How to Install Discord on Desktop and Mobile Devices

Discord runs in a browser, but the desktop app adds features the web client cannot reach: noise suppression, game activity detection, and global push-to-talk that works when the window is not focused. This guide covers the current official installers for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, then walks through securing your account with a passkey and backup codes.

Before installing, create a Discord account if you do not have one. New to the platform? Start with getting started with Discord.

How Do You Install Discord on Windows?

Discord ships two Windows builds, so pick the one that matches your processor.

1. Go to the official Discord.com Download page. It detects your operating system and surfaces the matching button.
2. Under Windows, choose x64 for Intel and AMD machines, or ARM64 for Windows on Arm devices such as Snapdragon-based laptops.
3. Run the downloaded DiscordSetup.exe. The installer extracts, pulls the latest client update, and launches on its own.
4. Sign in with your Discord credentials.

Installing the wrong architecture is the most common Windows hiccup. If the app crashes on launch or refuses to install, check your processor type under Settings > System > About and download the other build.

How Do You Install Discord on a Mac?

Discord publishes a single macOS build that covers both Apple silicon and Intel hardware, so there is no architecture choice to make.

1. Open discord.com/download and select macOS.
2. Double-click the downloaded Discord.dmg. A window opens showing the Discord icon next to an Applications folder shortcut.
3. Drag the Discord icon onto the Applications folder.
4. Eject the mounted disk image from your desktop or Finder sidebar, then delete the .dmg file.
5. Launch Discord from Applications and sign in.

macOS will ask for microphone and screen recording permissions the first time you use voice chat or share your screen. Approve both under System Settings > Privacy & Security, or those features stay silent and blank.

Which Linux Package Should You Choose?

Discord’s Linux support improved considerably. There are now four official package formats plus two sandboxed community and verified options, and the right pick depends on how you want updates handled.

Discord’s download page lists deb, tar.gz, rpm, and pkg.tar.zst as the Linux formats. The direct-download packages do not update themselves, so the app will eventually block launch and demand a newer version. That is where Flatpak earns its place.

Discord took ownership of its Flathub listing, and the Flatpak is now a verified publisher entry rather than an unofficial community build. The Snap package is a different story: it remains maintained by the Snapcrafters community and is not officially endorsed by Discord. Both auto-update, which is worth the sandbox tradeoffs for most desktop users.

How Do You Install Discord on Ubuntu or Debian?

Download the .deb and install it with apt rather than dpkg, since apt resolves dependencies in the same step.

wget -O discord.deb "https://discord.com/api/download?platform=linux&format=deb"
sudo apt install ./discord.deb

flatpak install flathub com.discordapp.Discord

How Do You Install Discord on Fedora, Rocky Linux, or AlmaLinux?

Discord now publishes an official RPM, so third-party COPR repositories are no longer necessary.

wget -O discord.rpm "https://discord.com/api/download/stable?platform=linux&format=rpm"
sudo dnf install ./discord.rpm

This works on Fedora, RHEL 9 and 10, Rocky Linux, and AlmaLinux. On older systems still using yum, substitute sudo yum install ./discord.rpm.

A note on CentOS 7: CentOS 7 reached end of life in June 2024 and no longer receives security patches. If you are running Discord on a CentOS 7 workstation or server, migrating to Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux is the more pressing task.

How Do You Install Discord on Arch Linux or From a tar.gz Archive?

Arch users have two paths. The repository version handles updates through your normal system upgrade:

sudo pacman -S discord

Or install Discord’s own package directly:

wget -O discord.pkg.tar.zst "https://discord.com/api/download/stable?platform=linux&format=pkg.tar.zst"
sudo pacman -U discord.pkg.tar.zst

The generic tar.gz archive works on any 64-bit distribution, including servers with a desktop environment. Extract it to /opt, then link the binary and desktop entry:

sudo tar -xvzf discord-*.tar.gz -C /opt
sudo ln -sf /opt/Discord/Discord /usr/bin/discord
sudo cp /opt/Discord/discord.desktop /usr/share/applications/

How Do You Install Discord on iPhone or Android?

1. Open the App Store on iOS or the Google Play Store on Android.
2. Search for Discord and confirm the publisher is Discord Inc. Clone apps do appear in search results.
3. Tap Get or Install.
4. Open the app and sign in.

Which Multi-Factor Authentication Method Should You Use?

Discord’s guidance changed, and the old advice to reach straight for Google Authenticator is no longer the strongest option. Discord supports three MFA types: security keys and passkeys, authenticator apps, and SMS, and recommends setting up a security key.

• Passkeys and security keys. Encrypted keys created with your fingerprint, face, or screen lock, storable in a password manager, and resistant to phishing. Set one up under User Settings > Account > Security Keys > Add.
• Authenticator app. A TOTP code that rotates every 30 seconds. Solid, widely supported, and easy to lose with a broken phone.
• SMS. Discord supports it but does not recommend it, and it can only be turned on after you have already registered an authenticator app. Text messages can be intercepted through SIM swap attacks.

Server owners and community moderators should treat a passkey as the baseline. A compromised moderator account can wipe channels or mass-ban members in seconds.

How Do You Set Up an Authenticator App and Save Your Backup Codes?

1. Click the cogwheel near your username to open User Settings, then select My Account.
2. Choose the option to register an authenticator app.
3. Scan the QR code with Google Authenticator, Authy, 1Password, or your password manager of choice. Cannot scan? Enter the 2FA key manually.
4. Type the six-digit code the app generates to confirm.
5. Select View Backup Codes and download them.

Step five is the one people skip. Discord’s support team cannot remove MFA from an account, and each backup code works only once. Store them in a password manager or print them. Losing your phone without those codes can mean losing the account permanently.

How Do You Configure Your Microphone and Speakers?

Voice quality problems usually trace back to the wrong input device, not a bad connection.

1. Open User Settings and select Voice & Video.
2. Set your Input Device to your headset or microphone and your Output Device to your speakers or headphones.
3. Adjust input and output volume sliders.
4. Choose an input mode. Voice Activity transmits when you speak, with sensitivity controlled by the slider below. Push to Talk transmits only while you hold a bound key, which is the better choice in a noisy room or on an open microphone.
5. Run Let’s Check under Mic Test to hear yourself played back before joining a call.

Once your devices are set and MFA is active, you are ready to join or run a community.

For more, browse the Discord educational channel.