Fix: Discord Not Connecting

TeamSpeak, Skype, and other similar communication platforms are very reliable, but they lack many of the features that can be found on Discord. Not only is Discord rich with features, but it also excels in its server stability.

However, even Discord is far from perfect. It still has its own issues with lacking certain features and, although it’s very rare, it can occasionally lose its connection.

A common issue is when Discord gets stuck trying to connect after launching the desktop application. The loading screen becomes stuck on connecting and never manages to finish loading.

If you have been encountering this problem, there are some fixes you should try.

Related:Fix: Discord RTC Connecting No Route Error

Fix 1: Check Discord Server Status

In most cases, when you encounter this Discord infinite connecting loop, it is because of an update, maintenance, or server issues. In these cases, there isn’t really anything you can do other than wait.

While waiting, you could check Discord’s official server status website to ensure that the issues are on their end.

We also recommend checking out Discord’s Twitter to see whether maintenance hours have been scheduled and when Discord’s servers might become operational again.

However, if all systems/servers are operational (green), the issue could be on your end instead. To resolve that, let’s take a look at some of the other fixes.

Fix 2: Restart The Application

As we mentioned earlier, Discord updates can cause some issues. The solution might be simpler than you think. Instead of waiting for the app to connect, try restarting it instead.

Right-click the tray icon and click Quit Discord.

Start the app again and see if it connects. This is a long shot, but it might work.

In some cases, if Discord is bugged, you might not be able to close it through the system tray. In that case, try force closing it via Task Manager.

Push the Ctrl+Alt+Delete shortcut on your keyboard and opt for Task Manager.

Alternate shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+Exit.

Find the Discord process and click End Task.

Now, start the application. It should complete its update properly and boot up. If Discord still can’t connect, check out our other fixes.

Fix 3: Restart Your Computer

Restarting the application might not be the category of reset Discord requires. Instead, your best course of action could be restarting your whole system.

This is necessary because there might be multiple Discord processes stuck in the background. It could even be that another program is interfering with Discord. By restarting the system, all those possible conflicts will be terminated.

After you boot up the computer again, check if Discord will connect.

Fix 4: Check Firewall Exclusions

The Windows (Defender) Firewall is a protection software, a firewall that determines which information can come and go through the computer. Specifically, it controls the information sent to and from the internet.

Today, most applications are connected to the internet at all times and constantly transmit and receive various data. This includes Discord. So, if Windows Firewall mistakenly excluded Discord from those rights, you will need to modify it to permit Discord to send and receive data through the internet once again.

Here’s what you will need to do:

1. Open Start Menu and search for Windows Defender Firewall.
2. On the left-side panel, select Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
3. Click Change Settings and scroll through the list to find Discord.
4. Tick the Private and Public checkboxes and then press OK.

If Discord cannot be found on the list, you will need to add it manually.

You can do that by clicking on Allow another app, Browse, and then going to Discord’s installation location.

C:UsersYour UsernameAppDataLocalDiscordapp-1.0.9003             

Select Discord.exe, click Open, Add and then tick the previously mentioned checkboxes.

With that done, try relaunching Discord and check whether it is able to connect. If not, we’ll need to do a bit more modification to Windows Firewall.

1. Open Windows Defender Firewall again, but this time select Advanced Settings in the left panel.
2. Look at the left panel in this new window and open Inbound Rules.
3. Click on New Rule (top-right).
4. From the four options, select Program.
   
5. Now, browse for the Discord.exe (by default, use the path we provided above) and hit Next.
6. Select Allow Connection.
7. Tick the appropriate checkboxes to determine when this inbound rule should apply. Domain, Private or Public, or all of them.
8. Click Next and add a name (Discord) and description if you want to.

Now Discord’s inbound rules are set, and you could try running the desktop application. However, we recommend repeating this same process to add outbound rules too.

Once you’ve also added the outbound rules, try again and see whether Discord will be able to connect to its servers.

Fix 5: Reinstall Discord

We’re again returning to the idea of an update bricking Discord.

If restarting the application didn’t resolve the issue, you might need to try forcing the update by reinstalling Discord.

Do that by opening Apps and Features (search for it in Start Menu), looking for Discord, and then clicking Uninstall.

While uninstalling, download the latest Discord installation from the official website. Once Discord is uninstalled, start the setup file. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes for the installation to be completed.

After that, you can open Discord, enter your login information, and it should connect with no issue.

Fix 6: Scan For Malware

The cause of Discord’s connection issue might be the result of a virus, malware, or other intrusive programs.

These intrusive programs aren’t made specifically to cause trouble with Discord. However, they might be hindering the performance of other apps on your computer without your notice.

That is why we recommend checking for harmful software. The program Malwarebytes is commonly used to find and remove these unwanted programs.

Here’s a quick guide on how to use Malwarebytes:

1. Download Malwarebytes.
2. Start the installation (MBSetup.exe).
3. Select Personal Computer or Work Computer.
4. On the next screen, you can choose Advanced Options to alter the installation path, or you can simply hit Install to install it to its default directory. We recommend going with Advanced Options so you can turn off the suggested addon.
   
   Note: Malwarebytes may or may not require the system to be restarted.
5. Malwarebytes should automatically launch after the installation, so click on Get started. You can skip through all the subscription offers. The first few weeks are free.
6. On the Malwarebytes homepage, click on Scanner (not the Scan button).
   
7. You can select Scan to let it search automatically, or you can select Advanced scanner to specify the location of the scan. Either way, you should scan your Windows directory (C drive) to ensure there isn’t any malware plaguing your system.
8. The scanning time will depend on your system’s specs, the number of drives, drive capacity, and drive fullness. It could take minutes, or it could last several hours. We strongly recommend waiting out the entire scan.
   
9. The summary will tell you whether any threats have been detected. If there is malware on your computer, you will then get to decide what to do with the files. After reviewing them, it’s best to delete them entirely instead of only putting them in quarantine.

That’s all you need to do with Malwarebytes. Your computer should now be free from any viruses or malware. Restart your computer and try to run Discord.

Fix 7: Turn Off Proxy Server

For some people, the six solutions provided above are not enough to fix the problem. Luckily, we discovered this Reddit thread where people have found a working fix: disabling their proxy server for LAN.

Here is how you can do that:

1. Open the Start Menu and search for Internet Options.
2. Here, select the Connections tab.
3. Click on LAN settings.
4. You will need to disable Use a proxy server for your LAN. You could also enable Automatically detect settings.
5. Press OK.
   

That’s all you need to do before you test Discord again.

Fix 8: Change DNS

Most computers set their Public DNS servers automatically. However, not all public DNS servers are equal. Some websites or applications can have trouble working with certain DNS. Discord, for example, works best with Cloudfare’s or Google’s Public DNS.

Here is a list of some of the most popular and fastest public DNS servers:

• Google: Preferred: 8.8.8.8, Alternative: 8.8.4.4

• Cloudflare: Preferred: 1.1.1.1, Alternative: 1.0.0.1

• Quad9: Preferred: 9.9.9.9, Alternative: 149.112.112.112

• OpenDNS: Preferred: 208.67.222.222, Alternative: 208.67.220.220

Modifying your DNS could potentially fix Discord’s connection problem.

Here’s how you can do that:

1. Open the Start Menu, search for and open view Network Connection.
2. Right-click your network adapter (WiFi or Ethernet) and click Properties.
   
3. Under the Networking tab, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) and click Properties.
4. While in the General tab, enable Use the following DNS server addresses.
5. Now add the preferred DNS server and the alternative DNS server. Use any of the DNS servers we listed above.
6. Click OK and close Internet Connections.

With your DNS changed, Discord should now be able to connect.

Contact Discord Support

If none of these solutions work for you, the issue might require professional intervention, specifically help from Discord’s support team.

You can contact support by going to Discord’s support page. Select Help & Support in the dropdown menu. Fill in all of the required fields, add your email address, and describe your issue in detail. Additionally, you can mention all of the fixes you’ve attempted to speed up the process.