How to Disable Game Activity Notifications on Discord

If you are tired of Discord showing every game you launch to your friends and server members, you are not alone. The Game Activity feature automatically detects games running on your computer and broadcasts your status. This can clutter your friends’ notification panels and reveal your gaming habits unintentionally. This article explains how to turn off Game Activity notifications entirely, both for your own client and for individual servers.

What the Game Activity Feature Does and Why You Might Disable It

Discord’s Game Activity feature scans your running applications and detects games based on a built-in database. When enabled, it sets your status to “Playing [Game Name]” and shows that activity in your friend list, direct messages, and server member lists. The feature is designed to help friends see what you are playing and join you easily.

However, this automatic detection can be intrusive. It may reveal games you prefer to keep private, or it may clutter the sidebar with statuses from dozens of friends. It can also cause notification spam if you have game activity highlights enabled. Disabling the feature gives you full control over what others see.

Steps to Disable Game Activity Notifications on Discord

There are three main settings to adjust. The first stops your own game from being broadcast. The second stops Discord from notifying you about other users’ games. The third hides game statuses for everyone in a server you manage.

1. Stop Broadcasting Your Own Game Activity

1. Open User Settings
   Click the gear icon next to your username at the bottom-left corner of the Discord window.
2. Go to Game Activity
   In the left sidebar, scroll down to “Activity Settings” and click Game Activity.
3. Turn Off the Status Toggle
   Under “Display currently running game as a status message,” toggle the switch to the off position. The switch turns gray when disabled. Discord will no longer show your game to anyone.
4. Remove Specific Games from the List
   If you want to keep the feature on for some games but not others, scroll to the “Added Games” section. Click the X next to any game you want to exclude. The game will not appear as your status even if it is running.

2. Stop Receiving Notifications About Other Users’ Games

1. Open User Settings
   Click the gear icon at the bottom-left of Discord.
2. Go to Notifications
   In the left sidebar, under “App Settings,” click Notifications.
3. Disable Game Activity Highlight Words
   Scroll to the “Highlight Words” section. Toggle off “Use the following words to highlight game activity.” This prevents Discord from highlighting messages that contain game names.
4. Clear Existing Highlight Words (Optional)
   If you already have game names in the highlight list, click the X next to each entry to remove them. This stops any remaining notifications.

3. Hide Game Activity in a Specific Server

1. Open Server Settings
   Click the server name at the top-left of the server list. Select Server Settings from the dropdown menu.
2. Go to Overview
   In the left sidebar, click Overview.
3. Toggle Off “Show members in this server as their current activity”
   Scroll to the “Community” section. Toggle the switch to the off position. This hides game statuses for all members in that server. Only server administrators can change this setting.

If Discord Still Shows Game Activity After Disabling

Sometimes the settings above do not take effect immediately. Here are the most common reasons and their fixes.

Game Activity Is Still Visible to Friends

If your friends still see “Playing [Game]” after you turned off the status toggle, you may have the Rich Presence integration enabled in the game itself. Some games have a built-in Discord Rich Presence setting. Check the game’s settings for a “Discord Rich Presence” or “Discord Activity” option and disable it. Also restart Discord and the game to apply the change.

Game Activity Shows Up in Specific Servers Only

If you disabled the global status toggle but your game still appears in a server member list, the server has its own activity visibility setting. Ask the server administrator to disable “Show members in this server as their current activity” in Server Settings > Overview as described above.

Notifications Still Pop Up for Other Users’ Games

If you still get notifications about friends starting games, you may have enabled game activity notifications in the server notification settings. Go to Server Settings > Notification Settings and set “Game Activity Notifications” to “Nothing.” This overrides any global highlight settings.

Discord Game Activity Settings: Global vs Server vs Per-Game

Setting Location	Effect	Who Can Change
User Settings > Game Activity	Hides your own game status from all friends and servers	You (the user)
User Settings > Notifications	Stops Discord from notifying you about others’ games	You (the user)
Server Settings > Overview	Hides game statuses for all members in that server	Server administrator
Per-Game Exclusion in Game Activity	Stops specific games from appearing as your status	You (the user)

Disabling Game Activity notifications takes only a few clicks. Start with your own User Settings, then adjust server-level settings if needed. For complete privacy, also disable Rich Presence in individual games. After these changes, Discord will no longer broadcast or highlight your gaming activity.