Discord is a type of software known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). It is designed for games. Being the popular software, used by over 90 million people all over the world, it provides brilliant features of communication and other cool services. The app allows you to communicate, share and swap messages and exchange screenshots with your friends throughout the whole game time without you having to leave the game in between. Though not all the games have this feature in them, most of them do.
While this software has helped people a lot, they can’t help but feel disappointed when this software stops working. A lot of people have faced this problem where this tool doesn’t launch or it is available but not showing up on the screen. So don’t worry you are not alone. Well, the good news is that this problem can be fixed by following one of the various methods mentioned below:
Solution 1 – Reboot The System
Though it is the most basic thing that one does, the amazing fact is that this simple action has worked a lot of times irrespective of the issue is minor or major.
Close all the opened apps, games or the discord software and shut down your PC. Open it again within a gap of 2 or 3 minutes. See if the issue is fixed or not. If it is then congratulations but if not then don’t worry, try the next method.
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Solution 2 – Check If The Option Is Enabled
A hitch that a lot of games face is that they haven’t enabled this feature. So the very first thing you need to do is check whether this option is enabled or not. To do so:
Step 1: Open the Discord app. You can do it either by using the shortcut on the desktop or by browsing the start icon and the starting the discord app.
Step 2: While the discord windows are displayed on the screen, click on the user settings option available on the bottom left side of the desktop screen.
Step 3: From the left navigation pane, choose the Overlay option and ensure that the ‘ENABLE IN-GAME OVERLAY’ option is selected.
Step 4: After saving the settings, reopen the game. Try running it to know if the issue is fixed or not. If not then, try another method.
Solution 3 – Enable Or Change The Hotkey
A hotkey is a key or a combination of keys which helps in providing quick access to a particular function within a computer program. Now that we know what a hotkey means then it is possible that one of the reasons of Discord overlay not working might be that the overlay that enables hotkey has not been ordained or maybe clashing with some other hotkey.
Step 1: Select the start menu and open the Discord app. If you are unable to find it, then open the C Drive, Program files and then find the file.
SEPT 2: On the bottom left side of the screen and right side of your username, you’ll find ‘user settings’ option. Click on it.
Step 3: Further, go to the overlay submenu. The hotkey option is found just alongside the enable in-game overlay option in the rolled out pane.
Step 4: Save the settings and then reopen the game to see whether the assigned hotkey works to fix this issue or not. If not then don’t be disheartened, we have other methods as well.
Solution 4 – Change The Overlay Position
One of the things that might go wrong can be the position of your overlay. To reset overlay to default:
Step 1: Double click the icon on the desktop or click the start menu or open the App folder in system drive’s programs files folder to open the Discord app.
Step 2: Now press and hold the keys Ctrl + Shift + I while being in the Discord app. This will open another window alongside the Discord app i.e. a Javascript Console.
Step 3: In this window i.e. the javascript console, click on the >> icon available on the top right corner of the window. In the dropdown list, select Application.
Step 4: Extend the option of ‘Local Storage’ either by double-clicking the option from left pane or clicking the arrow beside the option.
Step 5: On the right half of the window there appears a list. Look for the overlay store option or something of that sort. Select the option and delete it by pressing the delete key.
Step 6: Further, close all the apps as well as the game. Reboot them and the overlay should set to default.
If this still doesn’t work, then try the next method.
Solution 5 – Run The Discord App As An Administrator
Another issue that can be the reason for overlay not working properly may be that the Discord app and the game playing might not be running as an administrator.
Step 1: Click the Discord app icon or the start menu to open the context menu or you can find the app in C Drive.
Step 2: Click on the ‘Run as Administrator’ option in the context menu. Check the box next to it and click yes.
Step 3: The system can make the app run every time by changing the properties by going to the properties section. You can do so by right-clicking on the discord icon which will further open the context menu wherein you can find properties section. In the displayed window, under the Compatibility tab, check the box for ‘Run this program as an administrator’ option. Then apply and close the window.
Step 4: Now reopen the discord app and the game and then also open the hotkey while playing the game to check whether this method worked or not.
Solution 6 – Check If Firewall Or Antivirus Is Blocking The Overlay
An issue that causes this inconvenience is that many anti-viruses and firewalls consider this app as harmful and they deny to grant it access and privileges or they just kill the process every time the user tries. If you think that this is the issue then open your antivirus or firewall settings and look for anything related to Discord app in blocked apps or services list. If you find anything unblock it and then add it to the ‘exceptions’. Or you can also try disabling the antivirus program and firewall temporarily and checking whether the issue is solved or not.
Solution 7 – Reinstall Or Update The Discord App
If you have reached this far and still the issue isn’t resolved then the last option left is uninstalling and then reinstalling the Discord Overlay Software which is yet another common solution, along with restarting your PC. While reinstalling make sure to download the latest version of the software.
Step 1: Look for the control panel on your PC. Open it and navigate to apps and features. Select it.
Step 2: Check the installed apps’ list and find Discord. Click on it after which the uninstall option will appear. Further, click on it and complete the uninstallation process.
Step 3: Then go to C drive and look for the Discord app folder. Delete it permanently. Permanently deleting it will help delete all the leftover files and settings so that there can be a clean install the next time.
Step 4: Now browse the official Discord site on Google or Bing or any other search engine. Download the latest version of a verified installer which will be suitable for your PC.
Step 5: Then reboot your system and install the Discord.
Step 6: After the installation finishes, reboot the whole system once again, open discord and check whether the overlay option is enabled or not.
Step 7: Check the hotkey for enabling the in-game overlay.
Step 8: Now, start the game and hotkey as well. Use it while playing the game and see whether you can get an overlay or not.
Step 9: Also, turn off any antivirus or firewall programs before installing a copy of any software that requires special permissions.
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Conclusion
Hope one of the above-mentioned methods of solution solved your problem of Discord Overlay not working. We understand how frustrating it gets when you are unable to talk to your friends while gaming. The solutions mentioned above are a way to help you people with providing a trouble-free gaming service. Till then, Happy Gaming!