How to Fix Discord Connection Issues (2024)

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Discord not connecting properly upon startup can be frustrating as it can prevent you from not only sending messages but accessing most of the content already downloaded onto the app. A looping “Connecting” animation is often the main sign of Discord not working though you may also encounter connection problems when trying to access third-party connections or sending and receiving messages.

Causes for Discord Not Working Properly

Discord stuck on connecting is usually caused by technical problems on Discord’s side, such as high volumes of traffic, or internet connectivity issues on your device. Corrupted app data can also be a cause of Discord connection problems, as can custom internet settings.

How to Fix Discord Not Connecting Errors

Here are all of the best ways to get around the Discord connecting error message and disconnection problems sorted from easiest to advanced.

1. Check Discord’s status. Discord, or some of its services, may be down. You can check the current status of Discord at any time via DiscordStatus.com.

   Unfortunately, the only thing you can do in this scenario is wait.

2. Check your internet connection. It’s possible that your smartphone may be out of range or that your internet service could be down. The quickest way to do this is to open another app that needs an internet connection and see if they’re working properly.

3. Disable Airplane Mode. Airplane Mode can disable all cellular and internet connections so you may have accidentally turned Airplane mode on or it might still be on after a recent flight.

   See Also

   How to Join a Discord Server: Invite Link & Server Discovery

4. Temporarily disable Wi-Fi. Your iPhone or Android smartphone may be connected to a dead Wi-Fi signal. Disable Wi-Fi to use your cellular network and see if that helps you connect to Discord.

5. Properly close the app and reopen it. Quit the Discord app, wait a few seconds, and then reopen it. This can create a new connection to Discord that may work.

6. Update the Discord app. If your app is giving you a Discord not connecting error, it may need an update so that it can connect to the Discord servers.

7. Update your operating system. A system update can often fix any internet connectivity errors in addition to making your device more secure and efficient. This guides will help:

   • How to Update Windows
   • How to Update Mac
   • How to Update Android
   • How to Update iOS
     

8. Restart your device. Whether you're restarting a computer, restarting an Android smartphone or tablet, or any iOS device, t’s a simple fix but one that’s known to get rid of a wide variety of technical issues including connectivity ones.

9. Check the third-party service. If you’re having problems with Discord not connecting to another service such as Spotify, Xbox, or Twitch, open Connections via the main app menu and check that the link to the account has been made properly. You may need to add the connection again. It’s also possible that the service could be experiencing a temporary server outage. Their official account should tell you if such a thing is happening.

   If you’re unable to call upon an external service or feature while in a Discord chat, it’s entirely possible that the specific chat you’re using may simply not support connections to the service you want. A full list of the supported chatbot commands should be available within your community’s Faq, About, or Welcome topic.

10. Troubleshoot the Discord app. If you’re using Windows 11, right-click on the Discord app’s icon in File Explorer and select Show more options > Troubleshoot compatibility. This will scan your device and the app’s files for any errors and attempt to fix them.

    You can also run a variety of other troubleshooters for internet and connectivity in Windows 11 via Settings > System > Troubleshoot.

11. Disable proxy server settings. Using a proxy server can disrupt a connection to Discord. On Windows, make sure Use a proxy server is turned off in Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy. On an iPhone or iPad, turn proxy off in Settings > Wi-Fi > HTTP Proxy > Configure Proxy. On Android, go to Settings > Wi-Fi > network name > edit button > Advanced Options. On Mac, Apple > System Preferences > Network > network name > Advanced > Proxies.

12. Turn off your VPN settings. Using a VPN internet connection can also affect Discord so try turning it off temporarily on your device.

13. Change your DNS servers. Set the Preferred DNS Server to 8.8.8.8 and the Alternate DNS Server to 8.8.4.4 and check if this fixes the Discord not connecting bug.

    If this doesn’t work, make sure to change your DNS server settings back to the way they were before.

14. Uninstall and reinstall Discord. If Discord is still stuck on the connecting screen, try deleting the app from your device and reinstalling it.

    None of your conversations will be lost as long as you use the same account to log in with once you reinstall it.

15. Try the web version of Discord. If all else fails, you may still be able to access Discord via its website which can be used in any web browser. If the web version also doesn’t work, the problem is most definitely to do with Discord itself and you’ll just need to wait for it to come back online.