How to Fix Discord Overlay Not Working on Windows

Download Article

Get Discord Overlay working on any game again

Co-authored by Rain Kengly Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: November 14, 2024 Fact Checked

Download Article

Troubleshooting Discord Overlay

|

Why is overlay not working?

Discord Overlay displays your activity on Discord while you're playing a game in full-screen mode. This feature can be toggled off in a few ways, so be sure to check if it's enabled first. Overlay is currently not supported for Mac devices. Here's what to do if the Discord Overlay is not working on your Windows 10 or 11 computer.

Fixing Overlay Feature on Discord

If Discord Overlay isn't working, make sure it's enabled in Settings > Game Overlay.
Add the game to your Registered Games on Discord. Make sure the monitor icon doesn't have a slash through it.
Close Discord and your game. Then, run Discord as an administrator.

Section 1 of 2:

Troubleshooting Discord Overlay

Download Article

1
Run Discord as administrator. Fully close Discord and your game. Make sure it's not still running in the system tray. Right-click the Discord icon and select Run as administrator. You'll need to click OK to proceed.
- Once Discord is up again, launch the game again.
2
Make sure Game Overlay is enabled in Discord. This feature may have been toggled off in a recent update. To check, do the following:
- Open Discord.
- Click the cog icon.
- Click Game Overlay in the left panel.
- Toggle on Enable in-game overlay.^{[1]
  X
  Research source}
Advertisement
3
Add the game to your Registered Games. If you're running a game that Discord doesn't recognize, you may have trouble seeing the in-game overlay. To add a game to Discord, do the following:
- Open Discord.
- Click the cog icon.
- Click Registered Games in the left panel.
- Click Add it!
- Click the drop-down menu and select your game.
- Click Add Game.
- Make sure the monitor icon next to the added game does not have a slash through it. If it does, click it.
4
Turn off Hardware Acceleration in Discord. This feature uses other resources from your computer to make sure Discord runs more smoothly. However, this may cause issues with other games and programs. To disable it, do the following
- Open Discord.
- Click the cog icon.
- Click Advanced in the left panel.
- Toggle off Hardware Acceleration.
- Restart Discord.
In some cases, your antivirus may block your game or Discord. Disable it temporarily, and then run Discord and your game again.
Reinstall Discord. If Discord's overlay still isn't working, you may have corrupted files on your end. Completely uninstall Discord, and then download it again from the website.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Section 2 of 2:

Why is my overlay on Discord not working?

Download Article

Discord Overlay may not work due to settings, software bugs, or incompatible games. Certain settings, such as Hardware Acceleration, can prevent overlay from showing properly. Additionally, Discord isn't completely allowed by all antivirus software, so it may be blocked.
- Currently, the following games do not work with Discord Game Overlay:
  - Age of Empires II HD, Archeage, Arma 3, Call of Duty: WWII, DayZ, Destiny 2, Dolphin, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Elite Dangerous, Elsword, Fallout: New Vegas, Final Fantasy XIV, Forza Horizon 3, Half-Life, Killing Floor 2, Minecraft Windows 10 Edition, Paladins, PlanetSide 2, PokerStars, PCSX2, Ragnarok Online, Roblox, RuneScape, SteamVR, Street Fighter V, and Warface.