Discord Overlay Not Working: 7 Working Solutions

Discord has features on par with other messaging apps, but it’s particularly useful for gamers. The platform is great for voice and text chat while you play, allowing you to switch between channels and DM threads. The overlay works fairly well in some games but has trouble in others, e.g., the Windows 10 version of Minecraft.

If you find the Discord overlay not working, use the steps below to troubleshoot and get back in the game. Below, we also answer common questions about Discord overlay problems in 2025 and beyond.

Quick Fix Checklist for Discord Overlay Not Working

You can troubleshoot Discord overlay not working issues by:

• Disabling overlay for all or select games
• Running the app as an administrator
• Checking antivirus or firewall interference
• Turning off Hardware Acceleration
• Reinstalling the app
• Changing the overlay hotkey
• Verifying game compatibility and display mode
• Ensuring Discord, graphics drivers, and your game are updated

Why is My Discord Overlay Not Working?

There are several reasons why the Discord overlay might not be working as expected:

• Overlay is disabled: It could be disabled for the game, or in general. Check your Discord settings to see if this is the case. 
• Game compatibility issues: Some games (older titles, exclusive full-screen, or with anti‑cheat) don’t support overlays reliably.
• Incorrect display mode: Overlay is most reliable in windowed full-screen/borderless. Exclusive full-screen can block it.
• Conflicting software: Using third-party tools or overlays from different entities, such as NVIDIA or Steam, may conflict with Discord’s overlay. Try disabling these to resolve the issue.
• Security software: Antivirus or firewall rules can block overlay components.
• Outdated Discord or graphics drivers: Outdated, buggy, or incompatible drivers may affect things too. Try updating them and see if it fixes the problem. 
• Hardware Acceleration conflicts: While this feature can make certain system functions perform faster, it may also cause issues with the Discord overlay. 
• Hotkey conflicts: It’s possible that your hotkey is conflicting other keyboard shortcuts, or that it has been changed without you realizing it. 

How to Get Discord Overlay to Pop Up

Here’s how to open Discord overlay after launching a game: 

If it doesn’t pop up, see if your game has Overlay enabled or make sure the default hotkey hasn’t been changed. If you need to adjust the hotkey, go to Settings and then Game Overlay.

Press the hotkey for overlay, the default for this is Shift + ` 

Method 1: Disable Discord Overlay to Fix Discord Overlay Not Working

Method 1: Disable Discord Overlay to Fix Discord Overlay Not Working

To disable the Overlay for any and all games to troubleshoot Discord overlay not working, follow these

1. Open the Discord app.
2. In the column on the bottom left, click the cogwheel to access Discord’s settings.
3. Scroll down and select Game Overlay.
4. Turn Enable in‑game overlay off.

5. Launch the game where the overlay has been displaying, and check if it’s still there. If it is, quit and re-open Discord.
6. Once turned off, turn the overlay on again from a game by tapping the toggle keyboard shortcut, which is Shift+` by default.

Method 2: Disable Discord Overlay for Select Games to Solve Discord Overlay Not Working

The Discord overlay can be disabled on a per-game basis, which can help fix Discord overlay not working for specific games.

1. Open Discord.
2. In the column on the left, click the cogwheel button at the very bottom to access Discord’s settings.
3. Scroll down and select Registered Games.
4. Under Added Games, click the monitor icon next to a title to toggle overlay:

Gray = overlay enabled

Red with slash = overlay disabled

5. Launch the game where the overlay was displaying, and it should no longer appear.

Method 3: Run Discord As The Administrator to Fix Discord Overlay Not Working

Another way to troubleshoot Discord overlay not working, is to run the app under administrative settings. Here’s how:

1. On your PC desktop screen, go to your Discord shortcut
2. Right click the shortcut and choose Properties
3. A pop-up window will open, go to the Compatibility tab
4. Select the Run this program as an administrator box
5. Select OK
6. Open Discord and see if this fixes the overlay problem when you play your game

Method 4: Temporarily Disable Antivirus to Fix Discord Overlay Not Working

Some third-party antivirus apps can cause errors with Discord or other applications. If you’re asking, “Why is my discord overlay not working?”, your antivirus could be the problem. The best way to find out is to temporarily disable it. Here’s how,
For Windows: 

1. Go to your system tray (taskbar) and click the ^ symbol (usually near the clock).
2. Your antivirus should be visible. If not, you can access it through the search bar.
3. Right-click your antivirus.
4. Choose Disable/Shut Down Protection (wording varies).

5. Confirm with Yes or Ok if prompted.
6. Remember to re-enable it again when you’re done using Discord.

For MacOS:

1. Press the spacebar and Command button at the same time.
2. Type in the name of your antivirus.
3. From there, click on the antivirus to get to the settings.
4. Find Disable/Turn off/Stop controls. Every antivirus is different.
5. Don’t forget to turn it back on after using Discord.

Method 5: Disable Discord’s Hardware Acceleration to Fix Discord Overlay Not Working

Hardware Acceleration can help Discord run smoother through the use of your sound card and GPU. Unfortunately, it sometimes causes the Discord overlay to stop working. Here’s how to disable this feature:

1. Open Discord.
2. Click on the Settings cogwheel.
3. Scroll down to Advanced and select it.
4. Toggle Hardware Acceleration off.

5. Restart your game and see if the problem is resolved.

Method 6: Reinstall The Discord App to Fix Discord Overlay Not Working

It maybe be that bugs or glitches in the Discord app are causing the problem, so you can try reinstalling it. Here are the necessary steps:

1. Push the Windows and R keys at the same time.
2. In the Run window, type Control Panel and hit OK.
3. On the upper right, choose to View by Category
4. Go to Uninstall a Program.
5. Find Discord in the program list.
6. Right-click Discord and choose Uninstall.
7. Restart your computer.
8. Download and install the latest version of Discord.
9. Open the Discord app.
10.  In Discord, add your game and Enable in‑game overlay.
11.  Test to see if this fixes the problem.

Method 7: Change The Discord Overlay Hotkey to Fix Discord Overlay Not Working

The hotkey for your overlay is usually defaulted to SHIFT+ (CTRL+. If pushing the hotkey doesn’t work, it may have been changed by accident. Here’s how to fix it:

1. Launch Discord.
2. Navigate to Settings (the cogwheel icon).
3. Scroll down to Game Overlay.
4. You will see the currently assigned hotkey for Overlay. To change it, go to Toggle Overlay Lock at the top of your screen.
5. Press the keyboard icon to open “Edit Keybind”.
6. Now choose your preferred hotkey by pushing the keyboard key of your preference. Just make sure it doesn’t duplicate another hotkey.

Additional Troubleshooting Steps for Discord Overlay Not Working

• Check game compatibility: See if your game is actually compatible with Discord overlay. Older titles or anti‑cheat can block overlays. Search community reports for your game of other players having compatibility issues.
• Perform updates: Try updating both your game and Discord to the latest versions as this may fix any bugs or problems. 
• Switch display modes: If you’re using exclusive full-screen mode, try borderless windowed. The mode you choose can affect if Overlay works. 
• Disable other overlays: Disable third-party overlays from apps like Steam and GeForce Experience in case there are conflicts. 
• Close background apps: If you’re running background applications, close them to see if they may be causing interferences with Discord.

Frequently Asked Questions: Discord Overlay

Customizing Text and Voice Settings in Discord Game Overlay

Discord overlay supports lots of customizations, such as positioning, voice display, and text display options. You can also adjust avatar size and choose whether users appear only when speaking. You can explore various settings and preview them before saving any changes.

How to customize your overlay settings:

1. Open Discord and log in.
2. Go to Settings (gear icon).
3. Under Activity Settings, go to Game Overlay.

Discord Text Chat Customization

Here are some things you can do with text chat modifications: 

• Enable text chat notifications: Choose whether to see Discord chat messages while playing. If you disable this, no pop-ups appear. If enabled, messages show in-game so you stay updated. You may need to unmute chats that you’ve previously muted if you want them to show up. Enabling the notification won’t be enough for them to be displayed.
• Chat sources: This option lets you choose if you want to get messages from servers or directly. 
• Discord Streamer Mode: Enabling this option will prevent pop-up messages from appearing on your screen as you stream, keeping them private from viewers. 

Voice Chat Customization   

Here are several voice chat options available in Discord:

• Display Users: You can choose whether voice‑chat users are visible only when they’re talking or always visible.
• Display Names: You can adjust usernames and decide when they are shown or hidden. Options include when they’re speaking, always on, or never on. 
• Avatar Size: Avatar size options are large or small. Choose based on whether you want bigger visuals or a cleaner, more compact overlay.

Overlay Position and Pinning

Some positioning and pinning options include: 

• Overlay Preview: Lets you check your layout before launching a game to ensure visuals don’t block key elements and avatar sizes look right.
• Move the Overlay: To open the overlay while gaming, press your hotkey. You can then reposition text and voice windows by dragging them with your mouse. 
• Pin or Unpin Windows: The pin icon lets you decide which panels you want to keep visible, such as your voice panel. 

All these customization options help you stay connected while gaming, letting you choose which features to show or hide. Feel free to experiment and find the setup that works best for you.

Discord Legacy Game Overlay

In 2025, Discord released a new version of overlay, promising users expanded game support, better performance, and a few visual updates. 

However, some gamers still want to keep using the legacy version. This might be because it can run more smoothly on older or lower-spec systems, or simply that they prefer the older layout.

Discord’s Legacy Game Overlay is a classic version of the platform’s in-game interface. It allows you to see chats, notifications, and voice actively while playing and doesn’t require you to alt-tab out.

Here’s How to Go Back to the Legacy Game Overlay

Depending on which version of Discord you’re using, choose either Enable Legacy Mode or Use Legacy Overlay. Note, Legacy Game Overlay may eventually be phased out. 

• Go to Discord and log in.
• Go to User Settings by clicking the gear icon.
• Select Activity Settings and scroll down to Game Overlay.
• Enable In-Game Overlay by toggling the option on.

How Revamped Game Overlay Rollout Aims to Improve Performance

In 2025, Discord revamped their Game Overlay in an effort to increase reliability and stability. Some noteworthy improvements include: 

Overlay runs as a separate window for better performance, though full-screen mode isn’t currently supported.

Gamers can use Discord without exiting their game.

The new overlay uses individual widgets instead of integrating directly into the game window, reducing crashes and freezes.

Conclusion

Discord has worked on improving performance and reliability and it has some robust features for gamers. It’s ideal for multiplayer/co-op games but single-player titles may not benefit as much from chat applications. Controls can be managed on a per-game basis, saving you time and offering better customization options. 

If you’re having overlay issues, try the fixes above. Keeping Discord updated and checking community forums can also help. Happy gaming!

Read Full Bio

Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

Latest from Author

How to Force Quit on Windows: Easy Steps to Close Unresponsive Apps Why Is My Printer Offline? Common Causes and Fixes