How To Fix Discord Overlay Not Working

While Discord is a pretty stable platform, there are still times when issues will manifest. One of the problems that occur every now and then is when the overlay doesn’t work as it should. Many Discord users have been hit by this problem, and if you’re one of them, don’t worry as you can fix it with the solutions below. 

Fix #1: Make sure the overlay is enabled

The overlay needs to be enabled so that it will show. If for some reason it’s disabled, then that’s the cause of the problem and you can fix it by simply enabling it. Here’s how it’s done: 

1. Open Discord
2. Click on the User Settings (gear icon). This should be on the right side of your avatar.
3. Select Overlay from the left pane
4. Turn on Enable in-game overlay. It should be on the top of the right pane
5. Select Game Activity from the left pane
6. Make sure the overlay is turned on for the specific game you are playing. The game should be in a green box in the right pane if the overlay is turned on. 
7. If you don’t see your game in the game list then you can add your game. Click on Add it! Link from the right pane and select your game’s name from the drop-down menu. Click Add game. Once it is added make sure to turn on Overlay for your newly added game.

If this doesn’t fix the problem, then move on to the next solution. 

Fix #2: Make sure you run Discord as Administrator

Running an app as an Administrator often fixes several issues including this one. It actually gives the app permissions to do some functions that are often not available if it runs without Admin permission. So try this: 

1. On your desktop, right-click the shortcut of Discord and then select Properties.
2. In the pop-up window, navigate to the Compatibility tab. Check the box next to Run this program as an administrator and then click OK.
3. On your desktop, double-click the shortcut of Discord to open it.
4. Run your game again.

This is often enough to fix the overlay not working issue. However, if the problem continues, then move on to the next solution. 

Fix #3: Disable hardware acceleration

The hardware acceleration feature basically makes Discord run smoother as it uses your GPU but some users reported that it often disrupts the normal operation of the app. So if it is the case with your PC, then it’s better to just disable hardware acceleration. Here’s how it’s done: 

1. Open your Discord, Click the gear button to open User Settings.
2. On the left panel, click Appearance and then turn off the toggle next to Hardware Acceleration if you turned it on.

Run your game again to see if this issue persists. If not, you have resolved this problem!

Fix #4: Reinstall Discord

After doing the previous solutions and Discord overlay is still not working, then it’s time you remove the app from your PC. Doing so will also remove all its cache and installation files, which might have been corrupted. Here’s how it’s done: 

1. Close Discord’s window and stop running it on the computer
2. Right-click on the task bar, and select Task Manager
3. Check all running processes in the background, and make sure Discord’s associated process has been disabled.
4. On the Task Manager, and go to the Startup tab.
5. Select Discord on the list, and click on Disable button.
6. Click on the start button then click on Settings.
7. Go to the Apps section.
8. Find Discord on the list, and highlight it.
9. Click on the Uninstall to start the removal.
10. Discord removing process will start at the background, wait for a while until the app’s name disappears from the programs list.
11. Reboot the computer.
12. Go to https://discordapp.com/
13. Download the Discord installer.
14. Click on the downloaded executable file to install it.

Reinstalling the app often fixes a problem like this. We hope that we’ve been able to help. Thanks for reading!