Enable notifications in Discord settings

Discord notifications appear in your bottom right corner when you turn them on in the app itself. Open Discord on your PC and look for your username or avatar in the bottom left corner. Click the gear icon next to it to open User Settings.

Once in User Settings, find Notifications in the left sidebar menu. Click it to see all notification options. This is where you control whether notifications show up at all, and where on your screen they appear.

Key Takeaways

  • Notifications appear in your bottom right corner by default when you enable them in Discord's Notifications settings.
  • You can turn notifications on or off for different types of messages — direct messages, mentions, and server activity each have separate toggles.
  • If notifications are enabled but not showing, check that Discord is not set to Do Not Disturb mode in your status menu.
  • Windows notification settings can block Discord notifications even when Discord itself has them turned on, so you may need to check both places.

Turn on the notification types you want to see

In the Notifications menu, you will see toggles for different kinds of messages. Direct Messages controls notifications when someone sends you a private message. Mentions controls notifications when someone types your name in a server or group chat. All Messages will notify you of every message in channels you are in, which creates a lot of notifications.

Each toggle has three states: on (blue), off (gray), or muted. Turn on the ones you want to see pop up in your bottom right corner. Most people turn on Direct Messages and Mentions but leave All Messages off, since that would create too many notifications.

Check that Do Not Disturb mode is not blocking notifications

Even with notifications turned on in settings, Discord will not show them if your status is set to Do Not Disturb. Look at your avatar in the bottom left corner of Discord. If there is a red circle with a line through it, you are in Do Not Disturb mode.

Click your avatar to open the status menu. Select Online or Idle instead of Do Not Disturb. Once you switch out of Do Not Disturb, notifications will start appearing in your bottom right corner again.

Allow Discord notifications in Windows settings

Windows has its own notification control that can block Discord even when Discord itself has notifications turned on. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Settings. Go to System in the left sidebar, then click Notifications.

Scroll down to find Discord in the list of apps. Make sure the toggle next to Discord is turned on (blue). If it is off, click it to turn it on. You can also click on Discord in this list to see more detailed options, like whether to show notifications on the lock screen or in the notification center.

Adjust notification sound and visual settings

Back in Discord's Notifications menu, scroll down to find Notification Sounds. You can turn notification sounds on or off here. If you want to hear a sound when a notification arrives, make sure this toggle is on.

You can also control whether notifications show a preview of the message text or just say "New message" without details. Look for Show message preview in the Notifications menu and toggle it based on your preference. Some people turn this off for privacy if others can see their screen.

Test your notifications

To make sure notifications are working, have a friend send you a direct message or mention you in a server. You should see a small popup appear in your bottom right corner with the message. If nothing appears, go back through the steps above and check that all toggles are on and Do Not Disturb is off.

If you still do not see notifications, restart Discord completely. Close it from the taskbar (right-click the Discord icon and select Quit), wait a few seconds, then open Discord again. Sometimes a restart is needed for notification settings to take effect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my Discord notifications not showing in the bottom right corner?

Check three things: first, make sure notifications are turned on in Discord's Notifications settings. Second, check that your status is not set to Do Not Disturb. Third, open Windows Settings and make sure Discord is allowed to send notifications there. If all three are correct and notifications still do not appear, restart Discord.

Can I get notifications for only certain servers or channels?

Yes. Right-click any server name in Discord's left sidebar and select Notification Settings. You can set that specific server to mute all notifications, or to notify you only for mentions. You can also right-click individual channel names and adjust their notification settings separately.

Will I get notifications if Discord is minimized?

Yes. As long as Discord is running in the background and notifications are turned on, you will see popups in your bottom right corner even if the Discord window is minimized or you are using another program.

How do I turn off notifications without setting my status to Do Not Disturb?

Go to Discord's Notifications settings and toggle off the notification types you do not want to see. You can turn off Direct Messages, Mentions, or both. This keeps your status as Online but stops notifications from appearing. Do Not Disturb is meant for when you want to be invisible to others, while turning off notifications just silences alerts.