Fix: Discord Stuck On Checking For Updates [2024 ]

While Discord might be your favorite platform to build a community, talk with friends or even hold business meetings, it’s not always perfect.

And, in the moments when you need Discord to be flawless, it can start causing trouble which can be extremely annoying.

One of the worst problems you might face is when Discord is stuck checking for updates. Is Discord constantly updating, or is this just an error?

Well, typically, it is a mistake, and for that reason, we provide you this guide with various solutions.

Let’s look at the potential fixes!

Table of ContentsShow

Fix 1: Restart Discord

Before we look at all the various possibilities and solutions for this issue, it’s best that you first try to restart Discord.

So, if Discord is stuck checking for updates, just open the Windows tray menu, right-click the Discord icon and click Quit Discord.

If you can’t see the icon in the tray menu, you must close the app through Task Manager. To do that, use the Ctrl+Shift+Esc shortcut on your keyboard. Open the Processes tab, sort by name, and look for Discord. Select it and click End Task.

Alternative Fix 1.1: Run The Discord Browser App

To determine if this issue is not related to the Discord desktop application, you can head to Discord and see if you can log in there.

Also, if it works, you can use this as an alternative until you fix the desktop app!

Fix 2: Check If Discord Servers Are Up

If restarting the Discord application did not get you out of that updating loop, likely, the issue is not on your end. Instead, it might be that Discord’s servers are down.

Fortunately, you can quickly check this at DiscordStatus. First, open the website to check the status of Discord’s servers.

Ensure to extend the Third-party list to verify if CloudFlare is connected. If all is good and functional, you should attempt alternative solutions for addressing the issue of Discord being stuck while checking updates.

Fix 3: Run The Discord App As Administrator

This might seem like too basic of a solution, but it could be the solution to your problem. It’s possible that the application does not have permission to download/update the required files.

It’s easy to do, so it is definitely worth a try. Here’s what you can do (make sure it’s closed beforehand):

Open the Start Menu and type Discord.
Right-click Discord and select Run as Administrator.

Once Discord is running with administrative rights, it should update without any issues.

If not, you will need to try something else.

Fix 4: Restart Computer

Another pretty universal fix, but again, worth a try since it is easy to do. It’s possible there isn’t proper communication between the app and the operating system, so a restart could resolve that.

Once you’ve restarted your computer, try rerunning the app.

Fix 5: Delete Discord Cache

Cache is a file that the computer saves to access programs faster. Like every other program, Discord has a cache folder, and a specific file in this folder could be why it is not updating correctly.

You will need to delete all of the temporary files to resolve that issue. Don’t worry; this is safe and won’t harm the app or computer. Even if it breaks Discord, you can always reinstall it.

Here’s what you will need to do:

Press Windows key + R on your keyboard or open the Start Menu and type Run.
In the Run program, type %appdata%.
This should automatically open the C:Users[Your Username]AppDataRoaming folder. If it doesn’t work, go to this directory manually.
While in AppDataRoaming, open the discord folder.
In this folder, open the Cache folder.
Select all files by pressing Ctrl + A and then pressing Delete (or Shift + Delete).
Note: Make sure the Discord process is not running in the background!

With the Cache folder cleared, rerun Discord (as administrator preferably), and it should update accordingly.

Fix 6: Connect To A Different Network

Based on the experience of a couple of Discord users online, the cause for this issue can be related to your internet.

To ensure that your network isn’t causing these issues, consider connecting to a different network. You can either connect to another WiFi around your home, or you could run a WiFi hotspot from your phone and use mobile data.

Here’s how you can start a WiFi hotspot on your Android phone:

Open Quick Settings (draw from top to bottom).
Look for Mobile Hotspot and enable it.
If you do not have Mobile Hotspot in your Quick Settings, here’s the alternative:

Go to Settings – Connections – Mobile Hotspot and Tethering – Mobile Hotspot. This is also where you can set the WiFi name and password.

In case your computer does not support WiFi, in this same settings directory, you can use Bluetooth Tethering or USB Tethering.

Here’s how you can enable WiFi Hotspot on your iPhone:

Open Settings – Cellular – Personal Hotspot. Here you can enable the feature and set your password too.

Once you’ve connected to a different network on your computer, try to force Discord to update itself. After that, you can go back to your network and continue using the app as normal.

Fix 7: Restart Your Router

You tried restarting the application, deleting the app’s cache files, and even restarting your router, but nothing worked.

If Discord works when you are connected to a different network, you should try restarting your router. That could be the cause of your issues.

There are a couple of ways you can do that:

Unplug the router’s power and plug it back in after a few minutes.
Login to your router through your web browser. You can do that by typing your IP address in the address bar.
Press the small “reset” button that can be found on all routers. Keep in mind that this will remove all data on the router, resetting the WiFi password, name, and other information.

When that does not work, it might be a good idea to call your ISP. Either they have to fix an issue on their end, or they could assign you a different IP.

Fix 8: Use A VPN

On the condition that your ISP is incapable or unwilling to help, it’s better to find a temporary solution. A VPN may resolve your issues.

Don’t worry; you don’t have to subscribe to any VPN plan, as there are tons of VPNs out there that offer a free trial at least. To make sure that a VPN can actually help with Discord constantly updating, consider one of these VPNs with free trials:

You can rely on the free trial versions of these VPNs until your issue is fixed. Or, you could subscribe to one of their plans as a long-term solution.

Fix 9: Reinstall Discord

It might seem like we are starting to grasp at straws by now, but uninstalling Discord is another easy fix you can try. If this doesn’t work, you may have to look for some official support. Until then, try this:

Open Start Menu.
Type Discord and right-click the icon.
Click Uninstall.
This will open Programs and Features, where you will have to search for Discord again. Select it and click Uninstall again.
Now head over to Discord’s website and download the app.
Run the setup file and wait for it to finish.

Once it is finished, run the application as an administrator and see if it manages to update and connect.

Alternative Fix 9.1: Install Better Discord

BetterDiscord is a community-made enhancement project for Discord that adds many features, customization freedom, and, most importantly, fixes specific errors.

Remember that this project violates Discord ToS. However, there is no proof of accounts facing any consequences or being prohibited for utilizing this altered application.

To install it, just download it from the website, run the setup and follow the installation steps.

Once installed, run Discord, and you should see a BetterDiscord changelog pop-up (if it fixes the update issue.)