Discord, available in 28 languages, is one of the most used chat programs among gamers from around the world.

This software is a Voice over Internet Protocol, an instant messaging platform that can be used by players to text message, voice call, video call, share media files with other Discord users individually or in “server” communities.

Keeping aside the fact how wonderful this software or app is, Discord users also face technical issues sometimes.

And today we are talking about the recent issue reported by these users: the “Discord overpay not working” error. So, you are not the only one facing such an error!

But what to do exactly in order to fix the Discord overlay not working error? Well, we bring to you some simple fixes of this error that you can use to eradicate it. So, let us dive right into it!

What is Discord?

Table of Contents

The gamers’ favorite and famous group chatting app, Discord, is a multiple features program that was earlier build to provide gamers a platform to chat and communicate but now it focuses on the general global public.

As mentioned earlier, it allows users to simultaneously voice call, video chat, or live stream while playing games.

Its community is divided into servers which possess their own members, rules, topics, and channels.

One can easily create new servers or join the ones already created. Launched in 2015, Discord has now boomed during the pandemic where people worked, played games, and socialized more in online mode.

You can access Discord online through any web browser, download its app for iOS and Android devices, or install its software for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

And you can start or join any server for free. You can also connect your Discord with other apps like Spotify or YouTube even while you are gaming.

You can also have fun while chatting by using commands to add GIF or spoiler marks to your message, read your messages aloud to the community members (text-to-speech), change your nickname for specific servers, and perform other actions.

Also See: Xbox 360 Emulator for PC download

What is Discord’s overlay?

Discord’s overlay is a very useful feature concerning all the gamers out there. It essentially allows you to Discord message, video chat while playing a game on your device.

You can easily open and close between the game and customize it according to your preferences.

You can use this feature with selected games and have the overlay show up entirely on your game screen or keep it invisible so that it only shows up when you select it to.

Users can take advantage of this feature when they are playing any online game together in order to chat and coordinate properly.

It is also beneficial when you want to livestream your game and easily manage it simultaneously.

While using this feature, you can change voice channels, see who is talking, know whose mike is unmuted or muted, pin a chat on-screen, customize the chats, notifications, audio settings, and other actions, all while playing your games!

How to enable the Discord overlay feature?

Before going deep into how to fix this Discord error, did you try checking the proper way of enabling the in-game overlay feature?

Luckily, below is the guide for the same:

Open your Discord application or software.
Go to User Settings by clicking on the small gear icon.
Under this menu, open Overlay settings.
Click the slider against the Enable in-game Overlay option.
You can also customize the keyboard shortcut to use this feature by typing it in the Toggle Overlay Lockbox. And also change the settings just below it to change Avatar size, to display names or users, and the notifications.
Now under the app settings, go to Game Activity.
A list of games would appear, you will only be able to use this feature on the app if it shows Discord Overlay: On. Otherwise, click the game you want to connect and then, click on Add it.
Next, you will see an icon on your device’s screen which you can toggle to switch the overlay on or off.
Now open your selected game, and use the keyboard shortcut you set earlier.
The overlay will appear and now you can easily communicate with other Discord users.

What causes the Discord Overlay not working error?

We must know about the various reasons behind the error faced in order to understand it better.

So, we mention below some of the reasons behind the Discord Overlay not working error:

Gameplay Overlay option- the overlay option itself causes troubles in Discord. This happens when the user is unfamiliar with this feature and does not configure the settings the way they should be. And sometimes users unknowingly turn it off. So, must take care of the proper procedure to set up your Discord app for the overlay feature to work on your device.
Scaled Display- In case you have a scaled Windows display, your Discord overlay screen could be hiding somewhere without you realizing it.
Hardware Acceleration- Another reason behind the Discord Overlay not working error could be the Hardware Acceleration turned on. Hardware Acceleration is the use of computer hardware to perform few functions more efficiently than possible with software working on a general CPU.
Antivirus- An antivirus software installed in your device can flag Discord Overlay as suspicious and cause problems in its working.
Overlay Location- Since the Discord overlay can be moved around, it happens that the users accidentally move it out of the screen. So, despite it being properly functional, they think it is not working and has caused an error in Discord.

How to fix Discord overlay not working error?

So, below you can find some easy fixes to the Discord’s overlay not working error faced by many of its users.

Fix-1: Ensure Overlay is enabled

The Discord Overlay usually comes enabled but some glitch or technical error disable it.

It is also possible that you have unknowingly disabled it or disabled it on purpose and now you have forgotten it.

Simply go to the User Settings icon found to the right of your username. Through the menu opened, click on Overlay.

Now look for Enable in-game Overlay and click on the slider besides it to switch it on.

The slider turns green when you enable in-game overlay and it turns grey when the overlay is disabled.

Fix-2: Ensure that the specific game falls on the list

Discord Overlay will never work on the apps that are not selected for this feature. You must go to User Settings in Discord, locate Game Activity and look at the list of the apps.

Apps with a grey monitor icon beside their name are selected for the Discord Overlay feature and the apps with a red crossed monitor icon are the ones that are not selected for the Discord Overlay feature to work on.

So, no matter how hard you try, Discord Overlay will not work on non-selected apps.

You can click on the red monitors to enable the Discord Overlay for the respective apps or games.

Fix-3: Run Discord as Admin

Various potential glitches in a game are prevented by running the game as an administrator.

When you run the software as an administrator, you tell your computer to trust that software and consider it free from malware and viruses.

Once done, you give that software full admin privileges and allow it to evade any firewall or security software that prevents it from working.

Go to the in-search option on your computer, and search for Discord software. Right click on Discord as it appears, and then click on more and select “run as administrator” option. Discord would now be free from any security program that block it.

Fix-4: Check the Display settings

As discussed earlier, it is possible that your Discord overlay is properly working but got displaced or hidden due to different display scale settings.

It is said that even a 5% change in display scale can hide the overlay screen. You can easily change this setting to see if this is the reason behind the error caused in your system.

Open settings of your computer, and go to Display settings. Look for Scale and layout option.

Under Scale and layout, look for Change the size of text, apps, and other items. Set it back to 100% as recommended by the developers.

Make sure you give your computer some time to adjust to new settings before you test Discord Overlay again.

Fix-5: Close Discord entirely

Often, some part of Discord software keeps on running in the background even after closing the software.

This can also cause errors when you open it again later on. In this case, you must close the software entirely.

Open the Task Manager and end all the running processes related to Discord. You can simply search Task Manager to open it.

You will likely see processes like Discord 32 bit or Discord 64 bit and you must end all of these. Once this step is clear, you can restart Discord and see if the Overlay is now working or not.

Fix-6: Restart your device

It is possible that some glitches in your device are causing the Discord Overlay to not work.

So, you must try to restart your device to avoid such glitches and use Discord Overlay feature again smoothly.

Fix-7: Check other Overlays

As you would already know, Discord is not the only software that provides the Overlay feature to its users.

Before using the overlay feature on any app, you must ensure that no other Overlay is active at the same time. Because another active overlay might restrict or oppose Discord’s overlay.

So, just shut down any other third-party overlay software, restart Discord and see if now its Overlay is working or not.

Fix-8: Disable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration allows Discord to use the full power of your PC to optimize certain high-intensity tasks, like screen sharing or voice communication.

This is done by taking benefit of your graphics card’s processing abilities, freeing up your processor power for other tasks.

You may need to disable it if the Discord overlay isn’t working or if it causes performance issues mid-game.

Open Discord and click on the User Settings. Select Appearance from the left pane and scroll down in the right pane and you should be able to see the Hardware Acceleration.

It should be under the Advanced section. Toggle it off and click on Okay on the pop-up box that will appear afterward. Now close the software and restart it to use the overplay function properly.

Fix-9: Reinstall Discord

Another way to completely remove this error is by reinstalling Discord on your device.

First, uninstall the software by going to Control Panel and selecting Uninstall a program.

Scroll through the list and look for Discord. Click on it, right-click again on it, and then choose Uninstall.

You can reinstall the same software easily from Discord’s official website. Also, be aware because there are many frauds and fake websites on the internet that provide you malware files for Discord software.

Fix-10: Contact Discord Support

Even after all these fixes, if the Discord Overlay not working error still persists in your device, you can directly contact the Discord customer support service by visiting their official website or Twitter handle.

But you must explain the issue in detail to receive better support from their end.

Final Words:

So, are you also facing the Discord Overlay not working error on your system? Do not worry because you are not alone.

There are many Discord users who have reported the same issue. Luckily, there are several easy and simple fixes to this error.

In the article above, we discussed the main reasons behind this error and mentioned some of the easy methods to eradicate it.

Feel free to try these fixes and see if Discord’s Overlay works again on your device or not.

And do not forget to mention, in the comment section below, the method that worked the best for you to fix this error.

How to fix “Discord overlay not working”