What is Discord and How to Use it: The Ultimate Guide

What is Discord

Discord is a free voice and text chat app designed for gamers. It is a VOIP platform similar to Skype and others.

It was released in May of 2015 and has been steadily growing in popularity since, especially with the younger generation.

An Intro to Discord

The app is available on both desktop and mobile devices, allowing users to seamlessly transition between platforms while they game or talk with friends on Discord.

Users can communicate with voice and video calls, text messages, public and private chats, screen sharing, etc.

It is a freemium application, meaning that it offers free service with some restrictions on the number of users on the server. However, the limits are removed if the user purchases a subscription, granting them additional features such as animated avatars, larger file upload size, and access to specific servers.

As of 2021, there are over 350 registered users.

Servers

Servers are used to organize Discord communities.

Even though they are called servers front-end, they are called “guilds” in the developer documentation.

Anyone can create a server for free and create multiple types of channels within it.

A paid subscription called “Discord Nitro” is available to unlock additional features.

Channels

Channels are a way to organize discussions about specific topics.

These channels can be used for voice chat, instant messaging, streaming, and file sharing. Channels can also be used for Discord Bots.

User Profiles

Anyone can register to use Discord. All it requires is a valid email and username of your choice.

A static profile picture can also be selected, and subscribers to “Discord Nitro” can use animated profile pictures.

Bots

Bots are an efficient way to manage specific tasks on your servers.

The introduction of bots can help create a more personalized experience. They can welcome new users, remove or ban users, filter out spam, enable & disable certain features, play games with users, etc., saving you time and ensuring smooth operations.

Bots can save you time and energy by running & moderating your server to keep it safe and fun.

Getting Started

Getting started with Discord is really straightforward.

There are three ways to use Discord:

  • Desktop Client – You can download and install the Discord client on your desktop (PC). You can get the Discord client from the Discord site.
  • Browser – Use Discord in the Browser. This can be done from the Discord site as well.
  • Mobile App – There is a mobile app available for both iOS and Android users.
Note: Not all Discord features and options are available on the Discord mobile phone app.

Discord Basics

When starting with Discord, there are always question about certain essential topics. So here is a collection of articles that will take you from a Discord novice to a superuser.

Discord Features

Discord already has a lot of features, Discord already has many features, but the team behind it has constantly been releasing additional features based on users’ feedback. Here you can read about the most frequently asked questions about these features.

Discord Tips & Tricks

Users of all platforms are continuously looking for new tips & tricks to make tasks quicker and easier. Here are some tips for using Discord like a superuser.

Troubleshooting Discord Issues