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Keeping Discord Up-to-Date: A 5-Step Guide

Since bursting onto the chat app scene in 2015, Discord has quickly cemented itself as one of the most popular communication platforms around. The free application, originally built for gamers, now boasts over 150 million monthly active users.

Whether you‘re part of a private gaming server, an open community, school club, or just chatting with friends, Discord makes it easy to connect.

Of course, with meteoric growth comes growing pains. A glut of early users led to major lag, bugs, and downtime issues in Discord‘s formative years.

Thankfully, the team kept things updated and made optimization a priority. Their relentless release schedule keeps stomping bugs, boosting performance, and adding helpful new features.

But to reap those benefits, your Discord app needs to stay updated too!

Discord's growth by year

In this guide, we‘ll outline how to keep Discord updated with the latest fixes across all major platforms:

Desktop

Mobile

We‘ll also cover best practices for a smooth updating experience, and troubleshoot issues that may crop up.

So let‘s get you running the newest and best Discord has to offer!

Why Stay Updated?

Before jumping into the step-by-steps, understanding why you should update Discord helps underscore its importance:

Squash Pesky Bugs

As an avid Discord user since early 2016, I‘ve endured my fair share of frustrating app bugs:

  • Messages failing to send
  • Servers randomly disconnecting
  • Push notifications delaying for hours

In nearly every instance, downloading the latest update squashed those issues right away.

By December 2021, roughly 300 improvements and bug fixes make their way into Discord every month. But you only benefit by keeping the app updated!

Boost Speed + Performance

Updates don‘t just exterminate bugs – plenty of "under the hood" upgrades improve resource efficiency and loading times. Who doesn‘t want a smoother experience?

For example, Discord‘s 2017 "Purge" update redesigned major processes to enhance performance. Reviewers noted large leaps in loading channels 2-3x faster. The difference upgrading makes is real!

Get the Latest Features

Discord prides itself on frequent feature rollouts based directly on user feedback and requests. Updates give you access to the latest and greatest additions like:

You‘d miss out if your app didn‘t update!

Lock In Security

Software data breaches dominate headlines as malicious hacking grows increasingly advanced. Just ask Facebook.

Thankfully, Discord emphasizes security as a top priority with routine updates and bug bounty programs. Researchers earned $4.4 million finding vulnerabilities in 2021 alone!

But you only gain protections patched in the latest Discord version. Running outdated software leaves you vulnerable. Updating bars the doors.

Hopefully those points drive home why keeping Discord regularly updated matters! Now, let‘s get into it…

Updating Discord on Desktop

Discord began its life on desktop platforms like Windows and OS X. And optimizing the client experience remains central to their progress.

Thankfully, staying updated through the desktop app only takes moments. In most cases, Discord handles things automatically.

Let‘s cover how to update on each desktop OS, plus steps to force a fresh install when needed:

Windows

As a UWP app, Discord follows the standard Windows Update process:

Windows update process for apps like Discord

But you can also manually trigger updates as follows:

  1. Quit Discord – Right click the system tray icon and select Quit Discord
  2. Refresh the App – Right click the Discord shortcut and choose Check for Updates
  3. Follow Prompts – If an update is pending, further prompts will guide you through any install requirements or restarts needed to finish.

Alternatively, closing and reopening Discord itself often triggers a background update check.

For those fond of keyboard shortcuts:

  • Refresh: CTRL + R
  • Quit:CTRL + Q

I recommend mapping these in your Discord settings for easy updating while gaming!

If updates still fail through Windows, try reviewing your system update logs failure clues under:

Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history

We‘ll also cover a full uninstall and reinstall shortly to refresh Discord completely when needed.

Mac

Like its Windows counterpart, Discord typically checks and updates itself automatically in the background on MacOS.

But you can also force an update check manually:

  1. Quit Discord – Click the Discord menu bar icon and select Quit Discord
  2. Refresh the App – Press ⌘ + R to refresh Discord. The update check begins automatically.
  3. Follow Prompts – Allow any restart or relaunch requirements to finish updating.

Alternatively, fully quitting Discord via ⌘ + Q then reopening works much like Windows.

Force quit Discord on Mac

I suggest adding these keyboard shortcuts in Discord‘s Mac settings too for quick updating between rounds of Fortnite clashes!

If your updates still error or fail to trigger, check Console.app for clues:

Finder > Applications > Utilities > Console

Filter for errors mentioning "Discord" as seen below:

Check Mac console logs for Discord errors

Linux

Discord provides official Deb and RPM Linux packages through Snapcraft – making updates wonderfully seamless:

sudo snap refresh discord

That one terminal command checks and installs your pending Discord updates!

Alternatively Linux users can:

  1. Refresh Discord – Enter CTRL + R while Discord is open
  2. Check Updates – Type sudo snap check-update discord in terminal
  3. Follow Prompts – Confirm any update installation or reload messaging

For deeper issues, consult the update logs under /var/log/syslog.

Filter for entries containing "Discord" like so: 

grep Discord /var/log/syslog

This centralizes Linux update errors for review.

Reinstalling Discord

In rare cases, refreshing Discord fails to properly update the app across Windows, Mac and Linux machines.

This suggests a deeper corruption or glitch preventing updates from cleanly applying.

When basic updates error repeatedly, the solution is simply to wipe Discord completely and reinstall fresh:

Windows

  1. Open Apps – Head to Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features
  2. Find Discord – Scroll and select Discord Inc. > Discord
  3. Uninstall – Choose Uninstall and confirm again on the popup
  4. Reinstall – Visit Discord‘s homepage and install again

This fully replaces your existing corrupt Discord install with the latest clean files.

Mac

  1. Open Discord – Head to Finder > Applications and locate Discord
  2. Drag to Trash – Click and drag the Discord icon directly into Trash
  3. Empty Trash – Right click Trash and choose Empty Trash
  4. Reinstall – Download Discord again from their homepage
  5. Open .dmg – Double click the .dmg package and follow prompts

This scrubs Discord from your Mac entirely before replacing it with the newest build.

Linux

  1. Open Terminal – Launch your distro‘s command line terminal
  2. Enter Commands
    • sudo snap remove discord – Removes existing Discord app
    • Y – Confirm removal
  3. Install Fresh – Type sudo snap install discord
  4. Enter Password – Input your account password if prompted

Just like that, Linux users can wipe and reinstall the latest Discord in just a few quick commands!

Updating Discord on Mobile

Despite boasting over 150 million users, Discord actually started as desktop-only software! Their slick mobile experience came later as adoption rocketed.

Thankfully, updating Discord on the go is even easier than on desktop machines thanks to direct app store integration…

iOS

You can update Discord on iPhone or iPad in just seconds through the App Store:

  1. Open App Store – Tap the colorful App Store icon
  2. Visit Updates – Tap your profile picture (top right) > View Account > Check for Updates
  3. Update Discord – On the updates list, find Discord > Tap Update
  4. Check Changes – The App Store lists details on what‘s new!

Alternatively, manually search for "Discord" and tap Update if available.

Update Discord on iPhone

Behind the scenes, your device periodically checks for and downloads pending updates automatically. But checking manually ensures you get new Discord features right away!

Fun tip – updating also provides a direct link to the Discord iOS changelogs detailing every new tweak and addition made by the devs!

Android

Meanwhile, updating Discord works similarly on any Android device thanks to deep Play Store support:

  1. Open Play Store – Find and launch the colorful Play Store app
  2. Visit Updates – Tap the ≡ icon > My Apps & Games > Updates pending
  3. Update Discord – On the updates list, find Discord > Tap Update
  4. Check Changes – Expand "What‘s new" to see recent Discord changes!

You can also directly search "Discord" and select Update rather than navigating your full library.

Update Discord on Android

Like Apple, Google automatically checks apps like Discord for new versions periodically. But manually updating ensures you get the latest bells & whistles ASAP.

Tip – don‘t forget to scan the "What‘s new" section for details on newly added Discord mobile features!

Troubleshooting Discord Update Problems

Ideally at this point your chosen Discord platform is happily updated and ready to use. But technology can be finicky, so let‘s run through some common issues and fixes just in case:

Problem: Updating gets stuck "in progress" indefinitely

Fix: Close and reopen Discord. Disable VPN/firewall temporarily if applicable. Confirm internet connectivity.

Problem: Updates fail to correctly install

Fix: Temporarily disable antivirus software blocking installs. Reboot computer and retry.

Problem: Discord crashes or acts buggy after updating

Fix: Report bugs immediately through Discord‘s feedback channels. Rollback updates if possible while awaiting hotfix.

Problem: Can‘t uninstall Discord on Mac/Linux

Fix: Delete associated folder paths – /Applications/Discord on Mac and ~\.config\Discord on Linux distros. Then reinstall clean.

Problem: Update button missing on mobile

Fix: Your version is likely already fully updated! Double check by reinstalling if performance seems sluggish.

For additional support, visit Discord‘s troubleshooting portal. Staff actively monitor and contribute helpful fixes there.

Keep on Updating!

And there you have it – an easy 5-step guide to keep Discord performant, secure and loaded with the latest helpful features across Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android with just a few clicks.

Be sure to periodically check for and install updates to squash annoying bugs, speed up performance, gain new additions like customizable statuses or animated emoji, while locking out malicious intruders.

Here‘s to smooth Discord sailing! Now get updating!

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