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How To DM On Discord? Easy Guide For PC And Mobile

Discord is great for socializing and chatting with lots of different people. But sometimes you want to have a more private conversation away from everyone else. In this article I will show you how to DM on Discord.

How To DM On Discord

To DM on Discord:

  1. Log into your Discord
  2. Click the “Home” button in the top left
  3. Now click on the search bar at the top of your friends list that says “Find or start a conversation”
  4. Type in the username of the person you want to DM and then click on their username
  5. A new screen will appear where you can now DM this user

*Note: You can only DM people who you are friends with on Discord, people who are in a server with you or people who you have messaged previously.

If you want to message someone who you are not in a server with or have no previous DM history with then you will first have to add them as a friend on Discord.

Even if you are friends, or in a server together the user may have their privacy settings set to where they only accept DMs from certain users. I discuss these settings further down.

Here are some images that show you how to DM on Discord:

Log into your Discord. Click the “Home” button in the top left. Now click on the search bar at the top of your friends list that says “Find or start a conversation” .

Discord Home Page

Type in the username of the person you want to DM and then click on their username.

Username Of Person You Want To DM

A new screen will appear where you can now DM this user.

DM Window

Besides searching for the the user, you can also just click on their username in your friends list or in the section where your most recent DMs are as you can see below.

Recent DMs And Friends List

If you are on Mobile, here is how you would DM someone.

How To DM On Discord Mobile

To DM on Discord mobile:

  1. Log into your Discord
  2. Click the “Direct Messages” button in the top left
  3. Now click on or type in the username of the person you want to DM and click on their username
  4. A new screen will appear where you can now DM this user
DM Mobile

If you are not friends with someone that you want to DM here are the two best ways to DM them.

How To DM Someone You Are Not Friends With On Discord

To DM someone that you are not friends with on Discord you can either search for their username using the search bar at the top of your friends list or you can go to a server that you both are in, click on their username and then type your message in the window that appears.

Keep in mind that if you are not friends with someone or are not in the same server as a user then you will not be able to DM them.

If you want to see what the search bar above your friends list that I am referring to I have a screen shot further down that you can see.

But if you are in a server with a person that you want to DM here is what it will look like when you click on their name:

Clicking On A Users Name In A Server

If the person you want to DM is not very active in a server, but you are certain they are in the server with your, you could find them and DM them by clicking on the “Show Member List” button located in the top right of a server.

“Show Member List” Button

A list of all the members in the server will appear. Find the member you would like to DM, click on their username and then type your message to them.

If it is a massive server, and scrolling through and finding the user will take ages, you can search for the user using the search bar above your friends list on your Discord home page.

Search Bar Above Friends

If you want to view your DMs on Discord, here is how you would do that.

How To View Your DMs On Discord

To view your DMs on Discord:

  1. Login to your Discord and click the home button
  2. Now click “Friends”
  3. A list of people you have recently messaged, or who have messaged you, will appear
  4. Click on a username to see the conversation between you and that user

This is what it will look like:

Home And Friends

You could also click on the inbox icon in the top right hand corner, but this will show you all your messages from various servers and channels, not just your DMs. Here is what the icon looks like:

Inbox Icon

Like I mentioned earlier there are ways for users to adjust who can DM them. If you want to adjust your DM settings here is how you would do that.

How To Turn On DMs On Discord

  1. Login to your Discord and click the cog wheel icon located at the bottom left of your screen
  2. Now click on “Privacy & Safety”
  3. Adjust what messages will be scanned before you receive them as well as who can DM you
  4. Exit out and your settings will save automatically

Here are some screen shots that go into more detail:

Login to your Discord and click the cog wheel icon located at the bottom left of your screen.

Cog Wheel

Click on “Privacy & Safety”.

Privacy & Safety

Adjust what messages will be scanned before you receive them as well as who can DM you.

Adjust Privacy And Safety Settings

Exit out and your settings will save automatically.

How To Turn On DMs On Discord Mobile

To turn on DMs on Discord Mobile:

  1. Login to your Discord
  2. Click on your profile icon in the bottom right corner
  3. Click on “Privacy & Safety”
  4. Adjust what messages will be scanned before you receive them as well as who can DM you
  5. Exit out and your settings will save automatically

Here are some screen shots that go more in depth:

Click on your profile icon in the bottom right corner

Profile Icon

Click on “Privacy & Safety”

Privacy & Safety

Adjust what messages will be scanned before you receive them as well as who can DM you

DM Settings

Exit out and your settings will save automatically

How To Close A DM On Discord

To close a DM on Discord:

  1. Login to Discord
  2. Click on the “Home” button located in the top left
  3. A list of your most recent DMs will be displayed
  4. Right click on the username of the DM you would like to close
  5. Click “Close DM” in the pop up window that appears
  6. The DM will be removed from your recent DMs list

Here are some screen shots that go into more details:

Login to Discord. Click on the “Home” button located in the top left. A list of your most recent DMs will be displayed.

Home Button

Right click on the username of the DM you would like to close. Click “Close DM” in the pop up window that appears.

The DM will be removed from your recent DMs list.

Although the username will no longer appear on your recent DMs list, it does not mean that the message history between you and that user has been deleted. Just keep that in mind.

I hope this guide was helpful in showing you how to DM on Discord.



For even more streaming tips and how-to content check out my Youtube channel here. And if you want to check out my streams then stop by my Twitch channel here.

👋 Hey There, I'm Eric!

Since 2018, I've been making streams come true.

I like gaming, streaming and watching other people stream. I created this website to help streamers, viewers, and gamers answer questions they have regarding live streaming, gaming, and PCs. I am a Twitch affiliate and currently stream on Twitch 3 days a week. I also have a Youtube channel where I make videos about streaming. I hope you find my content helpful. Feel free to stop by one of my streams to say hi.