that represents the spoiler button.

Another alternative is to use markdown syntax. This involves adding two horizontal bars at the beginning and end of a text or link.

Tweak Privacy Settings

Discord collects a lot of data at the start. Fortunately, you can adjust the privacy settings to control the information shared with other users.

Discord Privacy and Safety Settings

Go to User Settings (the gear icon located near your username) and click Privacy & Safety. Here, you can adjust who can message you, filter NSFW messages, toggle friend request settings, control which types of data that Discord can use, and so on.