If you spend many hours in Discord But if you've never bothered to explore its menus, you're probably missing out on a lot of features. Discord settings that improve performance, privacy, and convenienceThe app is free, very flexible, and designed primarily for gamers, but it's also perfect for studying, teamwork, or simply creating a community with your colleagues.
In the following lines you will find a very complete guide, explained in Castilian Spanish and in the clearest possible tone, so that you can Configure Discord to your liking: from basic accounts and Nitro, to servers, channels, voice, text, and troubleshooting common problemsThe idea is that you finish this article with your Discord running smoothly, without spam, without strange microphone noises, and with notifications properly configured so you don't go crazy with alerts.
What is Discord and how are servers and channels organized?
The first thing to understand is that on Discord, conversations are organized into Servers, which are like communities or large groups divided into text and voice channelsEach community has its own name, icon, and settings, and within it, channels are created to separate topics or activities.
Those servers can be both Public spaces, designed to bring together many people around a specific game or theme, as well as private spaces for small groups of friends, study, or work.Within each server, you can limit who enters, who writes, who speaks, or who can see certain rooms.
Although Discord was initially focused on the gaming world, today it is also used for online classes, work groups, technology communities, leisure activities, and practically anything that requires real-time voice or chat.The desktop application, mobile app, and web version are free and can be used without paying anything.
From the gear icon next to your username, in the lower left area, you can access the User settings, which are the central panel from which you will control account, privacy, sound, notifications, text and external connectionsIt's key to familiarize yourself with this menu because that's where you really fine-tune the experience.
Payment plans: Discord Nitro and Nitro Basic
Although you can use Discord without problems with the free account, there is also the option to subscribe. Discord Nitro and Nitro Basic to unlock higher upload limits, more customization, and extras for you and your serversIt's not mandatory, but if you spend many hours on the platform it might be worth it.
The main plan is Discord Nitro, which adds file uploads up to 500 MB, custom and animated emojis on any server, unlimited super reactions, and advanced profile customization options.Plus, you get 2 server boosts and a 30% discount on additional boosts, with HD video and better screen sharing options.
If you want something cheaper, there is Nitro Basic, which replaces the old Nitro Classic after Discord's redesign of plans in 2022This plan retains several chat advantages without including direct server improvements, but it allows you to use custom emojis anywhere, 300 exclusive stickers and share files up to 50MB, plus custom video backgrounds and a Nitro user badge.
To switch from the free account to any of these plans, you just need to Go to User Settings, navigate to the Discord Nitro section, choose between Nitro or Nitro Basic, and enter your payment method.If you still have an active Nitro Classic plan, Discord will honor your terms as long as you continue to pay without interruption.
Regarding prices, in Spain Discord Nitro costs around €9,99/month or €99,99/year, while Nitro Basic comes in at around €2,99/month or €29,99/yearThe old Nitro Classic was around €4,99/month, but it is no longer offered to new users.
Initial account setup and connections
Before you start creating servers like there's no tomorrow, you should check out a few. Basic user settings: access, connected social networks, and general notificationsThis greatly influences how you interact with the platform.
After downloading the desktop or mobile app, or accessing it from your browser, create your free account if you don't already have one, and once inside, Click the gear icon next to your name to open all user settingsFrom there you will be able to access the different sections that I mention below.
Link social networks and other accounts
If you participate in servers with people you don't know beforehand, it can be very helpful. Connect your social media and other services to your Discord profile so people know who you are and can follow you.This makes it easier to create a community around a shared username.
In the Settings menu, go to Connections and select the icon of the platform you want to link (Twitter, Facebook, Steam, Xbox, Spotify, etc.)Once the connection is authorized, these accounts will be displayed on your profile and other users will be able to visit your links if you allow it in the visibility settings.
Adjust notifications and overlays in games
A very important part is deciding how and when you want to Discord will notify you of mentions, calls, channel joins, and other notifications.A bad adjustment here can result in a flood of notifications or, conversely, in you missing important things.
From the Notifications menu you can activate or deactivate specific sounds, decide if you want an overlay during games to see who is speaking at all times, and choose the behavior of mentions.Overlay is especially useful if you're playing with new people and want to quickly identify voices.
One detail that many appreciate is disabling the You can choose the Push-to-Talk option as a source of constant sounds, or adjust the alerts to prevent beeps every time someone enters or leaves a channel if you find it annoying.The idea is to keep the noise level reasonable.
Filter spam and unwanted direct messages
On large servers, it's quite common that if you don't filter properly, You start receiving direct messages from spam, bots, or people you don't know at all.Discord includes a specific filter to control this.
Within Settings, enter the section of Content and social, locate the "Direct message spam" section and choose between Filter all, Filter from non-friends or Do not filterThe most balanced approach is usually to filter only those who are not on your friends list, leaving communication open with your contacts.
The option of not filtering anything is the riskiest because It opens the door to a flood of spam messages in your inbox if you're on many public servers.If you value your peace of mind, it's best not to use it except in very specific cases.
Server configuration, roles and channels
Once you have control of your account, it's time to personalize the servers you manage, overall privacy, user roles, and the structure of text and voice channelsThis is where a chaotic server differs from a user-friendly one.
Server privacy and basic roles
If you don't want just anyone to be able to walk in and see everything, you'll be interested in this. Configure the server as "private" using role permissions and the @everyone roleThis determines what each user group sees.
In Server Settings, go to the Roles tab and Remove all permissions for @everyone to limit what anyone who enters without a specific role can do.Then create a new role, for example "members", and activate only the permissions you want to grant to trusted people.
Then, from the Roles/Members tab, Assign the "members" role to those who will have access to the server or certain channelsEach time you invite someone new, you will need to assign them the appropriate role so they can interact normally, type, or connect via voice.
Exclusive channels by role
It's very practical to create Dedicated channels for specific roles, both for moderator meetings and for small groups discussing specific topicsThis way you don't mix everything up and you keep the information organized.
To do this, open the Server Members tab, Choose the user you want to give special access to and use the “+” icon next to their name to assign them the corresponding role.If that role doesn't exist yet, create it first from the Roles section.
When you go to create the new text or voice channel, Mark it as a private channel and select which role or roles can view and participate.These users will be the only ones with access permission, which is great for staff, private meetings, or work groups.
Mute role within the server
Another basic element of moderation is the The mute role, which is used to completely silence a user on the server when they cause problems.It's not the same as silencing him just for yourself: here, his ability to speak or write is cut off wherever you decide.
To create this role, go to Server Settings, then to Roles and Add a new role called, for example, "Muted" or similar, disabling permissions to send messages, speak, react, etc. in the channels where you want it to apply.You can customize it channel by channel to make the blocking total or partial.
When someone crosses the line, Assign the mute role to the user from the member list and they will automatically be limited according to the permissions you have configuredRemoving that role will restore normal permissions, making it a quick and reversible tool.
Voice settings and sound quality
If you only use Discord for writing, fine, but most people join precisely for the Voice channels are important, so properly configuring the microphone, activation mode, and quality of service is key to ensuring your chats aren't a disaster..
Choose microphone activation mode
In section Voice & Video, within the user settings, lets you choose between Voice Activity or Push to Talk as your input modeEach option has its advantages and depends on how you usually use Discord.
With Voice Activity, the microphone It turns on automatically when it detects that you are speaking above a certain volume threshold.You can manually adjust the sensitivity by disabling automatic detection and moving the slider until you achieve a good balance between not cutting off words and not transmitting background noise.
In Push-to-Talk mode, Audio is only transmitted when you hold down the key or combination you have configured.It's a bit slower and might not be a good fit for very fast-paced games, but it's ideal if you have a lot of noise around you or don't want everything that's going on in your room to be heard.
The most common use in normal gaming is Use Voice Activity with the sensitivity properly adjusted, along with noise filters to prevent ambient noise or keyboard sounds from getting in.Take a moment to experiment until you find the sweet spot.
Voice processing and quality of service
In the same Voice & Video section you will find several boxes for Improve the quality of what your microphone captures: echo cancellation, noise suppression, and automatic gain controlIt's worth trying them enabled, especially if you're not using a dedicated microphone.
Echo cancellation and noise suppression They reduce reverberation and background sounds such as fans, clicks, or street noise.The gain control automatically adjusts the input volume so that it is not too loud or too quiet if you move closer to or further away from the microphone.
Below Input Volume you have a slider and an option to Test the microphone, which lets you hear how your voice sounds with the current settings before jumping into the channel with more people.This avoids unpleasant last-minute surprises.
You will also see the option to Enable high quality of service (QoS) to prioritize audio packets on the networkIn some connections, this improves sound stability and clarity, but in others it can cause problems with certain routers. Ideally, you should enable it, test it, and if you notice unusual dropouts, disable it; and if you experience network problems, learn how to reduce jitter to improve the experience.
Advanced noise suppression
If you're going to have your microphone open for the entire game, the Advanced noise suppression is almost mandatory to avoid driving other players crazy with constant background noise.Discord incorporates a system that automatically detects and eliminates many annoying sounds.
While you're on a voice channel, reopen the Voice & Video settings, scroll down to the advanced section, and Activate the Noise Suppression optionWhen you do this, an icon will appear in the calls (several vertical lines) from which you can activate or deactivate this function depending on the channel or situation.
You can choose which calls to use it on, so You can keep suppression active on very noisy public channels and turn it off in quieter conversations or when using a high-quality microphone.Ideally, you should leave it on automatic and observe the result. You can also supplement it with external solutions such as NVIDIA broadcast if you're looking to eliminate noise more aggressively.
Server Boost and audio and video enhancements
If you want to go a step further, you can use the Server Boost (server improvements) to increase audio bitrate, video stream quality, and unlock extra customization on that serverThese boosts are paid and are renewed monthly.
With enough improvements you can Increase the bitrate of voice channels to around 384 Kbps and raise the quality of transmissions to 1080p and 60 fps, something very interesting for internal live streams and streaming gamesPlus, you unlock backgrounds, stickers, and other aesthetic extras.
To purchase them, go to the Server settings (top left, under the server name) and enter Server Upgrade to purchase or manage boostsKeep in mind that, although they help, they don't work miracles if your PC or your connection is very weak.
If you use Discord extensively, you might be interested in this. Invest in decent sound equipment (headphones with microphone, acceptable webcam, etc.) to take full advantage of these improvements without being limited by the hardware.Today there are quite affordable mid-range options and tools for control audio by application that help manage outputs and volumes per app.
Text, image, and appearance settings
In addition to the audio, it's also worth considering how the chat looks, what loads automatically, and what font size you want to read in, especially if You have a somewhat slow internet connection or a very large or very small screen..
Text and images: data saving
In the Text and Images section, you can adjust how Discord handles links and files. If your internet connection is slow or you experience lag while playing, this might be of interest to you. Disable automatic loading of previews and thumbnails to reduce bandwidth consumption.
You can uncheck the options that Previews are automatically displayed when links are pasted or images are uploaded directly to the chat.This way, Discord will only download images and previews when you request it, which helps free up resources while you play.
Change font size and display mode
On the Appearance tab you will find several controls for Customize the interface to your liking: chat font size, light or dark theme, and more compact or more spaced-out message layoutIt's a matter of personal taste and your monitor.
Use the control of Chat Font Scaling to adjust the font size; on 4K screens it's usually very convenient to increase the size slightly to read at a glance without straining your eyesOn less powerful monitors, the default value may be sufficient to view more lines at once.
In the same section you can choose between dark and light modes, and between a more welcoming view, with large avatars and more space, or a compact IRC-style look.For servers with many text channels, compact mode allows for much faster conversation scanning.
Lastly, you have the option to to enable or disable hardware acceleration, which uses the GPU to move the interfaceIf you notice FPS drops in games when you have Discord open, try disabling this option and see if performance improves.
Search, threads, pinned messages, and events
When a server grows, it's not enough to just talk; it needs Organize the information so you don't miss important messages and can quickly find what you need.Discord includes several tools for this.
Use search in text channels
In any text channel you will see, in the upper right corner, the search field that allows you to find messages by keyword, user, date and other filtersIt's the best way to retrieve specific information without manually searching through the entire history.
Type the word or phrase you remember, press Enter and Discord will show you relevant messages from that channel, with the ability to quickly navigate between results.It is very useful for locating instructions, old links, or past discussions.
View channel members and manage roles
From any text channel you can consult the list of users who are part of the server or who are visible in that specific channelIt is usually displayed on the right side, although the presentation changes slightly on mobile devices.
By expanding that list you can Review roles, initiate direct messages, assign roles (if you have permissions), or simply see who is online at that momentThis helps to quickly organize groups or check who can access certain restricted channels.
Set important messages
To avoid getting lost among hundreds of lines, it is advisable Set the key messages on each channel: rules, essential links, server IPs, tournament information, etc.That way everyone knows where to look first.
Click on the message you want to highlight and select “Pin message” is among the options; Discord will ask for confirmation and, upon acceptance, that text will be added to the pinned messages panel of the channel.Anyone with permissions can view them from the corresponding icon.
Create threads to organize discussions
Threads are a very useful feature for A specific topic shouldn't overwhelm the main channel with hundreds of off-topic replies.They allow you to continue talking about a message in a linked subchat.
From a specific message, click on Create thread, Give it a title that describes the topic and decide which users can see it or participate. (depending on the channel settings and roles). From there, the rest of the answers on that topic are concentrated in the thread, keeping the main channel cleaner.
Set up custom notifications
In addition to general notification settings, you can mute specific channels or servers, choose to only be notified when mentioned, or disable sounds for a specific period.This is very useful when you need to concentrate.
When muting a channel or server, You can choose between different durations (15 minutes, 1 hour, until you reactivate it, etc.) and decide if you want to continue receiving notifications of important @mentionsThis way you have granular control over what interrupts you and what doesn't.
Create and manage events
Discord allows you to organize meetups, raids, meetings, or classes using the event function, which can be associated with a voice or text channel and displayed on a calendar visible to members.
From the server's event area, create a new one indicating the type of channel where it will take place, date and time, title, description and, if you want, a cover imageBefore publishing, you can review the preview and, upon confirmation, it will appear for people to sign up or indicate interest.
Personalize your chat with GIFs, emojis, and files
In everyday conversations you can use GIFs, standard or custom emojis, and uploading files to make the chat more expressive and entertainingNitro expands these options even further, but the free version already offers a good selection.
When writing a message you will see icons for Open the GIF library, choose emojis, stickers, or attach documents, images, and video clips.Keeping a close eye on what you can send and the size limits according to your plan saves you from mistakes when sharing content; and if you need to create GIFs, learn how. Convert video to GIF.
Common configuration problems and how to tackle them
Although Discord usually runs quite smoothly, sometimes issues arise. Connection failures, installation errors, endless "Connecting" loops, or "Bad Network Request" messages that cut off communicationMany of these faults can be diagnosed and fixed from home.
Connection errors and Discord "down"
If you see that Discord is stuck in "Connecting" but not progressing, not loading new messages, or not connecting properly to external services like Spotify or Xbox or TwitchThere are several checks worth doing.
The first thing to check is if Discord is experiencing general server issues; check DiscordStatus.com or their official social media channels for details.If there is a global issue, there's little you can do except wait for it to be resolved.
If everything seems to be working fine on your end, check your device: Updating the operating system and restarting the PC or mobile device fixes more errors than you might think.It's also a good idea to check that the internet connection is working properly in other apps.
In Windows 11 you can right-click on the Discord icon, Select “Show more options” and then “Troubleshoot compatibility” to have the wizard check for corrupted files or problematic settings.Additionally, in Settings > System > Troubleshoot, you'll find other wizards dedicated to network connection.
If you use a VPN, try Temporarily disable it because some VPN configurations can block or slow down Discord trafficAnd if the problem is with third-party connections (Spotify, Xbox, Twitch), check in Settings > Connections that the account links are active; if necessary, disconnect and relink.
Problems installing or updating Discord
When Discord resists installing or updating, it's usually because There are processes hanging in the background or corrupted folders that prevent a clean installationThe Task Manager is your best ally here.
Press Windows key + R, type taskmgr and open the Task Manager to close all Discord-related processes using the "End task" option.You may need to repeat this several times if there are multiple open processes.
Once everything is closed, press Windows + R again and type the path to the Discord folders to Manually remove installation remnants from File ExplorerAfter deleting them, download the installer again from the official website and try a clean installation.
“Bad Network Request” error and firewall
Another relatively common mistake is that The server returns a "Bad Network Request" message and stops displaying messages or properly synchronizing the conversation.It is usually linked to problems with the servers or the network route.
The first thing to check is if Discord servers are experiencing issues, which you can verify on social media or on the service's status pages.If everything seems normal, restart your router, wait a minute, and reconnect to see if the routing problem has been resolved.
If it continues to fail, check your firewall or antivirus: it may Discord is blocked in the firewall settings and does not have permission to communicate properly.In the antivirus panel, go to the Firewall tab, open the list of programs, and make sure the Discord box is enabled to allow traffic.
With everything we've seen, from server and role organization to fine-tuning voice, text, notifications, spam filters, events, and troubleshooting, it's clear that Exploring Discord's settings makes all the difference between just another chat and a powerful tool for creating comfortable, organized communities tailored precisely to how you and your group want to play, study, or work..
