Users can join or create ‘servers’. Servers are spaces on Discord that are usually created by specific communities or friendship groups. Most servers are small and invitation-only, whilst others are large and publicly accessible – focused on topics such as popular games like Minecraft.
A user can invite friends to their own private server and send direct messages to other Discord users. They can start a voice channel where friends can pop in to chat without having to call.
Discord is popular in the gaming community as it allows players to communicate with each other via voice and video calls while gaming. They can also stream their game on Discord or friends can watch videos together. Users can pay for ‘Nitro’ and ‘Server Boosts’, to do things like send different emojis (a picture which shows how you feel).
Safety settings include the ability to block others, control who can send friend requests or messages, filter messages for spam and explicit imagery, and prevent people from seeing when they are online or searching for them via phone number or email. There are also settings to disable access to age-restricted servers or age-restricted commands in direct messages.
Discord’s Family Center provides some parental oversight. Parents can view who their child is friends with, which servers they have joined and who they have messaged or called directly or in group chat in the last week.
