How to Add Friends on Discord: A Comprehensive Guide
Discord is a hugely popular platform for building communities, connecting with friends, and chatting with like-minded individuals. Whether you’re a gamer, a student, or simply someone who enjoys online conversation, Discord offers a versatile and engaging experience. A core element of this experience is the ability to connect with other users by adding them as friends. This guide will provide you with a detailed, step-by-step explanation of how to add friends on Discord, covering all the methods available and offering troubleshooting tips along the way.
## Why Add Friends on Discord?
Adding friends on Discord unlocks several benefits:
* **Direct Messaging:** You can send private messages and engage in one-on-one conversations.
* **Easy Access:** Friends appear in your friends list, making it easy to find and connect with them.
* **Activity Tracking:** You can see what games your friends are playing or what channels they’re active in.
* **Server Invitations:** Easily invite friends to servers you’re a part of.
* **Customization:** You can add nicknames to your friends and customize their appearance in your Discord client.
## Methods for Adding Friends on Discord
There are several ways to add friends on Discord, depending on the information you have available. We will explore each of these methods in detail.
### 1. Adding Friends Using Their Discord Tag (Username and Discriminator)
This is the most common and reliable method for adding friends. Every Discord user has a unique Discord Tag, which consists of their username and a four-digit discriminator (e.g., ExampleUser#1234). You need to know the exact Discord Tag to send a friend request.
**Steps:**
1. **Obtain the Discord Tag:** Ask your friend for their Discord Tag. Make sure you get the username and the discriminator (the four-digit number after the # symbol) correct. Case sensitivity matters for the username.
2. **Open Discord:** Launch the Discord application on your desktop, web browser, or mobile device.
3. **Navigate to the Friends Page:** Click the “Friends” icon. On the desktop app and web browser version, this icon is located in the top left corner of the Discord window, resembling a silhouette of two people. On the mobile app, tap the three horizontal lines (the hamburger menu) in the top left corner and then tap the “Friends” icon.
4. **Click “Add Friend”:** On the Friends page, you’ll see an “Add Friend” button. Click or tap on this button.
5. **Enter the Discord Tag:** A pop-up window or text field will appear, prompting you to enter your friend’s Discord Tag. Type the username and discriminator exactly as provided. Double-check for any typos or capitalization errors.
6. **Send the Friend Request:** After entering the Discord Tag, click the “Send Friend Request” button. Discord will send a friend request to the user with the specified tag.
7. **Wait for Acceptance:** Your friend will receive a notification that you’ve sent them a friend request. They will need to accept the request for you to become friends on Discord. Once they accept, they will appear in your friends list, and you can start messaging them directly.
**Example:**
Let’s say your friend’s Discord Tag is `GamingBuddy#5678`. You would enter this exact string into the “Enter a Discord Tag” field and click “Send Friend Request.”
### 2. Adding Friends Using the “Nearby Scan” Feature (Mobile Only)
The “Nearby Scan” feature is available on the Discord mobile app and allows you to add friends who are physically nearby. This is particularly useful when you’re at a gathering or event and want to quickly add multiple people to your Discord friend list.
**Important Considerations:**
* **Location Services:** The “Nearby Scan” feature requires you to enable location services on your mobile device and grant Discord permission to access your location.
* **Privacy:** Be mindful of your privacy when using the “Nearby Scan” feature. Only use it when you’re comfortable sharing your approximate location with others.
* **Limited Range:** The “Nearby Scan” feature has a limited range, so you need to be relatively close to the people you want to add as friends.
**Steps:**
1. **Open Discord on Your Mobile Device:** Launch the Discord mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. **Navigate to the Friends Page:** Tap the three horizontal lines (the hamburger menu) in the top left corner and then tap the “Friends” icon.
3. **Tap “Nearby Scan”:** On the Friends page, look for the “Nearby Scan” option. It may be located in a separate tab or accessible through a menu.
4. **Grant Location Permissions:** If prompted, grant Discord permission to access your device’s location. You may need to go into your device’s settings and enable location services for Discord.
5. **Have Your Friends Open “Nearby Scan”:** Instruct your friends to open the “Nearby Scan” feature on their Discord mobile apps as well. They will also need to grant Discord location permissions.
6. **Wait for Users to Appear:** Discord will scan for other users who have the “Nearby Scan” feature open and are within range. Their usernames will appear on your screen.
7. **Tap to Send Friend Requests:** Tap on the usernames of the people you want to add as friends. Discord will send them friend requests.
8. **Wait for Acceptance:** Your friends will receive notifications that you’ve sent them friend requests. They will need to accept the requests to become friends on Discord.
**Troubleshooting “Nearby Scan”:**
* **Location Services:** Ensure that location services are enabled on your device and that Discord has permission to access your location.
* **Internet Connection:** A stable internet connection is required for the “Nearby Scan” feature to work properly.
* **Proximity:** Make sure you are within close proximity to the people you are trying to add as friends.
* **Privacy Settings:** Some users may have privacy settings that prevent them from being discoverable through the “Nearby Scan” feature.
### 3. Adding Friends Through Mutual Servers
If you share a server with someone on Discord, you can easily add them as a friend directly from the server’s member list.
**Steps:**
1. **Join a Common Server:** Make sure you and the person you want to add as a friend are both members of the same Discord server.
2. **Open the Server:** In your Discord client, click on the icon of the server you share with the person.
3. **View the Member List:** Look for the “Member List” on the right side of the Discord window. If you don’t see the member list, click on the “Show Member List” icon, which looks like two people.
4. **Find the User:** Scroll through the member list to find the user you want to add as a friend. You can also use the search bar at the top of the member list to search for their username.
5. **Click on Their Username:** Click on the username of the person you want to add. This will open their profile pop-up.
6. **Click “Add Friend”:** In the profile pop-up, you will see an “Add Friend” button. Click on this button to send a friend request.
7. **Wait for Acceptance:** The user will receive a notification that you’ve sent them a friend request. They will need to accept the request for you to become friends on Discord.
**Tips:**
* **Role-Based Permissions:** Some servers may have role-based permissions that restrict who can view the member list. If you can’t see the member list, you may need to ask a server administrator to grant you the necessary permissions.
* **Search Functionality:** The search bar in the member list can be very useful for quickly finding a specific user, especially in large servers.
### 4. Adding Friends Through Direct Message Invitations
If someone sends you a direct message on Discord, you can add them as a friend directly from the message window.
**Steps:**
1. **Receive a Direct Message:** Wait for the person you want to add as a friend to send you a direct message on Discord.
2. **Open the Direct Message:** Click on the person’s username in your direct message list to open the conversation.
3. **Click “Add Friend”:** In the direct message window, you will see an “Add Friend” button at the top of the screen, usually near the user’s name and profile picture. Click on this button to send a friend request.
4. **Wait for Acceptance:** The user will receive a notification that you’ve sent them a friend request. They will need to accept the request for you to become friends on Discord.
**Note:**
* **Bot Accounts:** You cannot add bot accounts as friends on Discord.
### 5. Adding Friends Using a Friend Request Link
Discord allows users to generate a unique friend request link that can be shared via various platforms. When someone clicks on this link, it automatically sends a friend request to the link creator.
**How to Generate a Friend Request Link:**
1. **Open Discord:** Launch the Discord application on your desktop, web browser, or mobile device.
2. **Navigate to the Friends Page:** Click the “Friends” icon. On the desktop app and web browser version, this icon is located in the top left corner of the Discord window, resembling a silhouette of two people. On the mobile app, tap the three horizontal lines (the hamburger menu) in the top left corner and then tap the “Friends” icon.
3. **Click “Add Friend”:** On the Friends page, you’ll see an “Add Friend” button. Click or tap on this button.
4. **Click ‘Send your Friend Code’:** At the bottom of the “Add Friend” Screen, is text that reads: “Send your Friend Code!” Tap it.
5. **Share the Link:** Discord will generate a unique link for you. You can share this link through email, social media, or any other platform. The link expires after 7 days. You can also generate a new link at anytime by following these steps.
**How to Accept a Friend Request Via Link:**
1. **Click on the Link:** Click on the friend request link provided by another user.
2. **Confirm the Request:** You’ll be redirected to Discord (either in your browser or the app). A prompt will appear asking you to confirm that you want to send a friend request to the user associated with the link. Click the ‘Send Friend Request’ or similar button to proceed.
## Managing Friend Requests
Once you’ve sent or received friend requests, you’ll need to manage them. Here’s how to accept, decline, and block friend requests.
### Accepting Friend Requests
When someone sends you a friend request on Discord, you’ll receive a notification. You can view and accept friend requests in the following way:
**Steps:**
1. **Open Discord:** Launch the Discord application on your desktop, web browser, or mobile device.
2. **Navigate to the Friends Page:** Click the “Friends” icon. On the desktop app and web browser version, this icon is located in the top left corner of the Discord window, resembling a silhouette of two people. On the mobile app, tap the three horizontal lines (the hamburger menu) in the top left corner and then tap the “Friends” icon.
3. **View Pending Requests:** On the Friends page, click on the “Pending” tab (or similar tab that displays incoming friend requests). This will show you a list of all the friend requests you’ve received.
4. **Accept the Request:** For each friend request you want to accept, click the green “Accept” button next to the user’s name. The user will be added to your friends list.
### Declining Friend Requests
If you don’t want to add someone as a friend, you can decline their friend request.
**Steps:**
1. **Open Discord:** Launch the Discord application on your desktop, web browser, or mobile device.
2. **Navigate to the Friends Page:** Click the “Friends” icon.
3. **View Pending Requests:** On the Friends page, click on the “Pending” tab.
4. **Decline the Request:** For each friend request you want to decline, click the red “Decline” or “Ignore” button next to the user’s name. The friend request will be removed from your list, and the user will not be notified that you declined their request.
### Blocking Users
If you don’t want to receive any messages or friend requests from a particular user, you can block them. Blocking a user will prevent them from contacting you on Discord.
**Steps:**
1. **Open Discord:** Launch the Discord application on your desktop, web browser, or mobile device.
2. **Find the User:** Find the user you want to block. You can find them in your direct message list, a server member list, or on the “Pending” tab of the Friends page.
3. **Open Their Profile:** Click on the user’s username to open their profile pop-up.
4. **Click “Block”:** In the profile pop-up, you will see a “Block” button. Click on this button to block the user.
5. **Confirm the Block:** Discord will ask you to confirm that you want to block the user. Click “Block” again to confirm. The user will be blocked, and you will no longer receive messages or friend requests from them.
## Troubleshooting Common Issues
Sometimes, you might encounter issues when trying to add friends on Discord. Here are some common problems and their solutions:
* **Incorrect Discord Tag:** Double-check that you’ve entered the Discord Tag (username and discriminator) correctly. Case sensitivity matters for the username. Ensure the discriminator is four digits.
* **User Not Found:** If Discord can’t find the user with the specified Discord Tag, it’s possible that the tag is incorrect, the user has changed their username, or the user has blocked you.
* **”Nearby Scan” Not Working:** Make sure that location services are enabled on your device and that Discord has permission to access your location. Also, ensure that you and the person you’re trying to add are within close proximity and have a stable internet connection.
* **Friend Request Not Sending:** Check your internet connection. A poor internet connection can prevent friend requests from being sent. Also, make sure that the user hasn’t blocked you.
* **Too Many Friend Requests:** Discord may limit the number of friend requests you can send in a short period of time. If you’re sending a lot of friend requests, try again later.
* **Privacy Settings:** Check your privacy settings in Discord. You may have settings that prevent others from sending you friend requests or discovering you through the “Nearby Scan” feature.
## Discord Privacy Settings
Discord offers several privacy settings that control how others can interact with you. To access these settings:
1. **Open Discord:** Launch the Discord application on your desktop, web browser, or mobile device.
2. **Go to User Settings:** Click on the gear icon next to your username in the bottom left corner of the Discord window. This will open your User Settings.
3. **Click on “Privacy & Safety”:** In the User Settings menu, click on “Privacy & Safety.”
Here are some key privacy settings to be aware of:
* **”Who can send you friend requests”:** This setting allows you to control who can send you friend requests. You can choose from “Everyone,” “Friends of Friends,” or “Server Members.” Selecting “Server Members” means only people who share a server with you can send you friend requests.
* **”Allow direct messages from server members”:** This setting controls whether you receive direct messages from members of servers you’re in. Disabling this setting can help prevent spam and unwanted messages.
* **”Safe Direct Messaging”:** Discord’s Safe Direct Messaging feature automatically scans direct messages for explicit content and filters them accordingly. You can choose from “Keep me safe,” “My friends are nice,” or “Don’t scan.”
## Conclusion
Adding friends on Discord is a simple yet essential part of the platform’s experience. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily connect with your friends, join communities, and enjoy all that Discord has to offer. Remember to double-check Discord Tags, manage your friend requests, and be mindful of your privacy settings. With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to building a thriving network of friends on Discord.
Discord friend adding methods are constantly evolving, so stay updated with Discord’s official documentation for latest additions and features.