How to Use Discord on an Android Phone - Melia2323/discord-guide GitHub Wiki
Table of Contents
What is Discord?
Discord is an app where you can create or join a community and talk with the other members via text, voice, and videos.
Servers
Discord communities are called servers. Inside each server, there are multiple text and audio channels. Think of the server as a building, and the channels as public rooms inside the building.
Channels
Channels are the places where conversations happen.
The name of the channel indicates the topic of the conversation. If you enter a channel with the name # pets, the content should be about pets. There are several types of channels, but the two you are most likely to use are text and audio.
Text channels have a hashtag in front of the channel name.
The conversation in a text channel is text-based, but may include:
- links to external websites or videos
- photos
- screenshots
Audio channels have a speaker in front of the channel name.
The conversation in an audio channel is voice and/or video based and may include:
- voice chat
- live screen share
- video conference
When an audio channel is in use, you will see the profile pictures of other members currently in the channel.
Communicating with Others
How do I Chat in a Text Channel?
-
Touch the name of the channel.
-
Touch the message text box, then type your message.
-
Touch the Send button. It looks like a right-pointing arrow.
Your message will appear above the message text box. You have joined the conversation.
How do I Chat in an Audio Channel?
Voice Chat
-
Touch the name of the audio channel where you want to join the conversation.
-
A pop-up window will appear. Touch the Join Voice button.
- A second pop-up window may appear asking whether you will allow Discord to record audio. To set the permissions, touch the appropriate choice:
- While using the app
- Only this time
- Deny
How Do I Exit Voice Chat?
- Touch the Disconnect button.
Video Chat
-
Touch the name of the audio channel where you want to join the conversation.
-
A pop-up window will appear. Touch the video button. It looks like a video camera.
- A second pop-up window may appear asking whether you will allow Discord to take pictures and record video. To set the permissions, touch the appropriate choice:
- While using the app
- Only this time
- Deny
- A third pop-up window may appear asking whether you will allow Discord to record audio. To set the permissions, touch the appropriate choice:
- While using the app
- Only this time
- Deny
How Do I Exit a Video Chat?
- Touch the Disconnect button.
Note: If the Disconnect button is not visible, you may need to touch your screen to make the context bar appear, then touch the Disconnect button.
Direct Messages
Direct messages are direct, private conversations with other members. If you think of the server as a building and channels like public rooms inside the building, a direct message creates a closed, invitation-only space. Think of it like an office.
When you send a direct message to another member:
- Discord will create a room for the conversation in the Home server.
- Each conversation will appear under the Direct Messages list, along with the profile picture and username of the member with whom you are having the conversation.
Send a Direct Message to an Individual Member
-
Long press on a member's profile picture.
-
Touch Message.
Send a Direct Message to a Group
To send a direct message to multiple members:
-
Touch the Home server.
-
Touch the Invite friends to message. It looks like a chat bubble with a plus sign in the upper-right corner.
-
Select the members you want to include in the conversation. You can select up to 9 members.
-
Touch the Send button.
Instead of a single profile picture and username, a Group Direct Message conversation displays:
- a generic profile picture indicating multiple members
- a room/conversation name instead of a username
- the number of participants in the room/conversation
How Do I Reply to a Message?
-
Long press the other member's message. A context menu will appear.
-
Touch Reply.
-
Touch the message text box, then type your message.
-
Touch the Send button.
Your reply will appear with a link to the original message.
Note: If you touch the link, it will take you to the original message.
How Do I Delete a Message?
-
Long press the message you want to delete. A context menu will appear.
-
Touch Delete.
-
A deletion confirmation window will appear. Touch the red Delete button.
Your message will be removed from the chat.
Note: Depending on permission settings, you may only be able to delete your own messages. However, other members (such as moderators and administrators) may have permissions that allow them to delete messages posted by other members.
How Do I Add an Emoji to Another Member's Message?
To add an emoji to another member's message:
-
Long press the other member's message. A context menu will appear.
-
Select an emoji. If the emoji you want is not displayed, touch the Emoji button. It looks like a smiley face with a plus sign in the upper right corner.
- A pop-up menu will appear. Touch the desired emoji.
What is a Ping?
A ping is a message to another member meant to draw their attention to a specific conversation or item.
How Do I Ping Someone?
-
Type the @ symbol in the message text box. A list of available members will appear over the message text box.
-
Begin typing the username of the member you want to ping. Continue to type the username until the desired name and profile picture appear over the message text box.
-
Touch the desired name.
-
Type the rest of your message (if any), then touch the Send button.
Note: Depending on permission settings, you may be able to send a ping to an entire group, such as @Moderators or @Administrators. If the option to ping an entire group is available, the group name will appear in the list of member usernames.
Discord will:
- notify the pinged member that they have new mentions
- place a red number next to the channel containing the ping
- highlight the ping in yellow
Note: Depending on the member's notification settings, they may receive an audio notification on their phone.
Sharing Media
How Do I Upload a Picture?
Prerequisite: You must have a picture or file you want to upload. The file should be saved in an easy to find location on your phone.
- Touch the plus sign icon to the left of the message text box.
- Navigate to the file you want to upload.
- Touch the file, then touch the Send button.
How Do I Share a Link to a Website?
- Navigate to the website.
- Copy the URL from the location bar.
Example: https://www.youtube.com/ - Paste the URL into the text message box, then touch Send.
Your link will be posted in the channel.
Note: If you want to add a description or a comment to your link, create a separate message above or below the link. You must post the link and the comment quickly to keep the two items next to one another.
What is a Pin and How Do I Pin Things?
A pin "pins" messages to the top of a channel, making the information easy to find. Think of it like a sticky note.
To Look at Pinned Messages
If you want to look at the pinned messages in a channel:
-
Touch the name of the channel where you want to check the pins.
-
Swipe left.
-
Touch the Pins button. It looks like a thumb tack or pin.
- If there are multiple pinned messages, swipe down to navigate through them.
Pin a Message
To pin a message:
Prerequisite: Create and post the message to the channel.
- Long press the message you want to pin. A context menu will appear.
- Select Pin from the context menu.
- A pop-up window will ask if you are sure you want to pin the message. To confirm, touch the Pin button.
Note: If you need to pin an item but the pin option is unavailable, ask for help. Some members (such as moderators and administrators) may have permissions that allow them to pin messages in channels where the pin option is unavailable to others. See: Direct Message a Moderator.
Example: If you are part of a book club that meets in a Discord channel, it may be helpful to pin information like the date and time the book club meets, or a link to the current book the book club is reading.
To Unpin a Message
To unpin a message:
- Navigate to the pinned message in Pins. See To Look at Pinned Messages.
- Long press the pinned message. A context menu will appear.
- From the context menu, select Unpin.
- A pop-up window will ask if you are sure you want to remove the pinned message. To confirm, touch the Unpin button.
General Use
How Do I Turn Off Notifications?
When you choose to join a Discord community, there can be a significant amount of conversation and notifications, including messages that push to your phone and audio pings. If the conversation is too "loud" you can always adjust your notification settings.
- Long press on the server.
- Select Notifications from the context menu.
- The Notification Settings screen will allow you to adjust your notification settings, including options for:
- mute the server entirely for a specified length of time, or until you turn notifications back on
- select if you want to be notified for
- all messages
- only pings specific to you (@YourMemberName)
- nothing
- suppress server or channel-wide messages directed to @everyone and @here
- disable mobile push notifications
How do I Add a Friend?
- Long press a member's profile picture.
- Select Add Friend from the context menu.
Discord will send a message to the member notifying the member of your request. The other member must accept your friend request before their username and profile picture will appear under Friends.
When You Need Help
Need Help with Using Discord Features?
If you are not finding the information you need on this wiki, other Discord help resources are:
| Resource | How to Access |
|---|---|
| Discord Help | Use an internet browser to search for Discord Support. |
| Melia2323 | Contact Melia2323 and request an item be added to this wiki. |
Need a Moderator?
Whenever you have a large group of people in one place, you will also have misunderstandings and conflict. Moderators can settle disputes, delete messages, and discipline or ban members displaying bad behavior. If you need assistance, there are several ways to contact a Moderator.
Ping a Moderator
See: How Do I Ping Someone?.
If you ping a moderator, there is no need to describe the context or location. Discord will notify the moderator what channel the ping is in.
Note: The ping is text and will be visible to other members. This is not a way to privately contact a Moderator.
Example: If you notice someone selling knock-off sunglasses in a channel named #pets, you can add a new post and include a ping. If the message is older and further back in the conversation, you can reply to the original message and include a ping in your reply.
Direct Message a Moderator
If you want to contact a Moderator in a way that is not visible to other members, send a direct message.
See: Send a Direct Message to an Individual Member.
If you notice someone selling knock-off sunglasses in a channel named #pets, you can send a direct message to a Moderator with information about the channel, the other member, and the context. Example: "Can you please come to #pets and look at the messages from SellingSunglassesCheap?"
Note: Take a screenshot of the message if you can and include it in your direct message to the Moderator. See: How Do I Upload a Picture?. It can be difficult for a moderator to take appropriate action if the member deletes their message and there is no record of bad behavior or breaking the rules.