How to Configure Discord Activity Status to Hide From Specific Members

You want to play a game or use an app without certain friends or server members seeing what you are doing. Discord shows your current activity to everyone by default when you are in a voice channel or using a supported game. This can reveal when you are online and what you are playing, which may not always be desirable. This article explains how to configure Discord activity status settings to hide your activity from specific members while still showing it to others.

How Discord Activity Status Works and Why It Shows to Others

Discord activity status is a feature that broadcasts what game you are playing, what app you are using, or what music you are listening to. It appears as a small status message under your name in the member list and in direct messages. By default, this status is visible to everyone who can see you online, including friends, server members, and people in your direct messages.

The visibility of your activity status depends on two settings: a global toggle in your user settings and a per-server permission. The global toggle turns activity status on or off for all servers and direct messages. The per-server permission, called “View Server Member Activity Status,” controls whether members of a specific server can see your activity when you are in that server. If you want to hide your activity from specific members, you must use a combination of these settings.

Discord does not offer a direct feature to block activity status from individual members. However, you can achieve the same result by adjusting server role permissions and your global privacy settings. The methods below show how to hide activity from specific members by using role-based permissions or by turning off activity status entirely for certain situations.

Steps to Hide Activity Status From Specific Members

Follow the steps below to configure Discord activity status hiding. The first method uses server role permissions to block activity visibility for a specific role. The second method uses global settings to hide activity from non-friends.

Method 1: Use Server Role Permissions to Block Activity Status

This method works if you are a server owner or have the “Manage Server” permission. You create a role for the members you want to hide from and then deny the “View Server Member Activity Status” permission for that role.

1. Open Server Settings
   Right-click your server name in the left sidebar and select Server Settings. Alternatively, click the server name and choose Server Settings from the dropdown menu.
2. Create a New Role for the Target Members
   In the left menu, click Roles. Click the Create Role button. Name the role something like “Hidden From Activity” so you can identify it later. Click Save Changes.
3. Configure the Role to Deny Activity Visibility
   After creating the role, click on it to open its settings. In the Permissions tab, scroll down to the General Server Permissions section. Find the permission labeled View Server Member Activity Status. Click the red X icon to deny this permission. Click Save Changes.
4. Assign the Role to the Target Members
   Go back to the Roles list. Click the Members tab for the role you created. Click Add Members. Search for the members you want to hide your activity from and select them. Click Add to assign the role.
5. Verify the Setting
   Join a voice channel or start playing a game. Ask one of the members with the role to check if they can see your activity status in the member list. They should see your name but not the activity message.

Method 2: Use Global Privacy Settings to Hide Activity From Non-Friends

This method hides your activity status from all non-friends in every server. It is useful if you want to block activity visibility from specific members who are not on your friends list.

1. Open User Settings
   Click the gear icon next to your username at the bottom left of the Discord window.
2. Go to Privacy & Safety
   In the left menu, click Privacy & Safety.
3. Disable Activity Status Display
   Under the Activity Status section, toggle off Display current activity as a status message. This turns off activity status for all servers and direct messages. If you want to keep activity visible to friends but hide it from non-friends, skip this step and proceed to the next.
4. Block Direct Messages From Non-Friends
   Still in Privacy & Safety, scroll to Server Privacy Defaults. Toggle off Allow direct messages from server members. This prevents non-friends from seeing your activity status in direct messages and in server member lists.
5. Save and Test
   Close settings. Log in from another account that is not your friend and check if your activity status appears. It should no longer be visible.

If Discord Still Shows Activity Status After Configuration

The steps above work for most users, but some scenarios may require additional adjustments. Below are the most common issues and how to resolve them.

Role Permission Not Applying to All Channels

The “View Server Member Activity Status” permission is a server-wide permission. It applies to all channels in the server. If you have channel-specific permission overrides that allow activity visibility, those overrides may still show your activity. To fix this, check each channel’s permissions. Right-click the channel, select Edit Channel, go to Permissions, and ensure the role you created has the permission denied at the channel level as well.

Activity Status Still Visible to Friends

If you are friends with the person you want to hide from, the role-based method still works because server permissions override friend visibility. However, if you use the global method (Method 2), friends can still see your activity status because the setting only blocks non-friends. To hide activity from a friend, use Method 1 with a role assigned to that friend.

Bot or Application Override

Some bots or third-party applications may display your activity status outside of Discord’s native interface. Discord cannot control what external apps show. The only way to prevent this is to not use those apps or to revoke their access in User Settings > Authorized Apps.

Discord Activity Status Visibility: Global vs Server-Level Settings

Item	Global Setting (User Settings)	Server-Level Setting (Role Permission)
Scope	All servers and direct messages	Only the specific server where the role is applied
Control	On/off toggle for all activity	Per-role deny for specific members
Visibility to friends	Friends can still see activity when toggle is on	Role overrides friend visibility within the server
Setup time	30 seconds	5 minutes (requires role creation and member assignment)
Best for	Hiding activity from all non-friends quickly	Hiding activity from specific members while keeping it visible to others

You can now control who sees your Discord activity status by using role permissions or global privacy settings. If you need to hide activity from specific members, the role-based method is the most precise. For a quick global block, use the privacy settings to disable activity status for non-friends. To further refine your privacy, explore the “Server Privacy Defaults” setting to limit direct messages from server members.