Discord is a fantastic app for gaming, chatting, and community servers—but it can be annoying when it launches automatically every time you turn on your computer. If you want a faster startup or prefer opening Discord manually, you can easily disable its auto-launch settings.
Here’s a complete guide on how to stop Discord from opening on startup on Windows and macOS.
Stop Discord From Opening on Startup (Windows — Recommended Method)
Discord includes a built-in setting that controls whether it launches automatically when your PC starts. This is the quickest and most reliable method.
Steps:
- Open Discord.
- Click the User Settings (gear icon) at the bottom-left corner.
- Scroll down to App Settings.
- Click Windows Settings.
- Toggle off Open Discord at startup.
Once disabled, Discord will no longer launch automatically when you log in to Windows.
Disable Discord Using Task Manager (Windows Alternative Method)
If Discord continues opening on startup—or the in-app setting doesn’t work—use Task Manager to completely block it.
Steps:
- Right-click Start and choose Task Manager
—or press Ctrl + Shift + Esc. - Click the Startup apps tab.
- Find Discord in the list.
- Click Disable (bottom-right).
This prevents Windows from loading Discord during startup, even if the app tries to enable itself again.
Stop Discord From Opening on Startup (Mac)
macOS uses Login Items to manage which apps launch when you log in. Removing Discord from this list will stop it from auto-opening.
Steps:
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences, depending on macOS version).
- Go to Users & Groups (or Users & Accounts).
- Select your user profile.
- Open the Login Items tab.
- Select Discord from the list.
- Click the minus (–) button to remove it.
Discord will no longer start automatically when you boot your Mac.
Why Discord Opens on Startup
Discord auto-launches because:
- It’s enabled by default after installation
- It may re-enable the startup setting after major updates
- It’s set as a Login Item on macOS
- You previously selected “Open Discord at startup” without realizing
Disabling it using any method above will solve the issue.
Final Thoughts
Stopping Discord from opening on startup is easy—whether you choose the in-app settings, Task Manager, or macOS login items. After turning off auto-launch, your computer may boot faster and feel smoother during login.
