8 Effective Solutions to Resolve Discord Not Opening on Mac

Discord has become increasingly popular among gaming communities, small businesses, and online groups as a platform for sharing views, updates, and engaging in healthy discussions. However, many Mac users have encountered issues with Discord's macOS app. If you're facing the same problem, don't worry. We've got you covered with these eight effective solutions to fix Discord not opening on Mac.

1. Check the Network Connection

To ensure that Discord runs smoothly on your Mac, make sure you have a stable internet connection. Follow these steps:

  1. Click the “Action Center” in the menu bar.
  2. Connect to a high-speed Wi-Fi network on your Mac, preferably a 5GHz Wi-Fi frequency.

Connect to Wi-Fi network on Mac

2. Diagnose Network Issues

Incorrect network configuration on your Mac can prevent Discord from opening. To resolve this issue, set your DNS to Google Public DNS. Here's how:

  1. Click the Apple icon in the menu bar and open “System Settings.”
  2. Select “Wi-Fi” and click “Details.”
  3. Click “DNS” from the sidebar and select “+” in DNS servers. Add the following options:
  • 8.8.8.8
  • 8.8.4.4
  • 2001:4860:4860::8888
  • 2001:4860:4860::8844

Add DNS servers

  1. Close System Settings and try launching Discord again.

You can also renew your Mac's IP address to troubleshoot Discord:

  1. Open Wi-Fi details in Mac system settings.
  2. Select “TCP/IP” from the sidebar.
  3. Click “Renew DHCP Lease” and select “OK.”

Renew DHCP Lease

3. Restart Mac

A simple and quick solution to fix Discord problems on your Mac is to restart your device. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner and select “Restart.”

Restart Mac

4. Free Up RAM on Mac

If your Mac is running low on physical RAM, it may struggle to open resource-intensive apps like Discord. To resolve this issue, use Activity Monitor to close unnecessary apps and free up RAM:

  1. Open the Applications menu and launch “Activity Monitor.”
  2. Go to the “Memory” tab and check the available memory on your Mac.
  3. Select an app that's consuming an unusual amount of RAM and click the “X” at the top.

Memory tab in Activity Monitor

Once you have enough available RAM on your Mac, try opening Discord again.

5. Restart Discord

If Discord is not opening on your Mac, you can force-close the app and try opening it again:

  1. Open “Activity Monitor” on your Mac (follow the steps mentioned above).
  2. Select “Discord” and click the “X” at the top.

Close Discord

Close Activity Monitor and check if Discord opens successfully.

6. Reinstall Discord

If the previous solutions didn't work, you can try reinstalling Discord on your Mac. However, simply moving Discord to the Bin and reinstalling it won't suffice. You need to delete the relevant app folders as well:

  1. Open Finder on your Mac and select “Go” in the menu bar. Click “Go to Folder.”
  2. Type “~/Library/Application Support” and hit Enter.
  3. Right-click on the “Discord” folder and move it to the Bin.

Move Discord files to Bin

Now, use the previous method to completely close Discord on your Mac. Then, open Finder, go to “Applications,” right-click on “Discord,” and move it to the Bin. Visit the official Discord website to download the latest version of the app.

7. Check Discord Status

If Discord servers are down, you may experience difficulties opening the app on your Mac. To check the status of Discord servers, visit Downdetector and search for Discord. If you notice high outage graphs and other users complaining about the same issue, you'll need to wait for some time and try opening the app again.

8. Use Discord Web

If Discord still fails to open on your Mac, you can temporarily switch to the web version and enable notifications. Here's how to do it using Google Chrome as an example:

  1. Visit Discord on Google Chrome and sign in with your account details.
  2. Click the lock icon in the address bar and open “Site settings.”
  3. Allow notifications from the options provided.

Discord site settings

By following these eight effective solutions, you can resolve the issue of Discord not opening on your Mac. Don't let this problem hinder your communication and productivity. Give these methods a try before considering other platforms or mobile apps. If you're experiencing similar issues on Android or iPhone, check out our dedicated post on fixing Discord problems.