Discord: How to Turn Off the Overlay on Desktop and Android

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Learn how to disable the Discord overlay for your games
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If you chat on Discord while you game, you may have noticed an overlay in the corner of your screen showing who is talking or a popup when you get a DM. While this is a handy feature, you may not want to see it all the time—or even ever. In this article we'll teach you how to turn off the Discord overlay for all games as well as individual games, in case you want to keep the overlay on when you're playing one game but not another one. We've also included instructions on how to turn off the overlay if you're on the Android version of Discord.

Things You Should Know

  • You can turn off the Discord overlay for all games by going into settings and toggling it off under "Game Overlay."
  • You can turn the Discord overlay off for specific games by going to "Registered Games" in Settings and clicking the screen icon next to your desired game.
  • If your game isn't showing up under "Registered Games," click the "Add it!" button at the top to add your game.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

All Games

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  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/44\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/44\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-1.jpg\/v4-728px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    This will bring you to your Discord settings. [1]
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6a\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6a\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":341,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":539,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    The option is under Activity Settings . [2]
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  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b1\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b1\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-3.jpg\/v4-728px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":343,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":543,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    This will turn off the Discord overlay for every game on your computer. If you want it back, you'll have to go back into your settings and toggle it back on. [3]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Individual Games

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  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2c\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2c\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-4.jpg\/v4-728px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    This will bring you to your Discord settings. [4]
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d8\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d8\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-5.jpg\/v4-728px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":342,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":541,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    The option is under Activity Settings . [5]
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2c\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-6.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-6.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2c\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-6.jpg\/v4-728px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-6.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    All of the games you've recently played that Discord on PC or Mac has detected will be on the list. [6]
    • If you don't see your game on the list, open the game and click Add it! at the top of the Registered Games menu screen, beneath the box that says No game detected . Select your game from the dropdown and click Add Game .
  4. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/30\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-7.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-7.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/30\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-7.jpg\/v4-728px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-7.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    The screen icon should turn red with a line through it. This will disable the Discord overlay for that specific game when you play it.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Android

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  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/46\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-8.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-8.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/46\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-8.jpg\/v4-728px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-8.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    If you have an Android phone and have updated Discord to Version 9.4.5, there is a mobile overlay as well. There is currently no mobile overlay for the iPhone version of Discord. [7]
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f8\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-9.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-9.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f8\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-9.jpg\/v4-728px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-9.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    You should see an option to enable the mobile voice overlay.
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c3\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-10.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-10.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c3\/Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-10.jpg\/v4-728px-Turn-Off-Discord-Overlay-Step-10.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    This will turn off the mobile overlay so you don't see it when you're in a Discord voice chat and also playing a game on your phone.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/217659737-Game-Overlay-101#h_01H46H66JXMC7F1T7HK985D237
      2. ↑ https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/217659737-Game-Overlay-101#h_01H46H66JXMC7F1T7HK985D237
      3. ↑ https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/217659737-Game-Overlay-101#h_01H46H66JXMC7F1T7HK985D237
      4. ↑ https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/217659737-Game-Overlay-101
      5. ↑ https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/217659737-Game-Overlay-101
      6. ↑ https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/217659737-Game-Overlay-101
      7. ↑ https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042693171-Mobile-Voice-Overlay-Android

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