What is Discord Overlay?

Discord Overlay discreetly serves up all your chat and voice communication needs, while you focus on dominating the game.

Did you hear the word overlay while watching a live stream on the platform? Do you want to know what it is? If yes, read below to find out what is Discord overlay and how to enable it on a PC.

what is discord overlay

What is Discord Overlay?

The overlay on Discord is just what the name refers to, a layer on top of something. To elaborate, it is a graphical layer that can be added to games or applications added to a Discord server as games for streaming. It enables users to interact on Discord while playing or streaming when they use a single monitor.

A Discord overlay makes it easier and more accessible for users to game, stream and interact at the same time by incorporating messaging and voice chat simultaneously around the game. The features of Discord overlays include:

  • Users can quickly access Discord, even when they are playing in full-screen mode. They can see any newly received messages or calls directly from the app.
  • An overlay helps gamers to pin a chat window to the screen, so it stays visible on the screen even while playing a game.
  • Games involve interacting and coordinating through chat with other players, team members, or opponents. Discord overlay simplifies access to this process for gamers and streamers in just a few clicks.

How to Enable Discord Overlay on PC

Before we learn about the process, do note that Discord’s Game overlay feature is only available on a Windows PC and does not support macOS or a smartphone. To enable an overlay on your Discord server:

1. Open the Discord app first and then the server on which you want to add an overlay.

2. In the bottom-left corner, click on the gear icon.

 3. Scroll down the list on the left pane to navigate Game Overlay.

Scroll down the list on the left pane to navigate Game Overlay.

4. Toggle to turn on Enable in-game overlay on Discord.

Toggle to turn on Enable in-game overlay

You may customize the keyboard shortcut for overlay, avatar size, display name, display users, notification position, and whether you want to show text chat notifications. You can do this later as well after confirming what it looks like in the overlay.

5. Click on the Registered Games option to see all the games you have added and are recognized by Discord.

6. Check if it shows Overlay: ON for the specific games you want it to be for.

Click on the Registered Games option

7. Restart the Discord app again.

After the overlay is turned on, you can use the undermentioned steps to launch it while streaming.

1. Launch the game you enabled it for.

2. Go ahead and click the shortcut key after the game is launched.

3. The discord voice chat overlay and text chat should launch; you can pin it if you want to keep track continuously.

4. To change the settings, click on the gear icon at the top-right corner of the overlay window and adjust your settings from there directly.

Also Read: How to Disable Discord Overlay

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Should I enable Discord Overlay?

Ans. Yes, you should enable this feature. It allows users to stream a game or a movie together, helps businesses conduct meetings and presentations, etc.

Q2. What is a game overlay?

Ans. A game overlay allows the streamer to keep an eye on the text chat, get notified about the calls, and stay updated about the activity status and viewer count of the game being streamed. Moreover, to pause or stop streaming, and change the resolutions and frame rates of a game is all accessible through a game overlay.

Q3. What does turning off Discord overlay do?

Ans. Turning off the Discord overlay will restrict the user from easily switching between the game and the app to watch over the status or chat feed or the calls connected. With the overlay, the window of the Discord server is easily accessible and can be pinned for a constant watch.

Recommended: 6 Ways to Get Free Discord Nitro

Overlays are a popular and in-demand feature for any streaming app. We hope that this article could guide you on what is Discord overlay and how to enable it on a PC.

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