Discord Freezing When Tabbed Out? Troubleshooting & Solutions

Discord, the popular communication platform for gamers and communities alike, can sometimes throw a frustrating curveball: freezing or becoming unresponsive when you tab out to another application. This issue can disrupt your workflow, especially if you’re multitasking between gaming, streaming, or work-related tasks. The good news is, this is a fairly common problem and often has several straightforward solutions. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the most likely culprits and provide detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to troubleshoot and fix Discord freezing when you tab out.

Understanding Why Discord Might Freeze When Tabbed Out

Before diving into the solutions, it’s helpful to understand why this issue occurs in the first place. There isn’t one single cause, but rather a combination of factors that can lead to Discord’s unresponsiveness. Here are some of the most common reasons:

• Resource Conflicts: Discord, like any application, consumes system resources such as CPU, RAM, and GPU. When you tab out, Windows might prioritize resources for the foreground application, potentially starving Discord of the necessary power to run smoothly. This is more prevalent on systems with limited hardware resources.
• Driver Issues: Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can interfere with Discord’s rendering processes, particularly when switching between windows. This can lead to freezes and crashes.
• Discord Settings Conflicts: Certain settings within Discord itself, such as hardware acceleration, can sometimes create conflicts, especially if they don’t align well with your system’s configuration.
• Overlay Issues: The Discord overlay, while useful for in-game communication, can be a common culprit of conflicts when combined with other overlays or games, especially when tabbing in and out.
• Third-Party Application Conflicts: Other applications running in the background, such as overlay programs, antivirus software, or VPNs, can sometimes interfere with Discord’s operation.
• Network Issues: Although less likely to cause freezes specifically when tabbing out, unstable internet connections can lead to a temporary loss of responsiveness in Discord.
• Discord Bugs: In rare cases, the issue may stem from a bug or glitch within Discord itself.
• Outdated Discord Version: An older version of Discord might contain bugs or lack performance improvements, making it more prone to freezing.

Troubleshooting Steps: A Comprehensive Guide

Now that we have a basic understanding of potential causes, let’s move on to the troubleshooting steps. We will go from easiest and most common fixes to more advanced solutions.

1. Restart Discord and Your System

This is the most basic, yet often effective, step. Sometimes, a simple restart can clear out temporary glitches or processes that might be causing the issue. Here’s how to do it:

1. Close Discord Completely: Don’t just close the window. Right-click on the Discord icon in your system tray (usually located in the bottom-right corner of your screen) and select “Quit Discord.”
2. Restart Your Computer: Click on the Start button, then the Power button, and select “Restart.”
3. Launch Discord: After your computer restarts, launch Discord and check if the issue persists.

If restarting doesn’t solve the problem, move on to the next step.

2. Update Discord

Running an outdated version of Discord can lead to various bugs and performance issues. It’s crucial to keep your Discord client up-to-date. Here’s how to update it:

1. Check for Updates: When Discord is open, press Ctrl + R (Windows) or Cmd + R (macOS). This will refresh Discord and check for any available updates.
2. Automatic Updates: Discord usually updates automatically in the background when it detects a new version. If an update is available, Discord will typically download and install it automatically. You may need to restart the application for the update to take effect.
3. Manual Updates (If Necessary): If the automatic update doesn’t work, you can try manually downloading the latest version from the official Discord website: https://discord.com/download. Download and install the new version, replacing the existing one.

After updating Discord, test to see if the freezing problem is resolved.

3. Disable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration utilizes your computer’s GPU to improve Discord’s performance. However, in some cases, it can cause conflicts, especially with older graphics cards or specific driver configurations. Here’s how to disable hardware acceleration in Discord:

1. Open Discord Settings: Click on the gear icon next to your username in the bottom-left corner of the Discord window. This opens the User Settings.
2. Navigate to Advanced Settings: In the left sidebar, scroll down and click on “Advanced” under the “App Settings” category.
3. Toggle Hardware Acceleration: Find the “Hardware Acceleration” option, and toggle the switch to the “Off” position.
4. Restart Discord: A prompt will appear asking you to restart Discord for the changes to take effect. Click “Okay” or “Restart.”

After disabling hardware acceleration, check if the freezing issue is resolved when you tab out. If it persists, re-enable it for now and try other solutions. You might need to experiment with different configurations.

4. Disable the Discord Overlay

The Discord overlay is a useful feature that allows you to communicate in-game without switching windows. However, it can sometimes interfere with other applications and lead to conflicts, particularly when tabbing out. Here’s how to disable the Discord overlay:

1. Open Discord Settings: Click on the gear icon next to your username in the bottom-left corner of the Discord window.
2. Navigate to Overlay Settings: In the left sidebar, click on “Overlay” under the “App Settings” category.
3. Disable the Overall Overlay: Toggle the switch at the top next to “Enable in-game overlay” to the “Off” position.
4. Disable Specific Game Overlays: Optionally, you can disable overlays only for specific games by clicking on “Game Activity” on the left sidebar and then toggling the overlay off for individual games. This can be useful if you want to keep the overlay enabled for some games but disabled for others that cause issues.
5. Restart Discord: Restart Discord for the changes to take effect.

After disabling the overlay, test if the freezing issue when tabbing out is resolved.

5. Update Your Graphics Drivers

Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers are a frequent cause of application instability, including Discord freezing. Keeping your drivers updated can resolve many issues related to rendering and performance. Here’s how to update your graphics drivers:

1. Identify Your Graphics Card: The first step is to identify what graphics card you have. You can do this by:
• Windows: Press Windows Key + X and select “Device Manager.” Expand the “Display adapters” section. You should see your graphics card listed here. Note the brand (Nvidia, AMD, or Intel) and the model.
2. Download Drivers from the Manufacturer’s Website: Visit the official website of your graphics card manufacturer:
• Nvidia: https://www.nvidia.com/download/index.aspx
• AMD: https://www.amd.com/en/support
• Intel: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/detect.html
3. Follow the Instructions: Each manufacturer’s website provides tools to help identify your card and find the correct drivers. Download the latest driver for your graphics card.
4. Install the Drivers: Run the downloaded driver installation file and follow the on-screen instructions. It’s recommended to perform a “clean install” if the option is available, as this removes previous driver files and reduces the chance of conflicts.
5. Restart Your Computer: After installation, you will likely be prompted to restart your computer to complete the process.

After updating your graphics drivers, test if Discord is no longer freezing when you tab out.

6. Close Unnecessary Background Applications

Too many background applications can consume significant system resources, causing Discord to perform poorly, especially when you tab out. Closing unnecessary applications can free up resources and potentially fix the issue. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc (Windows) to open the Task Manager.
2. View Running Processes: Under the “Processes” tab, you will see a list of all the applications and background processes running on your computer.
3. Identify Unnecessary Processes: Look for applications or background processes that you don’t need running. These might include resource-intensive apps that you aren’t actively using, such as other chat clients, browsers, etc.
4. End the Unnecessary Processes: Select the process and click the “End task” button in the bottom-right corner of the window. Be cautious not to end critical system processes; if you’re unsure about a process, it’s best to leave it alone.

After closing unnecessary applications, monitor if Discord is freezing when you tab out. If it does not fix the issue, it’s likely that there is a specific app that conflicts with Discord. Try running Discord without running other apps in the background to try and narrow down the problem.

7. Adjust Discord’s Process Priority

Setting Discord’s process priority higher can ensure it receives sufficient resources when you tab out. This can help prevent it from becoming unresponsive. Here’s how to adjust Discord’s priority:

Note: Changing process priority can sometimes have unintended consequences. It’s recommended only if other solutions have failed.

1. Open Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc (Windows) to open the Task Manager.
2. Go to Details Tab: Click on the “Details” tab.
3. Find Discord.exe: Find the process named “Discord.exe”. You might see multiple instances of Discord, this is normal and you must change the priority for all of them.
4. Set Priority: Right-click on “Discord.exe” and go to “Set priority”, and choose “Above normal”. Do this to all other instances of “Discord.exe”.
5. Confirm the Change: Windows will ask you to confirm that you want to change the priority, click “Change priority”.

Test Discord after changing the priority. If it doesn’t work or seems to cause other issues, you can always return it to “Normal”.

8. Check for Antivirus or Firewall Conflicts

Your antivirus software or firewall can sometimes interfere with Discord’s network access or operations, leading to freezes or unresponsiveness. Here’s how to check for and resolve potential conflicts:

1. Temporarily Disable Antivirus: Briefly disable your antivirus software to see if it resolves the issue. Remember to re-enable it afterwards. It’s not recommended to stay without antivirus software for extended periods of time.
2. Create Exceptions in Antivirus: If disabling the antivirus resolves the issue, create exceptions for Discord in your antivirus settings. This will allow Discord to run without interference from your antivirus software. Every antivirus software has its own way of creating exceptions, you’ll have to check your particular software manual.
3. Check Firewall Settings: Ensure that your firewall is not blocking Discord’s access to the internet. Add Discord as an exception if necessary. Here’s how to do that in Windows 10/11:
• Search for “Firewall” in the Windows search box and click on “Windows Defender Firewall.”
• Click on “Allow an app through Windows Firewall” in the left panel.
• Click on “Change Settings.”
• Look for “Discord” in the list of allowed apps. If it is not there, click “Allow another app…” and browse to Discord’s installation directory and choose the Discord executable file, click “Add” and make sure both “Private” and “Public” options are checked.

After making these changes, restart Discord and test if the issue is resolved.

9. Run Discord as Administrator

Running Discord with administrator privileges can sometimes resolve permission-related issues that might be causing the freezing. Here’s how to do it:

1. Close Discord Completely: Right-click on the Discord icon in your system tray and select “Quit Discord.”
2. Find Discord’s Shortcut: Locate the shortcut for Discord on your desktop, start menu, or wherever it is located.
3. Run as Administrator: Right-click on the Discord shortcut and select “Run as administrator.”

Test to see if running Discord as an administrator fixes the problem.

10. Check Your Internet Connection

Although less likely to cause freezing specifically when tabbing out, a poor or unstable internet connection can still lead to general unresponsiveness and other issues with Discord. Here are a few things to check:

1. Run a Speed Test: Use an online speed test tool to check your internet speed and stability. A slow or inconsistent connection can affect Discord’s performance.
2. Restart Your Modem/Router: Unplug your modem and router, wait for about 30 seconds, and then plug them back in. This can often resolve minor network issues.
3. Check for Network Congestion: If multiple devices are using your internet connection simultaneously, it can slow down the connection. If possible, minimize internet usage on other devices to see if that helps.
4. Consider Wired Connection: If you’re using Wi-Fi, consider switching to a wired connection for a more stable internet connection.

11. Reinstall Discord

If none of the above solutions work, a full reinstall of Discord might be necessary to eliminate any corrupted files or settings causing the freezing issues. Here’s how to do it:

1. Uninstall Discord:
• Windows: Go to “Settings” > “Apps” > “Apps & Features,” locate “Discord,” and click “Uninstall.”
• macOS: Drag the Discord application from the “Applications” folder to the trash.
2. Delete Discord Appdata: This step is important as it ensures that residual data and settings don’t cause conflicts after reinstalling.
• Windows: Press Windows Key + R, type “%appdata%” and press Enter. Locate and delete the “Discord” folder. Repeat this process with “%localappdata%”.
• macOS: Press Command + Shift + G, type “~/Library/Application Support” and press Enter. Locate and delete the “Discord” folder.
3. Download and Install Discord: Download the latest version of Discord from the official website (https://discord.com/download) and install it.

After reinstalling Discord, log back in and test to see if the problem is resolved.

12. Check for System Hardware Issues

While not directly related to Discord itself, problems with your system’s hardware can manifest as application crashes or freezes. If all other steps fail, you might consider checking your hardware:

• RAM: Use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool or other memory testing software to ensure your RAM is working correctly.
• CPU and GPU Temperatures: High CPU or GPU temperatures can cause stability issues. Monitor your system temperatures using monitoring software.
• Storage Devices: Ensure your hard drive or SSD is healthy and has enough free space.

Conclusion

Dealing with Discord freezing when tabbed out can be annoying, but by systematically going through these troubleshooting steps, you can usually identify and resolve the issue. Start with the simpler fixes like restarting Discord and your system and gradually work your way towards more advanced solutions. Remember to test after each step to pinpoint the exact cause and solution. If you are still encountering the problem after trying these solutions, there could be a more complex system issue that might require professional help. However, these steps cover the most common causes of this issue and should get you back to communicating seamlessly on Discord.