Discord Overlay Not Working – Quick & Easy Fix | 2021 Updated!

By chance are you experiencing discord overlay not working? If you are, we at Naija Photo Vibes are here to help you out. It’s a common error gamefans experience. Follow this guide very carefully and see which steps help you solved the issue you are experiencing.

What is Discord

Discord is an application that offers easy communication support to pro players. It helps users to interact with their Discord mates while playing a full-screen game. You can post videos, send messages, and chat.

However, some users reported a “Discord Overlay not working in Windows 10“. This bug poses a major concern because it stops users from interacting effectively with their friends during their gaming sessions.

Here are a few solutions to this question. You can try it one at a time until your Discord functions.

1. Make sure you’ve enabled the discord overlay

When you’re facing Discord Overlay that doesn’t work, you can check if you’ve allowed the in-game overlay.

• Open Discord and then click the Settings icon.
• Select Overlay on the left panel. Make sure that the switch next to Allow in-game overlay is turned on.
• From the left screen, select Games. Under GAME ACTIVITY, search whether you’ve turned on the OVERLAY in-game feature for the game you’re playing.

Tip: Next to your titles, you can click the monitor button to switch on the in-game overlay for particular games. Tip: If your game wasn’t in the list, click Add to Discord under the GAME Operation section.

Then you should run your game again and see if Discord Overlay is running right now. If not, then consider the next solution.

2. Disable Hardware Acceleration for Discord

There’s a Hardware Acceleration feature in Discord. It uses GPU and sound cards to help Discord work smoothly.

However, this feature can often lead to “Discord Overlay not showing or not working.” If the issue occurs after you turn on the Hardware Acceleration function, you’d better uninstall the feature and check if the error still occurs.

• Open Discord, go to Settings.
• On the left screen, click Appearance and switch off the slider next to Hardware Acceleration.

Then restart your game and verify if your Discord is running right now.

3. Check if the In-Game Overlay is enabled in Discord

You need to enable the option for your game to use Discord overlay.

Give it a try:

• Open the Discord software with a desktop shortcut or Start menu.
• Click the Device Configuration tab (the cogwheel icon at the bottom of the page, just by the right side of your Avatar).
• Click the Overlay in the left pane.
• On the right side of the screen, click the toggle button to enable the option that says “Enable in-game overlay.”
• Go back to the left panel and click Game Activity. It will be displayed under App Settings.
• In the right panel, find the game you’re playing to ensure the overlay is switched on (if so, the name would be in the green background with “Overlay: ON” next to it). If the overlay is not activated, click the monitor button to turn it on.

Note: If you can’t find your game, you can add it by clicking on the ‘Add it’ icon. Then pick the name from the drop-down that appears, and press the ‘Add Game’ button.

If the overlay is already working, turn it off and activate it again.

Tip: Next to your titles, you can click the monitor button to switch on the in-game overlay for particular games. Tip: If your game is not in the list, click Add to Discord under the GAME ACTIVITY section.

Then you should run your game again and see if Discord Overlay is running right now. If not, then consider the next solution.

Save the settings and restart the game.

Related: How To Remove Bots From Discord – Best Guides | 2021 Updated!

4. Run Discord as administrator

The simple way to fix discord game overlay not working is to run Discord as an administrator.

If you haven’t run Discord as an administrator, you may experience a Discord overlay not working problem. Please consider running your Discord as an administrator to see if this issue continues. Here’s how to do this:

• Right-click the Discord shortcut on your screen, and then select Properties.
• Go to the Compatibility tab in the pop-up window. Check the box next to Run this program as an administrator, and click OK.
• Double-click the Discord shortcut on your screen to open it.
• Run the game again.

5. Disable third-party antivirus app temporarily

If you are using a third-party antivirus program, you may experience a Discord Overlay not working because certain third-party antivirus applications may interfere with Discord.

If your Discord Overlay is not working as intended, you can attempt to uninstall your third-party apps on a temporary basis. Then open Discord and re-launch your game to check if the problem has been resolved.

6. Reinstall Discord

If you’ve attempted all the above fixes and you’re somehow Discord Overlay not working, you should try reinstalling Discord to resolve it.

• To launch the Run window, press Win + R. Then input control and go to the Control Panel by clicking OK.
• Select Category View and select Uninstall a Program.
• Right-click Discord in the pop-up window and select Uninstall.
• Restart your PC and download the Discord. Install it afterward.
• Open Discord. Run your game and add it to Discord.
• Enable the overlay feature of the in-game for the game you are playing.

The Discord Overlay problem not working should now be fixed.

7. Enable the Overlay Hotkey

You may not have appointed a hotkey to allow overlay. If you have, make sure that in the game or in the Discord app it does not conflict with any other hotkey.

In order to trigger a new hotkey, follow these basic steps:

• Open Discord.
• Tap on User Settings (it is the gear icon by the right side of your avatar, in the bottom-left corner of the Discord window).
• In the pane on the left, under App Settings, click Overlay.
• Next to the ‘Enable in-game overlay’ option, you will find the current hotkey.
• Assign a new hotkey and use it after you reopen your game to bring up Discord overlay.

All done.

The ideas we have provided in this guide have worked for many other users and will do the trick for you as well.

In the section below, you can leave us a message and let us know the answer that worked for you. Also, feel free to express your feedback if you have any questions or suggestions.

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