Are you getting an “RTC Connecting” error on Discord? Are you stuck on “RTC Connecting” or it’s taking too long to connect? The error message happened back in 2020, and it still persists to this date.
Discord mentioned that the error is due to a bug. Here‘s what they said, “If you’re having issues with connecting to voice channels, calling someone in direct messages on your Mac, Discord reloads constantly, or you’re automatically logged out, it’s a bug that our engineering team is currently looking into”.
Many users are frustrated because the “RTC Connecting” error is still happening. In this comprehensive guide of over 2000 words, you’ll learn what does RTC Connecting mean on Discord and how to effectively fix it if it’s stuck in a loop.
What Does RTC Connecting Mean on Discord?
RTC Connecting on Discord means that you’re unable to reach Discord‘s voice servers. This could be due to something on your end or something on Discord’s end.
If it’s caused by something on your end, it’s usually because a firewall or a VPN is interfering with your connection. The errors that you’ll get are “ICE Checking”, “No Route”, “RTC Connecting” or “Connecting”.
On the other hand, if you’re getting the “Awaiting Endpoint” error, Discord is most likely down.
According to Discord‘s own support article, "RTC connecting means that the Discord client is attempting to establish a connection to our real-time communication (RTC) servers."
Essentially, it indicates your Discord app is struggling to reach the voice infrastructure servers. This results in an inability to connect to voice channels.
Some key things to know about RTC Connecting in Discord:
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It typically points to an issue on the user‘s end rather than Discord‘s servers being down.
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Firewalls, VPNs, antivirus software, incorrect settings, etc. usually cause the problem.
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Stuck on "RTC Connecting" means voice packets can‘t get through to Discord‘s servers.
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Usually persists unless user troubleshoots their network, computer, or Discord app itself.
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Affects ability to connect to voice chats and calls. Text channels remain accessible.
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Appears during initial voice channel join attempts or mid-call disconnects.
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Can be an intermittent or one-time issue if caused by temporary network blips.
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Will continue looping endlessly until fixed if caused by misconfigurations.
In summary, RTC Connecting indicates your Discord client cannot complete a handshake with RTC media relay servers, preventing access to real-time voice chat features.
How to Fix RTC Connecting on Discord
To fix RTC Connecting on Discord, you need to reset your voice settings. After you’ve reset your voice settings, the “RTC Connecting” error should be fixed.
Alternatively, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling Discord. You can also try restarting Discord to see if it helps.
If you’re still getting the error, you need to check if Discord is down. To do so, visit https://discordstatus.com/ to check if all systems are operational. If Discord is down, you need to wait until their servers are back up.
Here‘s a step-by-step guide on how to fix RTC Connecting on Discord:
1. Open Discord Desktop App
Firstly, you need to open the desktop version of Discord and log in to your account. You need to use the desktop app and not the Discord mobile app. This is because the Discord mobile app does not allow you to reset your voice settings.
2. Go to User Settings
Once you’re on the desktop version of Discord, you need to go to your user settings. To do so, click on the gear icon next to your profile picture.
Click the Gear Icon to Access User Settings
3. Click on "Voice & Video"
After clicking on the gear icon, you’ll land on your user settings page. On the left sidebar, under "App Settings", click on the "Voice & Video" option.
4. Reset Voice Settings
You‘ll now be on the "Voice & Video" settings page. Scroll down and click on the "Reset Voice Settings" button located at the bottom of the page.
Reset Voice Settings in Discord
5. Confirm Resetting Voice Settings
A pop-up will appear asking you to confirm resetting voice settings. Click "Okay" to confirm.
By resetting voice settings, your local mutes and volumes will be cleared. Discord will reconfigure itself as if it‘s the first time you set up voice chat.
6. Try Connecting to Voice Channel Again
Once you‘ve reset voice settings, try connecting to a voice channel again. The "RTC Connecting" loop should now be fixed in most cases.
Other Methods to Fix RTC Connecting
Here are some other methods you can try if resetting voice settings didn‘t work:
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Restart Discord – Completely close Discord and restart the app. Restarting flushes out any glitches.
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Reinstall Discord – Uninstall and download the latest version of Discord. This wipes old settings.
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Restart Your Device – Restart your computer/mobile device. Helps clear out memory issues.
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Disable VPN – VPNs can sometimes interfere with Discord connections. Disable as a test.
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Check Firewall Settings – Ensure Discord is allowed access through your firewall. Make exceptions.
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Change Voice Server Region – Manually select a different voice server region in settings.
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Enable QoS in Settings – Enable "Quality of Service High Packet Priority" in Voice & Video settings.
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Contact Support – Reach out to Discord‘s support team via discord.com/support if all else fails.
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Flush DNS – Flush your DNS cache if incorrectly cached records are interfering.
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Disable Proxy Settings – If proxy settings are enabled, try disabling as a test.
Why Does the RTC Connecting Error Occur?
There are a few potential reasons why you may get stuck on "RTC Connecting" in Discord:
Networking Issues
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Connectivity problems – Unstable internet or dropped WiFi signals.
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ISP outages – Loss of connectivity from your internet service provider.
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Bandwidth limits – Voice chat requires steady bandwidth.
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Ports blocked – Firewalls/ISP blocking required ports.
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VPN interference – VPN connections disrupt access.
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Network conflicts – Clashing programs, drivers, or settings.
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Packet loss – High latency and packet loss interrupts voice data.
Computer Issues
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Antivirus conflicts – Some antivirus block Discord access.
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Software conflicts – Other apps using microphone and bandwidth.
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OS/driver problems – Outdated OS or audio driver issues.
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Full memory – RAM and CPU overload causes performance issues.
Discord App Issues
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Misconfigured settings – Wrong voice server, input device etc.
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Corrupt local data – Cached data or settings need to be cleared.
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Bug causing crash – A bug Discord hasn‘t fixed yet.
Discord Server Issues
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Downtime – Very rare full outage of Discord‘s backbone.
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Voice server overload – Too many active users in region.
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Voice server maintenance – Occasional maintenance breaks connections.
Tips to Prevent RTC Connecting Errors
Here are some tips to avoid getting stuck on RTC Connecting in the future:
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Check Discord‘s status page at discordstatus.com for any known issues.
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Make sure you have a stable, high-speed internet connection. Ethernet > WiFi.
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Do not use a VPN when using Discord voice chat.
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Add Discord to your antivirus, firewall, and router allowed programs lists.
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Disable QoS and automatic server switching in settings.
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Update your network drivers, Discord app, and operating system.
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Use a wired connection instead of wireless if possible. More reliable.
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Set Discord‘s process priority to High in task manager for optimal performance.
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Ensure adequate CPU and RAM resources are available while running Discord.
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Disable unnecessary background processes and apps before running Discord voice.
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If on work/school network, request network admin whitelist Discord domains/ports.
Common RTC Connecting Error Codes
Here are some of the specific RTC connecting error messages you may encounter and what they mean:
No route – There is no available network path for your voice data to reach Discord. This is usually a firewall, VPN, or router issue.
ICE check failed – The ICE (Interactive Connectivity Establishment) handshake failed. This indicates connection issues.
Negotiation timed out – The ICE negotiation between you and Discord‘s server timed out due to network problems.
Awaiting endpoint – Discord‘s voice servers are down or unreachable on their end. Try switching regions.
Disconnected – You were disconnected from the voice server mid-call due to network instability.
Websocket closed – The websocket carrying your voice data closed prematurely due to errors.
Switching protocols – Discord is attempting to switch voice protocols after running into issues.
Invalid session – Your saved Discord voice session data has become corrupted locally.
Dissecting the RTC Connecting Sequence
To understand what’s happening behind the scenes when “RTC Connecting” appears, let’s break down the sequence of events:
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You click to join a voice channel, initiating a request to Discord’s servers.
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Discord allocates a port and connects you to the optimal voice server for your region.
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Your client obtains ICE candidates needed for the connection.
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ICE candidates are exchanged and the NAT traversal process starts.
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The optimal ICE candidate pair is selected and connection requests begin.
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Your client tries to establish a UDP connection to the voice server.
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If the TCP/UDP handshake fails, the “RTC Connecting” message appears and loops, retrying periodically.
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Once the handshake is successful, the UDP tunnel is established and voice data can transmit.
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On success, the green “Connected” indicator will appear.
So in summary, RTC Connecting is the phase where your Discord client tries and fails to establish the essential UDP peer connection to the voice server, preventing you from connecting to the voice channel.
Conclusion
The "RTC Connecting" loop is a frustrating problem that prevents connecting to Discord voice chat. Resetting voice settings is the best way to resolve the issue in most cases.
If that doesn‘t work, systematically try restarting Discord, reinstalling the app, changing voice regions, and checking for firewall/VPN interference. Also double check Discord‘s status page for any outage notifications.
As a last resort, reach out to Discord‘s responsive support team for additional troubleshooting assistance. With the comprehensive fixes in this 2000+ word guide, you should now have a thorough understanding of Discord‘s RTC Connecting issue and be equipped to get past it to rejoin voice conversations.
