Fix: Discord Not Detecting Games on Windows and Mac

As we all know that Discord is one of the free-to-use chat service apps that also offers voice calls, video calls, media & files, private chat support, etc. Communities are known as ‘Discord Servers’ here where the server members can be informed to the server members of which game you are playing. However, it’s quite unfortunate that recently server members unable to know because Discord not detecting games on Windows and Mac so often.

Well, this kind of issue usually happens whenever Discord users disable the feature from Discord settings intentionally or unintentionally. However, sometimes it could be occurred due to some other restrictions created by other video games running in the background simultaneously. Additionally, conflicts with the security software on the computer or a game-specific issue or even the outdated Discord app issue can be a possible reason behind it. Sometimes registry issues or temporary cache data can also occur it.

The Discord game detection system may fail to detect non-verified games something like pirated video games. Now, the main issue is that the Discord application can’t detect games while playing in real-time so everyone on the friend list can see it and join whenever they want. It becomes quite annoying for so many Discord users as none of their friends can see what the gamers are playing. Meanwhile, some users noticed that Discord stopped detecting games after Windows updates.

Fix: Discord Not Detecting Games on Windows and Mac

Fortunately, here we’ve shared with you potential workarounds to fix the issue. It’s recommended to follow all methods one by one until the problem has been fixed. So, without further ado, let’s jump into it.

1. Reboot the PC

The chances are high that somehow your PC is going through a temporary system glitch or cache data issue. In that scenario, the system resources of the PC might gonna encounter several problems whatsoever. So, make sure to restart the computer properly to check for the issue. Multiple reports are coming out that a normal reboot of the PC can easily fix temporary glitches.

2. Run Discord as an Administrator

Make sure to run the Discord app file on your PC as administrator access to allow the User Account Control (UAC) access to the system. In some cases, your system requires the UAC access permission to run a program which is quite important. By following the steps below you’ll have to allow the admin access for once and it won’t ask you for the same again. To do so:

• Go to the installed Discord game directory.
• Right-click on the game application file on your PC.
• Click on Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

• Click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to enable it.
• Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.

3. Enable Activity Privacy

Another thing you can do is simply turn on the activity privacy feature on Discord to ensure there is no issue with the Discord server. If it’s turned off, it’s better to enable the option by following the steps below.

• Open Discord > Go to Settings.
• Now, scroll down and go to the Activity Status tab.
• Enable the Display Current Activity as a Status Message option.
• Once done, relaunch the game and check if Discord detects it or not.

4. Check the Digital Signature and Certificate of the Game

You’ll need to digital signature and certificate of the game to ensure the not detecting games issue won’t appear again. If you’ve an authentic copy of the game then Discord will automatically detect it while playing. Otherwise, playing a pirated copy will cause issues with the detection. If you are not sure whether the game you are playing is authentic or not, you can verify the digital signature or certificate of the game by following the steps below.

• Go to the game’s installation folder including the game’s executable file.
• Right-click on the specific game > Select Properties.
• Go to the Digital Signatures tab > Select the signer’s name.
• Click on Details > Click on View Certificate.

5. Update Discord

This specific issue can also happen whenever an outdated Discord version or the bug conflicts with other programs to run properly. It’s recommended to manually check for Discord updates with the latest version. You can check the steps below to update Discord quite easily.

• Open the Discord application on the PC.
• Now, head over to the taskbar > Right-click on the Discord icon.
• Click on Check for Updates > Ensure to connect the PC to a working Wi-Fi.

6. Disable Antivirus and Firewall

You can also try turning off the Windows Defender option on your PC to ensure there is no antivirus software blocking Discord to run properly. Check out the following steps below.

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Update & Security.
• Click on Windows Security from the left pane.
• Now, click on the Open Windows Security button.
• Go to Virus & threat protection.
• Click on Manage Settings.
• Next, you’ll need to turn off the Real-time protection toggle.
• If prompted, click on Yes to proceed further.

Additionally, you should have turned off Windows Firewall manually by following the steps below to ensure there is no issue with the firewall blocking.

• Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialogue box.
• Type Firewall and hit Enter to open Windows Defender Firewall.
• Click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left pane.
• Now, click on Turn Off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) for all the Domain, Private, and Public Networks.
• Once done, click on OK to save changes.
• Finally, reboot the PC to apply changes.

7. Manually Add the Game on Discord

Some users are claiming that adding the game on Discord manually will help the application detect the game while playing. To do so:

• Launch Discord > Click on the gear icon in the bottom-left corner to open User Settings.
• Under the Activity Settings menu, click on Registered Games.
• Seeing the Not seeing your game? notice, click on Add it.
• Now, copy-paste the game’s executable file path.
• Make sure to select the game.

8. Check the Discord Server Status

You should also check out the Discord server status to check for technical faults or errors. Ensure to check if there is an issue present or not. If there’s an ongoing issue on the platform, you’ll have to wait for a couple of hours and then try again.

9. Reinstall Discord

The chances are high that somehow uninstalling and reinstalling the Discord application on Windows or Mac might fix multiple issues with Discord not detecting games. Though it’s not a viable option for everyone, you should try it.

For Windows:

• Open the Start menu > Search and open Control Panel.
• Now, click on Uninstall a program > Right-click on Discord.
• Click on Uninstall > Complete the uninstallation process.
• Reboot the PC to apply changes > Head over to the official Discord website.
• Download the latest version of Discord and Reinstall it.
• Finally, log into the existing account, and you would be good to go.

For Mac:

• Close Discord by using ⌘+Q keys or clicking the Quit option from Menubar.
• Then ensure all Discord processes are terminated from within your Mac’s Activity Monitor.
• Delete the 2 following folders:
  • ~/Library/Application Support/Discord
  • /Library/Application Support/Discord
• Now, open your Applications folder.
• Find Discord and drag it to your Trash.
• Then empty your Trash > Restart your system.
• Finally, reinstall Discord from this link.

10. Contact Discord Support Page

If none of the workarounds did come in handy to you then make sure to contact the Discord support page for further assistance. The support agent will help you in fixing this issue or escalate the issue to the developers for additional investigation.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.