You want to know when specific friends come online on Discord, but the default settings may not notify you. Discord does not send a notification every time a friend appears online by default. This article explains how to enable online notifications for individual friends and set up the correct notification preferences.
Key Takeaways: How to Get Notified When a Friend Comes Online
- Friend List > Right-click a friend > Notifications: Open the notification settings for a specific friend to enable online alerts.
- User Settings > Notifications > Enable Desktop Notifications: Ensure Discord can send desktop notifications for online status changes.
- Mobile App > User Settings > Notifications > Friend Online: Enable the specific toggle for friend online notifications on the Discord mobile app.
How Discord Friend Online Notifications Work
Discord does not automatically notify you when any friend comes online. The app focuses on direct messages and mentions by default. To get notified when a specific friend appears online, you must enable notifications for that friend individually. This feature is available on both the desktop app and the mobile app. You can also control whether the notification shows a pop-up, plays a sound, or appears only in the notification tray.
Steps to Enable Friend Online Notifications on Desktop
Follow these steps on the Discord desktop app for Windows, macOS, or the web version.
- Open the Friend List
Click the Friends icon in the left sidebar. It looks like two silhouettes. Your friend list appears. - Find the friend you want to track
Scroll or use the search box at the top of the friend list. Click the friend’s name once to select them. - Right-click the friend
A context menu opens. If you are using a touchpad, use a two-finger tap. - Select Notifications from the menu
A submenu appears with options: All Messages, Only Mentions, and Nothing. - Choose the notification level
Select All Messages. This setting notifies you when the friend sends any message, which includes the system message that appears when they come online. If you select Only Mentions, you will not receive online alerts. Do not choose Nothing. - Enable desktop notifications globally
Go to User Settings by clicking the gear icon next to your username at the bottom left. Select Notifications in the left menu. Under Desktop Notifications, ensure the toggle is enabled. If it is off, Discord cannot show any pop-up notifications, including friend online alerts.
After completing these steps, you will see a notification when that friend comes online. The notification appears as a standard desktop pop-up and a sound if you have sound enabled in your notification settings.
Steps to Enable Friend Online Notifications on Mobile
The mobile app for iOS and Android has a dedicated setting for friend online notifications. Follow these steps.
- Open the Discord mobile app
Tap the Discord icon to launch the app. - Go to User Settings
Tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner. The settings menu opens. - Select Notifications
Scroll down and tap Notifications in the App Settings section. - Scroll to the Friend Online section
Under the Notification Settings heading, find the option labeled Friend Online. It may be under a subheading called Status. - Enable Friend Online notifications
Tap the toggle to turn it on. The toggle turns blue when enabled. - Adjust additional mobile settings
While still in Notifications, ensure Push Notifications are enabled. Also check that Do Not Disturb mode is not active. You can configure notification sounds and vibration patterns in the same menu.
Once enabled, you will receive a push notification on your phone whenever any friend comes online. If you want to limit this to specific friends, you must use the desktop app method described earlier. The mobile app does not allow per-friend online notification settings.
If Friend Online Notifications Are Not Working
Desktop notifications do not appear
Check that Discord has permission to send desktop notifications. On Windows 10 and Windows 11, go to System Settings > Notifications & Actions. Find Discord in the list and ensure the toggle is enabled. On macOS, go to System Preferences > Notifications & Focus. Select Discord and ensure Allow Notifications is checked.
Mobile notifications do not appear
On iOS, go to Settings > Notifications > Discord. Enable Allow Notifications and ensure the Lock Screen, Notification Center, and Banners options are on. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Discord > Notifications. Enable Show Notifications. Make sure the Discord app is not set to battery optimization or deep sleep mode.
Only some friends trigger notifications
This happens when you have set different notification levels for different friends. On desktop, right-click each friend you want to track and set the notification level to All Messages. Friends set to Only Mentions or Nothing will not trigger an online notification.
| Setting | Desktop (Windows/Mac/Web) | Mobile (iOS/Android) |
|---|---|---|
| Per-friend online notification | Yes, via right-click > Notifications > All Messages | No, only global toggle for all friends |
| Global online notification toggle | No dedicated toggle, relies on friend-level setting | Yes, in User Settings > Notifications > Friend Online |
| Notification type | Desktop pop-up and sound | Push notification and sound |
| Requires additional system permission | Yes, OS notification permission | Yes, OS notification permission |
You can now control exactly when Discord alerts you about friends coming online. Use the desktop method for precise per-friend control and the mobile toggle for a global alert. For the best experience, keep both the Discord app and your operating system notification settings enabled.