Discord supports many other apps, especially games, and allows you to live stream while playing.
With all the latest gadgets, Discord’s live streaming and screen-sharing features make it more appealing to the gaming community. Moreover, Discord offers limitless features to gamers, including the ability to add games to a Discord list, private team channels, and separate clan servers.
But recently, many users reported that their Discord stream turns black whenever they try to go live. Why is it happening, and how can they fix it? Fortunately, in today’s discussion, we have collected the 12 best and quickest methods to fix the Discord black screen streaming issue. So, stay with us to learn more.
How To Fix Black Screen While Streaming on Discord
Quick fixes are to update graphics drivers, switch to Window mode, turn off hardware acceleration, disable the latest technology option, add games to Discord, enable game overlay, enable reduced motion option, quit unnecessary apps, clear Discord cache, change compatibility, and run Discord as admin.
1. Update Graphics Driver
Graphics drivers are the key to enabling screen sharing over the internet. Graphics enable you to render the image and transfer it. If you have a low-end graphic system, you can’t share screen or streams without facing any bugs. But the issue will remain the same if you have a high-end graphics system with outdated drivers.
So, always update your graphics drivers whenever the latest update is available. To check manually, right-click on the windows start menu and select “Device Manager” from the list. In Device manager, navigate to “Display adapter” and open the file. Select your display adapter and press update.
Now select “Search automatically for this driver” and wait until your PC search for the latest drivers and install it. You will need to have a fast and reliable internet connection to download and install the driver.
2. Try Switching to Window Mode
Sometimes in old Windows, your operating system is not eligible to run full-screen graphics. It is due to unsupported firmware and old hardware (GPU). It ultimately leads to graphical issues like this Discord stream black screen issue.
To resolve this issue, you must try Discord streaming in windowed mode. To do that, just press the “Restore Down” button. Now try to stream again. Hopefully, this will resolve the issue for good.
3. Turn Off Hardware Acceleration
Hardware acceleration utilizes specialized hardware components to perform certain tasks more efficiently than with software. It can improve your Discord’s performance and speed. It enables all related hardware, including the CPU, GPU, and RAM.
But in the case of an old PC, your CPU, GPU, and RAM aren’t so reliable and powerful to support this option. It is better to turn it off. To do that, open Discord and go to “User settings.” Once you are in the settings, go to “Voice & Videos” and scroll down. The “Hardware acceleration” option is in the “Advanced” options. Disable it.
4. Disable Latest Technology Option
In Discord, the latest technology option is the option that enables you to use high-end graphics to capture the screen. It also helps with screen sharing and streaming. This option is good for high-end PCs with high-end graphics cards. Moreover, it enhances the image while capturing.
But many users reported that this feature messes up the image and causes glitches during screen sharing or streaming. So, to avoid this issue, go to “User settings” in your Discord and then navigate to “Voice & Video,” scroll down to the Screen share option and disable “Use our advanced tech to capture screen.”
5. Add Applications or Games To Discord
Adding the game app to our Discord account, connect both apps and prevent them from creating conflict while you stream any gameplay. You can connect about 19 apps with your Discord. These apps include Twitter, Spotify, eBay, Reddit, PlayStation, and stream.
So if you are using any gaming services (Stream, PS, Xbox), you must connect your account with Discord. To do that, open user settings and go to “Connections.” Here, click on the app you want to connect to, add your credentials, and log in to the app.
6. Enable Game Overlay
Game overlay in Discord is a feature that allows players to interact with their friends while in the middle of a gaming session. It allows users to talk, share screens, display names, and read notifications. This feature is available on both the desktop and mobile versions of Discord.
It helps you stream with a game overlay, instantly enabling the screen. As a result, the black screen issue is eliminated automatically. So, to turn on the game overlay, go to “User settings” in Discord and click “Game overlay” on the left-hand panel of options.
Once you are in the option, click on “Enable in-game overlay” You can also set the “Toggle overlay lock” key to use the overlay option.
7. Enable Reduced Motion Option
The Reduced Motion option in Discord is an accessibility setting that limits the number of animations used in the user interface. This setting can help users with vestibular disorders, motion sickness, and other impairments. It can also help reduce strain on the user’s eyes and enable them to focus better on the conversation.
This option also helps stream and share your screen if you have an old PC with limited hardware resources. So, go to Discord settings, and then in app settings, go to the “Accessibility” option and then scroll down until you find the “Enable reduced motion” option. Enable it.
8. End Unnecessary Programs
Unnecessary programs can cause Discord to experience errors if they use system resources and take up significant amounts of memory and CPU power. It can lead to Discord crashing or running slowly, resulting in a poor user experience.
Additionally, some programs may interfere with Discord’s ability to establish a secure connection with its servers, resulting in connection errors. To eliminate these applications, simultaneously press the “Ctrl + Alt+ Del” keys and open Task Manager.
In the task manager, go to the “Processes” tab, select the unnecessary application, and press the “End Task” button. Repeat the same step with all unnecessary applications to eliminate them. It will lessen the burden on your hardware resources, and you can use streaming hassle-free.
9. Clear Discord Cache
Discord stores temporary files in cache folders. These files make instant access possible, contributing to Discord’s smooth operation. However, in the event that these cache files become overloaded, they have the potential to cause serious problems and bugs, such as the problem with the black screen.
To delete Discord cache files, open “This PC,” type “%appdata%” on the locator bar, and press enter. Once in the app data folder, open “discord.” Here all cache folders, including “GPU cache,” Cache,” and “Code cache,” should be emptied. So delete all files from these folders.
10. Change Discord Compatibility
Discord supports most major operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. That is why it is also compatible with many operating systems. But sometimes, your PC doesn’t support Discord due to a lack of resources. So, in this case, you can change the compatibility mode.
To change it, right-click on Discord’s icon and then go to properties. Here go to the “Compatibility” tab. Now change the compatibility of Windows from the list. Now try to stream.
11. Run Discord as Administrator
Administrative privileges granted to any app help it bypass many security measures in the operating system to perform tasks. These tasks include video, audio, screen sharing, etc. That is why Discord also requires administrative privileges to perform all these tasks.
So, you always have to run Discord as an admin. To run Discord as an administrator, right-click the icon and select “Run as administrator.” It will allow Discord to use all Windows features and remove bugs and other issues.
12. Close All Third-Party Apps
Discord is a digital communication app used for communication purposes. We also use other apps like Zoom and Skype for the same purpose. These applications often cause hurdles in Discord and its files. So, these conflicting apps must be removed or closed if running in the background.
To close the apps, press “Ctrl + Alt + Del” and select “Task Manager.” Once you are in the Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and select the conflicting app. Now press “End Task” to close it from the background.
13. Update Discord
Updates are crucial for running any application without any bugs. These updates ensure your app security and that all other features are according to the new protocol. If you have an old version of Discord, then you have to update it immediately to remove this black screen bug.
Discord shows updates in a few different ways. The first way is through a notification banner at the top of the screen. This banner will alert users that a new update is available and provide a link to the release notes. The Discord blog is a great source of information on changes and updates to the platform.
14. Disable Aero Theme
Your Discord server needs maximum resources, including CPU, GPU, and RAM, to live stream your video. You might face such black screen issues if you don’t have a high-end PC. You have to save these resources to get smooth streaming.
Discord Aero Theme can cause black screens in streaming because it uses a lot of GPU resources, which can cause the GPU to become overwhelmed and unable to render the stream properly.
It can result in a black screen or other graphic errors. Switching to a different Discord theme or reducing the graphical settings of the game or stream is recommended to reduce the load on the GPU. Open user settings, go to “Appearances,” and select a regular black theme.
15. Make Space In Your Device
Like all other applications, Discord needs space to store temporary and permanent data. Discord then uses this data to produce instant responses like calling, streaming, and screen sharing. If the drive on which Discord is installed becomes full, you may experience problems while live-streaming.
To avoid the issue, remove all unnecessary files, folders, and applications from your drive and make some space for Discord.
16. Try Web Version
Discord is a multi-device digital communication app. It means it supports multiple operating systems and devices. That is why it is considered the top digital communication app worldwide. But if you’re getting a blank screen when trying to stream, check if it’s your app.
To confirm this, open your web browser and go to Discord.com. Here, log in to Discord using your credentials. Now try to live stream using the web version. If you face no issue, it is your Discord, and you must repair or reinstall it.
17. Reinstall Discord
If your problem persists, your only option is to uninstall and reinstall the Discord app. If you use Discord on your Desktop, open the control panel and go to “Uninstall a program.” Here you will find all the installed applications on your device.
Now click on Discord and press uninstall. Once completely uninstalled, download the latest version from the official Discord website. Install Discord following the instructions.
Conclusion
Discord is an amazing platform that allows gamers to connect with each other, share screens, and stream their games. But many users have recently reported that their Discord stream turns black when they try to go live. We’ve talked about 12 quick ways to fix Discord’s black-screen streaming problem.
Updating graphics drivers is one of the most important methods to fix Discord’s black screen streaming issue. You should also try switching to windowed mode, turning off hardware acceleration, turning off the “latest technology” option, adding games and apps to Discord, turning on the game overlay, turning on “reduced motion,” closing apps you don’t need, and clearing the Discord cache.
These methods are easy to follow and will help you resolve the black screen streaming issue for good. However, it is worth noting that if your hardware is outdated, you may experience difficulties regardless of how many of these methods you apply. In such cases, upgrading or replacing your hardware may be necessary to get the best possible streaming experience.
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Hey, I’m Hammad. I have been writing for several years now and have amassed a wealth of experience within my field. My focus is on technology and gaming, two areas that I am highly knowledgeable about.