What Is Discord App
For starters, Discord is like any other chat app, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, etc., but with extra features. If you have ever used Slack, you’ll feel right at home for Discord is kind of similar to it. You can direct message people, voice and video chat, and even share the screen in Discord. It’s a cross-platform app available for free. You can use it on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, web, and even Linux. Discord was initially made for gamers who play multi-player games to voice chat in real-time. But, it’s now used for general communication as well. Many influencers and brands have their own Discord servers, which leads us to our next question.
What Are Discord Servers, Channels, and Categories
The servers are what make Discord interesting (and confusing at first). It’s easy to confuse a Discord server with something you’d have to host yourself, but that’s not the case. Servers are simply groups or workspaces (as you have in Slack). You can be part of more than one Discord server. Each server has smaller groups in it known as channels. There are two types of channels in Discord ⏤ text and voice. Text channels are identified by the hash (#) symbol whereas voice channels have a speaker icon. A text channel is like a regular group chat where you can send text messages, GIFs, stickers, share photos, etc. A voice channel is an ongoing audio chat or drop-in room. As soon as you enter a voice channel, you can listen to conversations or talk. It’s similar to Clubhouse or Facebook Rooms where you can join or leave at your own will without having to call people. Lastly, similar channels are grouped in folders known as Categories.
How to Set Up Discord Account
Install the app on the required device and create an account using your email or phone number. You will be asked to enter a username while creating the account. A Discord username is made of two parts: a username followed by # and a four-digit number, like mehvish#1224. The first part of the ID i.e., username doesn’t have to be unique. However, the four-digit number is suggested by Discord and that’s what makes the entire username unique. The first part can be edited anytime under My account but you would need Discord Nitro (more on that later) to edit the number tag.
How to Navigate Discord Interface
After you set up an account, you will be taken to the main screen of the app. Here’s where many people just delete the app because the user interface gets intimidating. But, be patient and you will be a pro by the end. You will be greeted by the Direct Messages screen with circles on the left side. These circles represent the Discord servers. Since you aren’t part of any server right now, you will be seeing three icons: the Direct messages tab, a circle with a plus icon, and a hub icon. After you join a server, their profile pictures will appear in this sidebar. At the bottom, you will find the following tabs: Discord icon: The first icon on the left includes servers and Direct messages. Tap this icon when you want to go to a server or direct message someone. Person: This is the Friends tab where you can check friend requests, friend suggestions, add friends, and view your friend list. Search: This tab lets you find and jump to chats, channels, or servers quickly. Mentions: This is the notification tab where you will be notified when someone mentions you. Settings: The last icon on the right side takes you to user settings where you can change profile settings, account settings, log out, and do similar things.
How to Add Friends and Check Friend Requests on Discord Mobile
To add friends, you should know their complete username. Once you have that, tap on the Friends tab at the bottom of the Discord app. Press the Add friend icon at the top. You will find the friend requests on this screen. Enter the username of the person in the available field and press the Send Friend request button. Once the person accepts the request, you will be able to chat with them.
How to Start a Private Text, Voice, Video Chat With Friend
Once you add friends to Discord, tap on the name in the Friends tab with whom you want to chat. You will see three buttons: Message, Call, and Video. Tap on the required button. Alternatively, once you start chatting with a person, you will find their name under the Direct Messages section on the first screen. Tap on their name to view the chat thread. And, tap on the Video or Voice call icons at the top to call them. Once you initiate a video call, you can share the screen by tapping on the Share screen button. Just like regular chat apps, you will find the messaging field at the bottom with the ability to add emojis, GIFs, stickers, or send files using the add (+) icon.
How to Change Discord Online Status
By default, Discord will show your friends a green dot when you are online. You can check your online or active status by the icons that show on the Settings tab at the bottom. To change your status, tap on the Settings icon and go to Set status. Choose the preferred status. If you don’t want others to see that you are online, use the Invisible status option.
How to Join a Server
To join a server, you would need an invitation link for the server. Ask the server admin or your friend to send you the server link. Once you have the link, tap on the add (+) icon in the left sidebar. You will be taken to the Create server screen. Tap on the Join server or Join a friend on Discord button at the bottom. Then, paste the invite link in the text field. Alternatively, simply tap on the Discord server link when you receive it and it will open in Discord. Tap on Accept invite to join the server. You will be taken to the server where you will find various text and voice channels grouped under categories. Tap on a channel to open it. Just like Telegram channels or groups, you will see the old messages in a Discord channel as well after you join a server.
How to Find and Browse Servers on Discord Mobile
If you don’t have an invitation link to any server, you can join public or random servers. The Discord desktop app lets you browse and explore public servers. However, the same functionality is currently missing in mobile apps. But you can find public servers on third-party websites such as Disboard, top.gg, Discord.me, and DiscordServers.com. Search for a server that you would be interested in joining and click on it to view its description and details. Tap on the Join button.
How to Create a Discord Server
Apart from joining servers, you can even create your own server for free. Tap on the + (Add) icon in the left sidebar and follow the on-screen instructions to create a server. Check our detailed guide on how to create and configure a server on mobile.
How to Screen Share in a Channel
Apart from direct messages, you can screen share in Voice channels. Open the voice channel where you want to stream. Please note that you need to have the necessary rights to share the screen if it’s not your own server. Tap on Join Voice to join the channel. Inside the Voice channel, tap on the Screen share icon.
1. What Are Bots
Once you set up a popular server, you can add bots to your server. These help moderate servers and integrate with services. For instance, you can watch YouTube with friends on Discord, use bots to send timed messages, delete messages based on parameters, stream songs, post tweets, etc.
2. What Is Discord Nitro
Discord is free to use for most of the services. But if you want to get extra features like bigger file uploads of up to 100MB, higher-quality emojis, HD video streaming, and more, Discord offers a premium plan known as Discord Nitro. Check out 7 ways to get Discord Nitro for free.
Make the Best of Discord
Discord is a pretty interesting tool once you understand how to use it. I hope this tutorial helped you. In case Discord doesn’t work properly on your device, find out the best ways to fix Discord keeps crashing. Also, check the best bots for your server.
