The quote says that Patience is a virtue. In the online world, however, it’s all about the speed. And if you’ve been on a page for more than you should have been, it’s definitely not fun. But don’t worry, you’ve come to just the right place if your Discord is stuck on “connecting.”
Discord is undoubtedly one of the most popular and best VOIP apps today. It’s features, smooth navigation, and constant upgrades are commendable. Unfortunately, it comes with some annoying bugs now and then. One such nuisance happens to be when the app freezes on “connecting” while trying to launch it.
Thankfully, the fix is quite simple, and we’ve got it all covered in this quick article.
Why could your Discord app be taking forever to connect?
Well, there are quite a few reasons. Here are the most common ones:
Firewall
Most of us have antivirus software on our devices. The firewall is enabled to protect them against harmful content. However, this might lead to connection issues sometimes.
Internet
A slow or spotty connection might be creating a wall between you and your favorite app.
Proxy Server
Some proxy servers are not compatible with Discord’s configuration, so that might become problematic.
VPN
Discord only works on VPNs that have/support UDP(User Datagram Protocol).
Quick and Easy Fixes for Discord stuck on Connecting
- Restart everything
- Set Date/Time settings
- Disable antivirus
- Disable proxies
- Check your VPN
- Change your server region
- Use flush DNS Command
Option 1: Restart everything
A glitch in your internet or device, or even in the Discord app itself might be causing problems. A simple must-try fix before you move ahead: restart.
1) Exit the app completely and launch it again.
2) Restart your internet connection.(Lan/ router / modem)
3) Restart your device.
Launch the app to see if the problem still persists.
Option 2: Reset your Date / Time settings
1) Go to Date and Time settings from your search box.
2) Turn on the Set date and time automatically feature if it is turned off.
3) If it is enabled, change your date and time as per another correct device manually.
4) Check to see if Discord launches normally.
Option 3: Check your Firewall/Antivirus settings
The firewall protecting your device might be interrupting connection with the app. Instead of disabling it entirely, you can alter the settings to add an exception for Discord. Here’s how:
Add an exception for Discord on Firewall.
1) On your search box, type Firewall and go to Firewall & network protection.
2) Select Allow an app.
3) Select Change settings.
4) Click on the box next to Discord on the list
5) If you don’t find the app on the list, click Allow another app and Add Discord.
Disable your Antivirus
If this does not work, you should try disabling your Antivirus software, to see if the issue persists.
After you do so, if you are able to connect to Discord properly, you will know that the problem is with the software. You can disable or remove the software completely.
If you do not want to remove the software, you might also find the option of adding an exception for your software. To do so, go to the website of your software to find detailed instructions.
Adding an exception on Malwarebytes
Many Windows users have Malwarebytes running on their Desktop. But it is also known to cause problems with the Discord app. You can resolve this by excluding the app from its list. Here is how:
1) Go to the Malwarebytes app.
2) Select Settings > Exclusions
3) Click Add an exclusion and then Exclude a website.
4) Next, select Exclude a domain.
5) Enter: http://cdn.discordapp.com. and click Ok.
Option 4: Disable proxies
A proxy is a gateway between your device and the internet. It can also act as a firewall, blocking the connection to Discord. To check if the proxy server is creating the problem, disable it.
On Windows:
1) Type and open Run from the search box, and open it as an administrator.
2) Enter inetcpl.cpl in the open field and click OK.
3) Go to Connections > LAN settings.
4) Select Automatically detect settings.
5) Click to deselect the box next to Use a proxy server for your LAN.
6) Select OK.
Mac:
1) Click on the Apple logo and then System Preferences > Network.
2) Find the network you are connected to on the left panel, and click on it
3) Select Advanced and go to Proxies
4) Uncheck all the options under Select a protocol to configure
5) Click OK to save the changes.
Option 5: Check your VPN
For Discord to work, your VPN should have UDP (User Diagram Protocol). While some of them have TCP on them, some also have the option of enabling the UDP. For example, Express and Nord have these choices on Windows.
Open the VPN app and go to Protocol from the settings. You should find the option of enabling UDP from here,
For Mac, UDP is generally already turned on, but you can still check it by going to the settings on your app.
Option 6:Fixing problem with IP / DNS
This fix can also help when you are having a connection problem with gaming servers or other applications. Here’s how to do it:
1) From the search box, type and go to Command Prompt. Select Run as administrator.
2) Type ipconfig/release and press enter.
3) After a few seconds, enter ipconfig/renew
4) Finally, enter ipconfig/flushdns
5) Close Command Prompt and relaunch the app
Option 7: Change your server region
Sometimes, even after the connecting problem on the launch gets resolved, you might encounter difficulty on the Voice channel. A fix lies within the app itself!
1) Open the app and go to your server.
2) Click the down arrow next to your server’s name.
3) Select Server Settings.
4) Click Server Region.
5) Change the region to another one and click Save Changes.
Note: You need to be the admin of the server to change this setting.
We hope one of these tricks worked for you. Do let us know which one did. And for more such content, stay tuned!
