How can I change Discord's appearance/theme?

Bubbles
  • Updated

Looking to customize Discord's appearance? Whether you need better readability or prefer the aesthetic of Dark mode, we've got several options to help you personalize your Discord experience. Learn how to change themes and customize your app's appearance.

What this article covers:

How to Change your Discord Theme

Desktop

First, head into your User Settings by selecting the cogwheel [], then select Appearance.

Access Theme Settings on Desktop: Open User Settings > Appearance

Discord offers several default theme options: Light, Ash, Dark, Onyx, and Sync with computer.

  • The Light theme features a white background with dark grey text and includes an optional Dark Sidebar.
  • The Ash theme uses a mid-gray background with white text. 
  • The Dark theme displays a dark gray background with white text.
  • The Onyx theme presents a gray and black background with white text.
  • Sync with computer (known as Automatic on mobile) matches your Discord theme to your device’s appearance setting.

Example of Discord Theme Selection Interface on Desktop

Mobile

Tap your avatar in the bottom-right corner of the mobile Discord app, then tap the cogwheel [] in the upper-right corner. Then, scroll down and tap on Appearance.

Access Theme Settings on Mobile: Open User Settings > Appearance

At the top, you'll find these theme options: Light, Dark, Midnight, and Automatic (which syncs with your device settings).

  • The Light theme uses a white background with dark grey text. You can also enable the Dark Sidebar option.
  • The Dark theme uses a dark grey/charcoal background with white text.
  • The Midnight theme presents a gray and black background with white text.
  • Automatic matches your Discord theme to your mobile device's appearance settings.
When you enable Sync across clients on desktop, your theme syncs across all devices (desktop, mobile, and browser). However, themes may display slightly differently on mobile.
For instance, if you select Ash on desktop, it will appear as Dark on mobile.

Example of Discord Theme Selection Interface on Mobile

How to Change the UI Density

In the Appearance menu, scroll to UI Density. Choose between Compact, Default, or Spacious to adjust the spacing around content (and navigation spacing in the desktop app). UI density doesn’t affect message density.

UI Density options on Desktop

How to Change the Message Display

In the Appearance menu, scroll to Message Spacing > Chat Message Display.  You can choose between either Default or Compact to adjust the spacing specifically between message elements.

Chat Message Display options on Desktop

Choosing Compact will remove user icons for a denser chat view.

Example of Light Theme with Compact Message Display

Fine-tune your app's appearance using the sliders for Chat Font Scaling, Space Between Message Groups, and Zoom Level.

NOTE: These steps may appear slightly different on mobile.

How to Use a Color for my Theme

Nitro subscribers can access additional themes for Discord across all platforms!

Find all available themes in User Settings under the Appearance tab on both desktop and mobile.

Nitro subscribers can customize Discord's look with colorful themes

Even without Nitro, you can preview themes on the desktop app. Select the Preview Theme button to open a preview sidebar where you can test different themes.

Preview Theme: See How Different Themes Look Before Applying

Need more help? Check our accessibility article for additional appearance settings.

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