What does this article covers:
- What are Apps?
- How to Use Apps
- How to Discover Apps and Add Apps
- My mobile device gets really warm while playing Activities. How do I fix it?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Apps?
Apps on Discord add functionality, entertainment, and productivity tools to your servers, direct messages (DMs), group chats, and voice calls. These apps can range from bots that automate tasks, to activities that allow you to play games, collaborate on projects, or share experiences with others directly within Discord.
Apps can be created by members of our developer community and made available on Discord as third-party services (as described in our Terms of Service). If you’re an app developer and would like to learn more about apps on Discord, you can check out our Developer Support Help Center.
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.
Where You Can Use Apps on Discord:
Apps on Discord can be installed in, or added to, servers by server admin 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.
How to Use Apps
You can interact with an app in a multitude of ways. If you have an app installed, you can use one of its commands by using slash commands, or by right-clicking on a user or message and selecting Apps.
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 preset 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. 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 interactions can be found under the Apps sub-menu.
Note: Every app is different. To learn how each app functions, check out the app’s member 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!
How to Discover Apps and Add Apps
Discord’s App Directory lets you search, browse, and explore various apps you can add to customize your server.
From the App Launcher
Discord's App Launcher lets you discover and add new apps through the displayed collections and search.
When you open the App Launcher, you'll discover a variety of apps to enhance your Discord experience:
- Recents: Your recently used and installed apps appear in the “Recents” section at the top; you can launch these apps directly by selecting them there.
- Collections: A mix of popular, trending, and curated apps we think Discord users will love.
You can also search through the whole catalog of apps in the App Launcher using specific terms in the search bar. Search results are ranked based on relevance to the query and popularity based on usage.
Apps that offer paid features through Discord Premium Apps or that contain ads will be marked with "In-App Purchases" and "Ad-Supported" tags, respectively, on their details page. If we have another type of financial relationship with a developer, their apps may be marked with a "Partner" tag. If the placement of an app in a collection is influenced by our relationship with its developer, it will be marked with a "Promoted" tag.
These diverse options allow you to customize and enrich your Discord interactions with ease. We encourage you to check back regularly as we update the collections!
From the App Directory
Discord’s App Directory lets you search, browse, and explore various apps you can add to your server or your account.
Note: The App Directory is only available on desktop and browser.
To find various apps available on Discord, you can head over to the App Directory.
1. Head over to your server and left-click the server name located in the upper-left corner.
2. Then, select Server Settings > App Directory.
You can learn more about the App Directory here.
Once you’ve had a chance to explore the App Directory and browse the various categories, you may find an app you would like to add.Most apps can be added to a server where you have the Manage Server permission, or where you’re the owner of the server. Alternatively, some apps can be added directly to your account. Apps that can be added to your account will ask if you want to add the app to your account instead of to a server.
1. If you meet the permission requirements, head over to the App Directory and select an app you would like to add. While in the app’s page, you can read the Overview to learn more about the app and its functionality.
2. Then, press Add App and follow the prompts to confirm you would like to add the app. Some apps may ask if you want to add the app to your account or server, you can choose where to add the app here.
Adding user apps from the App Directory is currently an experiment and slowly rolling out to users.
3. Then, you can follow the prompts which will show you what permissions and access the app will require.
4. Once you select Authorize and complete the prompts, you will receive a confirmation.
If you added the app to your server, it will appear in your server’s Member List and in your Server Settings > Integrations > Bots and Apps. If you added the app to your account, you will see it under your settings, under Authorized Apps.
From Chat
You can also add an app from a chat or member list by viewing the app’s profile. When you see an app posting in chat:
1. Select the app to view its profile.
2. Then, select Add App and follow the prompts.
3. Next, some apps may ask if you want to add the app to your account or server, you can choose where to add the app here.
4. Once you’re ready, complete the prompts and select Authorize to confirm you would like to add the app to your account or server.
5. If you added the app to your server, it will appear in your server’s Member List. If you added the app to your account, you will see it under your User Settings > Authorized Apps.
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 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: Who is able to manage apps in a server?
A: To manage apps in a server, you must be the owner of the server or have the Manage Server permissions enabled.
Q: I no longer want the app in my server. How do I remove the app?
A: To remove the app, right-click the app’s bot within the Members list and kick the bot. By kicking the bot from the server, the app will be removed. To remove an app from a server, you must be the owner of the server or have the Manage Server permissions enabled. If you are in a server where you want an app removed but don't have permissions, please reach out to the server admin or leave the server.
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 that the user is in.
Q: How do I install an app to my account?
A: Some apps can be installed to your account directly, instead of a server. Some developers will be updating their apps to enable this functionality. If you see an app that has this feature enabled, feel free to add the app to your account! Please note that apps that are added to your account may not have all the same capabilities as apps added to a server.
Q: Which apps can I use to modify images in Discord?
A: Currently, Discord offers several apps for image modification. Viggle animates characters, esmBot adds captions or creates bouncing animations, Picsar transforms images into stickers, and Nekotina generates image descriptions. More apps may become available in the future. You can also search for other apps in the App Launcher and App Directory.
Q: My server utilizes AutoMod. Will messages from application commands be affected or flagged by AutoMod?
A: AutoMod will not flag messages from apps that you’ve installed onto your server.
AutoMod will only flag messages from apps that are installed directly onto a user’s account. Any actions taken by AutoMod will happen on the user who installed the application and first used it in a server. This means if an application creates a message with buttons, additional messages created from interacting with those buttons will also action against the user who used the command initially.
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.