Are you getting the hourglass icon randomly on Discord and you need a hand understanding it, even…getting rid of it?
You’re just in the right because that’s what I do here – teach people how to handle their social media problems.
In short, here’s why the hourglass icon might appear in your case:
- Discord is trying to fix a bug with the app, and the feature you’re trying to access is temporarily unavailable
- You haven’t completed the “Membership Screening” on your Discord server
If Discord is indeed malfunctioning or working on a bug, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for them to finish implementing whatever update they’re working on.
All that aside, I recommend going through my guide below to troubleshoot your problem and solve it!
What Is the Hourglass Icon on Discord?
Typically, the hourglass icon is used by apps and platforms to signify a period of waiting for the end user or that a feature is temporarily unavailable.
It means you should wait. In this case, you should wait for Discord to fix a bug or complete the server “Membership Screening“.
There’s not a lot of information about this issue on forums, likely because not many people came across the hourglass icon.
But those who did say that, eventually, the hourglass disappeared by itself or after they did the “Membership Screening” for their servers.
I assume the hourglass icon is an automated response triggered by Discord to notify you about something wrong with the app.
A user reported on the official Discord support forums that he has an “Hourglass” folder in the Discord app that shows all the servers he’s banned from.
He believed that the folder should instead show all the servers on which he hadn’t completed the verification. In the end, it was a bug that was eventually solved by Discord.
How to Eliminate the Hourglass Icon on Discord?
Removing the hourglass icon is not an exact science, I’m afraid. But I can recommend a few solutions that should work regardless of the situation:
- Complete the “Membership Screening” on your server
- Wait for Discord to fix the bug or file a report
- Clear the Discord cache on your phone
- Uninstall and reinstall Discord on your device
I’ll be using a computer for this guide, so all the solutions (except for the cache-clearing one) will be shown on a computer.
Read below:
Complete the “Membership Screening” on Your Server
The first solution requires you to finish the verification procedure on your newly-created Discord server. Follow the steps below to do just that:
1. Right-Click on Your Server’s Name
First, you’ll have to open Discord and go to your server (on the left-hand side). Then, look up to see your server’s name, and then right-click on it to open a settings window.
2. Select “Server Settings“
After you right-click on your server’s name, a pop-up window will appear, showing multiple options. Some of these options are “Server Boost“, “Invite People“, “Server Settings“, and more.
You need to click on “Server Settings” to configure your server and complete the verification procedure. That’s what’s causing the Hourglass icon to appear.
3. Click on “Enable Community“
Once you open your server’s settings, look on the left-hand side menu bar for the “Enable Community” option and click on it.
This will let you configure how new members can access your server, and the “Membership Screening” option is hidden within this setting.
If you’ve already enabled the Community feature, skip to step 8!
4. Click on “Get Started“
Once you select the “Enable Community” option, look to the right, where you’ll see a brand-new page. On this page, click on the “Get Started” button that’s under the “Are you building a community?” title.
You can read the description to understand why a Discord server needs a community and why this option can help you achieve that.
Once you do that, continue with my next instructions:
5. Complete the “Safety Checks” Step
Now, you’re in the “Community Set-up” process, and you need to complete it.
First is the “Safety Checks” section (see the steps on the left of the set-up window). If you want new members to verify their email addresses when joining the server, check the “Verified email required” option.
Lastly, you should also check the “Scan media content from all members” if you want a safer community.
Then, click “Next” in the bottom-right corner to proceed to the next step!
6. Complete the “Setting up the basics” Step
The next step is to “Set up the basics“, which means creating a “Rules” or “Guidelines” channel. You can choose a channel to host the “Rules” from the “Rules or Guidelines Channel” option.
As for the “Community updates channel“, it is only for the moderators and private staff of the channel. Again, you should select a channel to host the community updates section.
When you’re done, click “Next” in the bottom-right corner to proceed.
7. Complete the “Finishing Touches” Step
The last step of the Community Set-up process is to check the “I agree and understand” box and then click on “Finish Setup“.
You should also check the “Remove moderation permissions from @everyone” box. This option is mandatory unless you want every member to have admin powers.
8. Select “Membership Screening“
Now that you’ve enabled the “Community” feature, you should set up the “Membership Screening” too.
On the left-hand side menu, you’ll find the “Membership Screening” option. Click on it and then look to your right for the “Set up Membership Screening” button. Select that and continue with the guide!
9. Click on “Get Started“
On the “Membership Screening” page, you’ll see the “Get Started‘ button at the bottom, under the “Set up server rules!” title.
Click on it to start the screening process for your server members (we’re only halfway through, just so you know).
10. Add Rules and Click on “Save“
In the “Server Rules” screen, you can add any rules you want the members to respect. You have several example rules at the bottom, which you can use.
If you want to, you can create customized ones by typing them in the text box under the “Server Rules” title.
When you’re done, click on “Save” in the bottom-right corner to proceed.
11. Write a Server Description and Click on “Enable“
The final step is creating a server description. Think of something that best describes your server that would attract members to it.
When you’re done, click on “Enable” just above the “Description” text box.
That’s it, you’ve now completed the “Membership Screening” for your Discord server, and the Hourglass icon should disappear by itself.
However, if you have multiple unverified servers, complete the “Membership Screening” for all of them.
If the hourglass icon doesn’t disappear, it means you have another problem, quite possibly a bug.
Try other solutions on this list!
Wait for Discord to Fix the Bug or File a Report
Sometimes, the hourglass icon appears because there’s a bug that Discord is currently working on.
If this’s the case, you can’t do anything but wait. Restarting your phone, clearing the cache, and reinstalling Discord, none of the solutions will work.
That’s because the problem isn’t your device or a problem with your app but with the Discord servers.
You could, however, report the problem to Discord customer support if you think they may be unaware of this issue.
Search for “Discord report form” on Google, and you should find this page.
On the report page, select a fitting category and then complete the report with the necessary information. Tell them you’re seeing the hourglass icon on the app and explain all the things you did to try and resolve it.
When you’re done, send the report and wait for Discord to reply. They’ll send you an email within 2-3 business days or a week.
Clear the Discord Cache on Your Phone
If you’re seeing the hourglass icon on the Discord mobile app, you could try to clear the Discord cache. If it’s a bug, then clearing the cache will fix it.
Follow these steps to do that:
1. Go to Your Phone Settings
First, select the phone Settings icon. It looks like a cogwheel or gear and is in your app list on your phone.
2. Go to “Apps“
Next, find the “Apps” option and select it. The phone menu may look different on your device because of the different OS versions.
But the option should have the same name on all mobile devices.
3. Tap on “Manage Apps“
Once you select the “Apps” option, you’ll get to another menu where you need to select “Manage Apps“. If this menu doesn’t appear on your mobile device, skip to the next step.
4. Search for Discord in the App List
In the App List (a list with all your apps), you should look for Discord. I recommend using the search box at the top of the app list to find Discord.
If you don’t have a search box, look for Discord manually and tap on it.
5. Tap on “Clear Data“
Once you get to the “App Info” page of the Discord app, look for the “Clear data” button at the bottom of the screen.
It’s next to the “Uninstall” button. Tap on it and see below:
6. Select “Clear Cache”
Lastly, after you tap on “Clear Data“, a pop-up window will appear with two options – “Clear all data” and “Clear cache“.
Tap on “Clear cache” to remove the hourglass icon from the Discord app. This will clear any residual data and make a fresh start for the Discord app.
However, if this doesn’t work, then I have one last solution for you:
Uninstall and Reinstall Discord on Your Device
If nothing else works, then uninstalling and reinstalling Discord might help. Whether you’re using a computer or a mobile device, this guide will help you out.
For Computer
If you’re on a computer, then uninstalling/reinstalling Discord should be a simple process. Go to your Control Panel by clicking on your Windows button and your Windows Settings.
Once you’re there, click on the “Apps” button.
The “Apps” option is to the left, under the “System” option and above the “Search” option. But this is only if you’re using Windows 10.
If you’re using Windows 7 or 11, the Control Panel or Windows Settings may look different.
Once you open the “Apps” window, look for Discord and click on “Uninstall“.
In the “Apps & Features” window, search for Discord using the search box and then click on the “Uninstall” button in the bottom-right corner.
After you uninstall Discord, it’s time to reinstall it. Go to Google and type in “Discord“, then open the official website and click on “Download for Windows“.
After downloading the installation kit, double-click on it and install Discord, log back into your account, and see if the hourglass icon is still there.
It really shouldn’t…
For Mobile Phone
If you’re using a mobile phone and want to uninstall/reinstall Discord, the process is just as simple as on a computer.
Go to your phone settings – Apps – Manage Apps – Discord – Uninstall.
The process is the same as when you cleared the cache for the Discord app. You go to the “App Info” page, and you’ll find the “Uninstall” button at the bottom of the page.
Tap on the “Uninstall” button, and after the process is over, you’ll need to reinstall Discord from Google Play or Play Store.
This only takes a few seconds, and you’ll be ready to use Discord immediately. Log back into your account and see if the hourglass icon is gone.
If it’s still there, then you can only wait for it to disappear by itself or contact support and tell them all about it. I hope this guide has helped you but do leave a comment down below if you’re having problems!
