Are you looking for an easy guide to change discord background or theme?
The default Discord background is ok to begin with, but soon you wish there was a way to customize it.
You are not alone in finding that Discord does not provide many options to customize the background image, text colors & fonts, menus, etc.
Worry not. This article shows you how to change Discord background or theme to customize Discord to your liking.
Luckily, the Discord community banded together and created alternatives to help achieve any custom appearance you want.
Let’s go over how you can change the background or theme on Discord.
⚡ What to Know ‣ The Discord app only comes with the option for dark or light mode. There are no official Discord backgrounds or themes to customize the appearance. ‣ You'll need BetterDiscord to change the Discord background or apply themes. ‣ Custom themes cannot be used on the Discord mobile app. The only themes available on the Discord app are the light and dark themes.
Can you Change the Discord Background Theme?
Discord only provides basic theme options to choose between a Dark and light theme.
The dark and light theme just changes the color of the Discord application and does not provide any other customization options.
To completely change Discord’s appearance with background pictures, text & menu colors, and layouts, you’ll need to apply custom themes.
Discord does not provide a way to apply these custom themes; therefore, we’ll have to use BetterDiscord.
BetterDiscord is a modded version of Discord that extends the functionality of Discord by providing new features to transform Discord’s appearance and use.
With BetterDiscord, you can choose from hundreds of backgrounds and themes, plugins, custom CSS to change the appearance completely.
To find out more about BetterDiscord, read our BetterDiscord Guide.
How to Change Discord Background Theme
To change the Discord background theme, we’ll have to install BetterDiscord and then install the theme.
The steps mentioned are to apply custom themes and backgrounds to Discord. If you are just looking for the light and dark mode, skip to the next section.
📋 Note: BetterDiscord violates the Discord Terms of Service and could get your account banned. The risk is low if you only use BetterDiscord for themes or only use the most popular plugins. But still, use BetterDiscord at your own risk.
Download and Setup BetterDiscord
To install BetterDiscord, you’ll need admin permissions on your computer so that you can run the installation file.
Step #1: Head over to the BetterDiscord website.
Step #2: Get the latest version by clicking the Download button. This will download the latest version, compatible with windows, to your PC.
If you are using another OS, such as Mac or Linux, then head over to the BetterDiscord Github repo and download the files from there.
Step #3: Click on the downloaded file to begin the installation and follow the prompts. Once the installation completes, the Discord application will restart.
A window will be shown indicating that you have installed BetterDiscord, and now you are ready to use it.
Download Theme
With BetterDicord installed, we can now download a theme.
Step #1: Go to the BetterDiscord Themes Library.
Step #2: You can browse all the available themes and download the one you like.
You can download multiple themes, and all of them can be set up and used from time to time.
Install Theme
Step #1: Click on the Gear icon next to your username in the bottom left corner to bring up the ‘User Settings’.
Step #2: In the left pane, locate the ‘BetterDiscord’ Heading and select the ‘Themes’ option from it.
Step #3: Click on ‘Open Themes Folder’. This will open the local computer folder where the themes have to be installed.
Step #4: Locate the theme you had downloaded and copy it into the themes folder.
Step #5: After copying to the themes folder, you’ll see the theme name appear in Discord. Toggle the switch to enable it.
That’s it. You’ll notice that Discord’s background and appearance have changed as per the theme’s layout.
While the Discord background or theme can be changed, the same cannot be said about fonts.
We do have an article on how to change the font in Discord, but your options are very limited.
If you are handy and know your way around CSS, you can change the Discord background yourself using CSS files.
To set up another Discord background theme, you can download that and follow the same steps. You don’t need to install BetterDiscord again.
How to Change Discord Theme on the Computer (Light and Dark theme)
The steps to change the Discord theme to light and dark mode on a computer are very straightforward.
Step #1: Click on ‘User Settings’ (Gear icon) next to your name in the bottom left corner.
Step #2: Locate and click on ‘Appearance’, under ‘App Settings’, in the left pane.
Step #3: Choose Dark or light mode. There is also an option to ‘Sync with computer’ to let Discord choose the setting based on your computer’s theme.
Most custom themes work with dark mode, so the custom theme is removed if you switch to light mode.
How to Change Discord Theme on Mobile (Light and Dark Theme)
Dark and light themes are also available on the mobile app and can be changed in simple steps.
Step #1: Navigate to the main screen and tap on your avatar in the bottom right corner to bring up the ‘User Settings’.
Step #2: Scroll up and tap on the ‘Appearance’ option. It is present under the ‘App Settings’ heading.
Step #3: Choose between light and dark mode.
The dark mode is more popular, but it is helpful to know that there is a light mode option as well.
These are the only two options available on the Discord mobile app, as custom themes cannot be applied.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you Apply Custom Themes to the Discord Mobile app?
Custom themes cannot be applied to the Discord mobile app. Discord app is built on a completely separate platform from the desktop app.
The only options available on the mobile app are the dark and light themes, also called the light and dark mode.
Is BetterDiscord Allowed?
BetterDiscord is against Discord’s Terms of Service; however, there has been no reported case of anyone getting banned for using it.
There is definitely some risk with using BetterDiscord, but it is extremely low.
Thousands of users use BetterDiscord, so it is safe to use as long as it is for themes and you only download the popular plugins.
Can you Change the Theme of a Discord Server?
Discord themes are applied to the user application; therefore, themes cannot be applied to a server to change its appearance for all.
All servers have the same appearance, but server members can apply custom themes to change the appearance on their computers.
👋 We cover more such tips and tricks in our extensive Discord guide.
Final Words on Changing Discord Background or Theme
You can customize the appearance even further by adding your own CSS theme file to BetterDiscord.
The community created many amazing Discord themes that you can download and start using if you don’t want to mess with CSS files yourself.
We have an article on the best Discord themes to help you quickly find the most popular and downloaded themes.
With BetterDiscord, you can even create custom Discord backgrounds and themes to share them with the community.
Hopefully, you found this article helpful and now can change the Discord background theme as per your liking.
Explore Other Interesting Discord Articles
◉ 170+ Best, Cool, Funny, Cute and Good Discord Status Ideas
