Friends? Friends are great. Communities too. Things can get a little sticky when you get big bunches of friends and bigger communities, and some less-than-savory types join the fray. Luckily, we've been ramping up Discord's privacy settings to give you some control and up your hater-blocking game.
Blocking Direct Messages
The first part of privacy settings is the Privacy Settings menu. Click the little down arrow next to the server name and you'll find this drop-down menu window:
In addition to being able to adjust notification and server settings, you can adjust privacy settings on a per-server basis as well.
Selecting/deselecting this option lets you block DMs (Direct Messages) from users in that server that isn't on your friend's list. Normally, sharing a mutual server is all it takes to allow DMs. This option can filter out anyone you don't want to hear from.
Blocking Users - Desktop Instructions
In the case that you generally like everyone in a server (except for a few individuals), the DM list has a quick-access menu to a user's profile!
In your DM chat, clicking the @Username will bring up the user's profile! You can click the three dots in the top right to pull up a menu that will let you block the user.
On Friend Requests
Last stop on the damage control tour of Discord's settings is adjusting friend request privileges. To find this menu, open up your User Settings and click the Privacy & Safety tab:
Allowed Friend Requests
Here you can set who's allowed to send you a friend request:
Everyone: Selecting Everyone means that anyone who knows your DiscordTag or is in a mutual server with you can send you a request. Having this selected will automatically include both Friends of Friends and Server Members options.
Friends of Friends: Selecting this means that for anyone to add you, they must have at least one mutual friend with you. You can view this in their user profile by clicking the Mutual Friends tab next to the Mutual Servers tab:
Server Members: Selecting server members means users who share a server with you can send you a friend request. Deselecting this means that you can only be added by someone with mutual friends as you.