Silencing the Chatter: Stop Discord from Running in the Background

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Written by: Alex Popa

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Silencing the Chatter: Stop Discord from Running in the Background

Discord running in the background and sending constant notifications has to be in the top 10 most annoying things in life (yeah, ok, I know I’m exaggerating here…).

That and waiting in a queue behind someone who can’t find their wallet…(ok, here as well… 🙂 )

I can help you with the Discord part, though…

This is how you can stop the Discord app from running in the background:

  1. Open Discord
  2. Go to Discord Settings (gear icon)
  3. Go to “Window Settings
  4. Disable the “Minimize to Tray” option
  5. Disable the “Open Discord” and “Start Minimized” options

This will ensure that Discord:

  1. Won’t start automatically when you open your computer
  2. Won’t run in your background when you close it

Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide with screenshots to help you understand better. Keep reading!

Summary: To stop Discord from running in the background, open the app, go to Discord Settings by clicking the gear icon, and then select "Window Settings". 

Disable the "Minimize to Tray", "Open Discord", and "Start Minimized" options. 

If Discord is already running in the background, click the System Tray icon, right-click on Discord, and choose "Quit Discord".

1. Click on the Gear icon

Click on the Gear icon
Click on the Gear icon

Begin by opening Discord and clicking the Gear icon in the bottom-left corner of the app – near the Headphones icon.

2. Go to “Windows Settings

Go to "Windows Settings"
Go to “Windows Settings

Continue by looking for the “Windows Settings” option once you open the Discord settings.

3. Disable all the options

Disable all the options
Disable all the options

In the “Windows Settings” window, you’ll see three options:

  • Open Discord – It opens Discord automatically when you open your computer
  • Start Minimized – Discord starts minimized (in the background) on computer startup
  • Minimize to Tray – It sends Discord to the System tray when you close it

Disable all of them. Once you do that, you can close Discord and relax, knowing it won’t run in the background anymore.

How Do I Close Discord From the System Tray?

But what if Discord is already running in the background?

Then follow my instructions to learn how to close it:

1. Click on the System Tray icon

Click on the System Tray icon
Click on the System Tray icon

Your System Tray icon looks like an arrow pointed upwards, and you can find it in the bottom-right corner of your desktop on the Taskbar (check the screenshot above).

Left-click on it and proceed with the guide!

2. Right-click on Discord in the System Tray

Right-click on Discord in the System Tray
Right-click on Discord in the System Tray

Once you open your System Tray, you’ll be welcomed by various icons. These are some of the apps running in the background, which you can control!

Find the Discord icon (with the Discord logo) and right-click on it.

3. Select “Quit Discord

Select "Quit Discord'
Select “Quit Discord

Once you right-click on the Discord icon, you’ll see four options:

  • Discord
  • Check for Updates…
  • Acknowledgments
  • Quit Discord

Select “Quit Discord” to close Discord from the System Tray. It won’t be running in the background anymore so you won’t receive any more message notifications.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! To stop Discord from running in the background, you need to:

  • Open Discord
  • Go to Discord Settings (gear icon)
  • Go to “Window Settings
  • Disable the “Minimize to Tray” option
  • Disable the “Open Discord” and “Start Minimized” options

If it’s already running in the background, go to the System Tray, right-click on Discord and select “Quit Discord.”

Leave a comment below if you have any questions, and I’ll answer as soon as possible!

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Alex Popa

My name is Alex and I have a knack for social media in all its shapes and forms. I’ve dealt with such things for quite some time and I noticed that many people have issues with social media and technicalities.

Unforeseen errors, bugs, and other problems make their use of social media problematic. These things will be discussed amply in the guides on Whizcase.

I'll present the facts as they are, and offer quick and easy solutions for them.

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