If you have Discord open but find yourself distracted by something pretty soon it’ll change your status to Away/Idle.
Appearing to be Away can be a nuisance if you want people to see that you’re online or, at other times you might want people to think that you’re not at the computer.
So, let’s break down what Idle mode means on Discord and how you can take advantage of it when necessary.
What Is Idle Mode on Discord?
Most chat platforms have an ‘Idle’ status, and in most cases, including Discord, it means that they are still logged on their computer (or another device), but have been inactive for a while.
On other platforms, it might be called ‘Away.’ The two are one and the same. You may also know it as ‘AFK’ (Away From Keyboard).
Discord indicates that users are Idle with a yellow crescent moon at the bottom right of their avatar.
Usually, if a user is ‘Idle’ this indicates to other users that they are likely not at their computer right now.
Other users can then assume that if they message this user, they may reply later when they are back at the computer and that they will likely not receive an immediate response.
You can set your status as ‘Idle’ by clicking on yourself either on the desktop or mobile version of Discord, then on your status, and then ‘Idle.’
How Accurate Is Discord Online Status?
There is no direct answer on this from Discord themselves, though, some on Reddit have speculated that there is a slight delay when closing Discord.
One user noted that after closing the desktop app or mobile app, it takes between 30 seconds and 3 minutes to appear offline.
Meanwhile, the browser version seems to change status in real-time, turning the status from online to offline immediately.
On the same Reddit post, another Redditor suggested 1 to 2 minutes.
What this means is you may get a couple of messages from people who think you are online because of the delay or give the impression that you are ignoring them, unfortunately.
Does Discord Stay Online When Closed?
No, Discord shouldn’t stay Online when closed. Your status should change to Offline when you close it, not to Idle.
However, according to a support request from 2019, when you close the mobile app, it takes approximately 75 seconds to two minutes to change to Offline.
Desktop users should not have this issue with the status supposedly changing instantaneously.
Does Discord Automatically Change Your Status to Away?
Yes, after approximately 10 minutes of no activity, your status will automatically change from online to Idle (formerly known as ‘Away’).
I tested this at home. I left Discord with my status set as Online and set a timer for 10 minutes. Seconds after 10 minutes had passed, it changed to Idle.
Do note that how quickly Discord changes your status can depend on your connection, your Discord server, and the connection of others.
How Long Does Idle Last on Discord?
If you have left Discord to go into Idle, as soon as you move your mouse, though, it’ll change back to Online.
However, if you manually set Discord to Idle it’ll stay in that setting and you will not have to worry about it changing back to active no matter what you do.
Despite this, if you start typing, it will appear next to your avatar in yellow, which will be a dead giveaway if you’re trying to hide that you’re online.
How Long Does It Take To Go From Idle to Offline on Discord?
I am always logged in to Discord, so I never have to worry about this. I often don’t log in to discord for days, open a new tab and I’m already logged in.
Out of interest, I wanted to see what would happen after leaving Discord open for two hours on Idle. It didn’t change from Idle.
So, you would likely have to leave Discord on Idle for a super long time, perhaps even more than a day.
If you just want to appear offline, you can do that by changing your account to ‘Invisible.’
Or, if you just want to be left alone, you can choose ‘Do Not Disturb.’ People will see that you are online, but you will not be notified of any messages—you would have to actively check.
