Apps on Discord add functionality, entertainment, and productivity tools to your servers, direct messages (DMs), group chats, and voice calls. Learn more about what apps are here.
You can interact with an app in a multitude of ways. If you have an app installed to your account or it’s added to your server, you can access its commands by using the App Launcher, typing slash commands, or by right-clicking on a user or message and selecting Apps.
There are many ways to interact with apps on Discord. Some apps come with commands, which you can use to have the app perform specific functions directly in the chat, like moderate the chat, edit an image, provide user support, or manage tasks. Others offer Activities, which are interactive experiences—such as games, quizzes, or collaborative tools like whiteboards—that open in a window within Discord and can be used in real-time with friends in text chats or voice calls. While they are accessible from within Discord, using an Activity is like being on a website outside of Discord. Apps can even have both commands and Activities, giving you multiple ways to engage.
What this article covers:
- Where You Can Use Apps on Discord
- Editing Images in Chat
- Joining and Inviting Others to Join Activities
- Ending and Changing Activities
- My mobile device gets really warm while playing Activities. How do I fix it?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Where You Can Use Apps on Discord
Apps on Discord can be added to servers by server admins or installed by users to their own accounts.
1. Apps added to servers: Users need to be the server owner or have the Manage Server permission enabled in order to add an app to that server. It is then available by default to all users in that server. It can also ask for permissions to do things in a server like a user, such as making channels, deleting messages, or editing roles. An App added to a server will appear as a member in that server.
2. Apps added to your account: When you add an app to your account, that app is then available for you to use in all your servers, DMs, and GDMs. When you use it, other users in the space may also be able to interact with it.
Learn more about adding apps in our support article here.
Launching Apps From the Chat Bar
Desktop/Browser
To launch an app on desktop or browser, simply select the App Launcher button [] to the right of the chat bar in Discord.
Once the App Launcher is open, choose the app that you would like to launch.
If the app has commands, you will be prompted to select commands to launch the app in chat.
If the app has an Activity, you can launch it in the chat by selecting the Launch button.
Mobile
To launch an app on mobile, simply tap the App Launcher button [] to the left of the chat bar, then select the app you want to use.
It then provides an interface for selecting commands for the app without having to type them out.
Typing “/”
To use an app’s slash commands via the chat bar, simply type “/” in chat to bring up the command picker and select the command you would like to use for that app. You can also type the entire “/ (command)” within the text box to initiate the command.
For more information on slash commands, check out this article.
Launching Apps in Voice Calls
You can launch apps that have Activities in any voice call on Discord. Here’s how:
1. Navigate to your intended server and join a voice channel, or start a voice call in a direct message (DM) or group chat.
2. To start an app, all you need to do is press on the App Launcher button [] at the bottom of the call
The App Launcher appears on the bottom left-hand side, or the one that appears when in focused view, while in a voice channel.
3. Select the App you want to launch from the App Launcher menu. You can also search for an App that you want to use if you don’t see it. You will need to provide authorization if you’ve never used your chosen App before.
4. (Optional) Have your friends join the Activity. To play, they need to be in the same voice channel as you and join the Activity you started. Each person joining the game will need to provide authorization if they’ve never played the chosen Activity before.
User and Message Commands
You can also interact with an app by right-clicking on a user or message and bringing up the dropdown menu. Additional commands can be found under the Apps sub-menu.
Note: Every app is different. To learn how each app functions, check out the app’s profile or the App Directory page for the app.
Editing Images in Chat
Note: The ability to edit images in Discord chat using apps is slowly rolling out to users and currently available only on the desktop and browser.
Discord makes it easy to enhance and interact with images in chat using various apps. Here's how you can modify images directly within your conversations:
1. Find the App Launcher on the image: When viewing an image in chat, locate the App Launcher button [] in the upper-right corner of the image.
2. Select your desired app command: Select the App Launcher button [] to see a list of commands for apps that can modify or interact with the image.
3. Authorize the app: Complete the prompts and select Authorize to confirm you would like to add the app to your account.
4. Follow the prompts: After selecting an app, complete any additional steps. Once finished, the app will process your changes, and the edited image will appear as a new message in the chat.
Edited images do not replace the original in chat. Instead, the modified image appears as a new message, while the original remains intact. With these easy-to-use apps, you can creatively modify images and make your chats even more engaging!
Joining and Inviting Others to Join Activities
Of course! There are a few ways you can invite others to join your Activity.
Once you’ve started an Activity in a voice channel, in the desktop/browser Discord client you can right-click on the voice channel in the channel list and select Invite to Join. You can copy the invite link and send that through a DM or in a text channel or text chat to invite others to the Activity.
Fellow server members can also simply join a voice channel with an ongoing Activity and press or tap the Join Activity button on the Activity tile in the focused voice channel view
Desktop/Browser Client
Mobile Client
If you have “Display current activity as a status message” toggled on in your user settings, then friends who can join your current Voice Channel can also join your Activity by viewing your status or your profile.
Desktop/Browser Client
Mobile Client
For Activities happening in text, there will be a message sent in chat to notify the channel that the Activity has started. You can join the Activity by clicking the Join button on the message.
Ending and Changing Activities
To leave an Activity, select the Activity exit icon in the Voice Channel controls. Leaving the Voice Channel will also do the trick!
Desktop/Browser Client
Mobile Client
If you want to switch to another Activity, you can just select another Activity by pressing the App Launcher icon. Joining a new Activity will automatically remove you from the old Activity, so you can do this while you’re still in an Activity.
Desktop/Browser Client
Mobile Client
My mobile device gets really warm while playing Activities. How do I fix it?
If your mobile device becomes warm to the touch while you’re playing an Activity, we recommend that you try the following:
- If you have our picture-in-picture feature (the ability to see a small window of a voice call while you look at other things in the Discord app) engaged while playing an Activity, please minimize/close the picture-in-picture feature and keep the Activity in focus.
The picture-in-picture view example to minimize
- If you have your Video enabled while playing an Activity, please disable your mobile device camera by pressing on the Video camera icon and keep the Activity in focus.
- If you have any apps opened in the background, please close out those apps.
Still experiencing issues? Please reach out to our Support team here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who should I reach out to if I am experiencing issues with the app?
A: Apps are created and operated by their developers. If you are experiencing issues with an app, please head over to the app's support server or otherwise contact their developer. Learn more about third-party services here.
If you believe an app is violating Discord's policies, you can also report it to us here.
Also, if you are experiencing issues with the app, please reach out to the app’s support team by heading over to their app’s support server. Most support servers can be found within the app’s Overview section within the App Directory.
Q: Where can I use Apps?
A: Apps that are added directly to a server can be used within that server if the server’s permissions are set up to allow members to use that app. Apps that are added directly to a user’s account can be used in any server and DMs/group chats that the user is in.
Q: Which apps can I use to modify images sent in chat?
A: Currently, there are several apps for image modification within your conversations. More apps may become available in the future. You can also search for other apps in the App Launcher and App Directory.
Q: Can I play in my preferred language?
While most apps are currently only available in English, many apps are available in other languages. Localization is app-dependent. Reach out to the app’s developer for more information.
Q: Can I use voice chat while playing an Activity in text?
Yes, you can do this by joining a voice channel while playing the Activity in a text channel.
Q: Can I restrict access to Activities in my server?
Admins can revoke the ability to use Activities in their server through the Use Activities permission. This can be done by role, channel, or channel category. This permission is granted to everyone by default. When it is revoked, users in the selected role, channel, or category will lose the ability to start new Activities or join existing ones. User role permissions can be found under Server Settings > Roles > Permissions > Voice Channel Permissions > Use Activities. Channel and channel category permissions can be found by right-clicking the channel or the category. Then go to Edit > Permissions > Voice Channel Permissions > Use Activities.
Q: What data can an app access about me or my server or DM, or the people in it?
A: Apps you’ve added to your account can access your information that you've authorized. These apps are not able to access information about your server or DMs. They also do not have permissions to take action in your server or DMs, other than responding to your interactions. Additionally, user installed apps are not able to get information about members of your servers or DMs that have not used the app. If a user does choose to interact with the app (e.g., through buttons and select menus), then the app can access their basic user information, like their username, user ID, avatar, and (if in a server) your server nickname, roles, and permissions.
Apps added to servers can access data as generally described here.
To learn more about a specific app's data practices, please refer to the app’s developer or its privacy policy.