Have you ever needed to unban someone from your Discord server? As an active server owner and moderator, I‘ve handled my fair share of banning and unbanning members over the years.
Whether you want to reverse an accidental ban or let a previously banned member back into your community, this comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know to successfully unban someone on Discord.
Overview: What We‘ll Cover
In this detailed walkthrough, I‘ll be sharing insider tips and step-by-step instructions for unbanning users on both desktop and mobile Discord.
Here‘s a quick look at what we‘ll cover:
- The technical step-by-step process for unbanning on desktop and mobile
- Permission levels required to unban users
- Outcomes of unbanning – what happens when a ban gets revoked
- Best practices for avoiding accidental bans
- What to do if you change your mind after unbanning someone
- How bot bans work and when to ban misbehaving bots
Let‘s get started!
Step 1: Locate the Server on Discord
The first step is simple – find the server where you banned the user.
On desktop Discord, your active servers are listed down the left sidebar.
Tip: If you don‘t see the server listed, click the arrow icon in the bottom left to expand your full server list.
On mobile, tap the hamburger menu icon (3 horizontal lines) in the upper left corner to view your servers.
Step 2: Access the Server Settings Menu
Once you‘ve located the correct server, access the server settings menu:
On Desktop:
- Right click on the server name
- Hover over "Server Settings" in the pop-up menu
On Mobile:
- Tap the 3 dot menu icon in the top right corner
- Select the gear icon for "Server Settings"
This menu is your gateway to managing bans.
Step 3: Navigate to the Bans Page
Within the Server Settings menu:
On Desktop:
- Click on "Bans"
On Mobile:
- Scroll down and tap on "Bans"
You‘ll then see a list of all currently banned users from your server.
Pro Tip: Only users with advanced permissions like Admins and Owners can access this page to manage bans.
More on permission levels later!
Step 4: Select the Banned User
On the bans page, locate the user you want to unban.
You can search for their name or scroll through the list to find them.
Once you‘ve located the right user, select their name.
This will open up a details card for that specific banned user.
Step 5: Revoke the Ban
With the banned user‘s details card open, you‘re now ready to lift their ban!
On Desktop and Mobile:
- Click or tap the "Revoke Ban" button
- Confirm you want to lift the ban when prompted
And that‘s it – the user‘s ban is now revoked!
They can rejoin your server if they choose. Pretty easy right?
Now let‘s talk about what happens after you unban someone…
Outcomes After Unbanning a User
When you revoke a ban on Discord, here is what happens:
- The user must manually rejoin your server (no automatic re-adding)
- They won‘t be notified they were unbanned
- Previous messages remain visible or deleted based on settings chosen during original ban
I‘ve summarized additional key details in this table:
| What Happens Post-Unban | Details |
|---|---|
| User must rejoin server | Unbanning does not automatically re-add them |
| No notifications sent about revoked ban | User won‘t know they can rejoin |
| Previous messages stay/removed per original setting | Depends if "Delete Messages" was enabled with initial ban |
So if you really want that previously banned person back in your server, it‘s best to DM them an invite after unbanning them.
Otherwise, they likely won‘t know they can come back!
Avoiding Accidental Bans
Banning the wrong user is a common mistake for new Discord moderators.
In fast moving chats with many users, it‘s easy to mis-click and ban someone unintentionally.
Based on my experience, here are some pro tips to avoid accidental bans:
- Double check usernames before clicking the ban button!
- Use mute instead if you just want to temporarily restrict someone
- Confirm ban prompts carefully instead of instinctively clicking
- Set up ban appeal channel so wrongly banned members can contact mods
Following these best practices can minimize headache if you ban the wrong person.
And if it happens anyway, this guide has you covered on making it right!
I Unbanned Someone – Now What?
Has this ever happened to you?
- You regretfully banned your friend as a joke
- You unbanned that annoying ex-member who keeps spamming memes
- That previously banned troll is back and up to their old tricks!
Well my friend, no worries!
You can always re-ban someone if you change your mind after unbanning them.
Discord places no limits on the number of times you can ban or unban someone.
Repeat offenders giving you deja vu? Lather rinse repeat on that ban button as needed!
Or for mild cases, consider muting them instead.
Bottom line – you‘ve got options to wrangle even the most unruly of members!
Rogue Bots Banning Users
Now what if users are getting banned out of the blue but you didn‘t do it?
Chances are one of your server‘s bots has gone rogue!
While rare, bots can sometimes misconfigure their permissions or automation and go on mass banning sprees. No one is safe!
When this chaos unleashes, here are the steps to contain it:
Check bot permissions
Did someone give the bot admin powers when they shouldn‘t have? Review and restrict as needed
Disable ban capabilities
If a bot has ban abilities, cut them off! Adjust bot settings
Uninstall the bot
When all else fails, uninstall/ban the rogue bot from wreaking more havoc
Follow those steps, and you‘ll be back in the driver‘s seat in no time.
Oh yeah, and you can always unban anyone the crazy bot wrongly banned too!
Let‘s Recap How to Unban on Discord
We‘ve covered a ton of ground here. So to quickly recap, here is how to unban someone on Discord:
On Desktop:
- Right click server name
- Click "Server Settings" > "Bans"
- Select banned user > "Revoke Ban"
On Mobile:
- Tap the 3 dots by the server name
- Tap gear icon for "Server Settings"
- Scroll down to "Bans"
- Tap banned user‘s 3 dots > "Revoke Ban"
And that‘s a wrap!
You‘re now fully equipped with the knowledge needed to easily unban users from your Discord server.
You got this! Wishing you smooth sailing as you manage your server and community.
Game on!
