How to Completely Uninstall Discord

This guide walks you through removing Discord completely from your computer—including app files, cache, and leftover registry entries on Windows, or app data on macOS. You’ll end with a clean slate, useful if you’re reinstalling to fix issues or simply freeing up space. No special tools are required, but you should back up any chat history or server files you want to keep before starting.

What You’ll Need

• Administrator access on your computer (to delete system-level folders and registry keys).
• If you use Discord’s web version, you can skip this entirely—just clear your browser data for discord.com.
• Optional: a backup of your Discord settings and chat logs (though most are stored in the cloud).

Step-by-Step

For Windows 10 and 11

1. Close Discord completely. Right-click the Discord icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner) and select Quit Discord. Also check Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) for any Discord processes (e.g., Discord.exe, Update.exe) and end them.
2. Uninstall via Settings. Press Windows + I, go to Apps → Apps & features (or Installed apps on Windows 11). Search for “Discord”, click the three-dot menu, and select Uninstall. Follow the prompts.
3. Delete the AppData folders. After uninstalling, press Windows + R, type %appdata% and press Enter. Delete the discord folder. Then type %localappdata% in the same Run box and delete the Discord and discord-updater folders if they exist.
4. Clear the registry. Press Windows + R, type regedit and press Enter. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software and delete the Discord key. Also check HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software (and WOW6432Node if present) for a Discord key and delete it. Be careful not to delete anything else.
5. Remove leftover shortcuts. Delete any Discord shortcuts from the Desktop, Start Menu, or Taskbar. Right-click the Start button, select Run, type shell:startup and delete Discord if it appears there.
6. Restart your computer. This ensures all file locks are released and any remaining temporary files are cleared.

For macOS

1. Quit Discord. Right-click the Discord icon in the Dock and choose Quit. Or press Cmd+Q.
2. Move Discord to Trash. Open Finder, go to Applications, drag Discord to the Trash (or right-click and select Move to Trash).
3. Delete app support files. In Finder, press Cmd+Shift+G and type ~/Library/Application Support. Delete the discord folder. Also check ~/Library/Caches for com.hnc.Discord and ~/Library/Preferences for com.hnc.Discord.plist—delete those as well.
4. Empty the Trash. Right-click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash. You may need to enter your password.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping the AppData folders. The uninstaller leaves behind hundreds of MB of cache and logs. If you don’t delete these, Discord can still appear in “Add or Remove Programs” or cause issues on reinstall.
• Not closing Discord before uninstalling. If Discord is still running, the uninstaller may fail or leave files locked, and you’ll see “Discord is still running” errors.
• Deleting the wrong registry keys. Only delete keys under Software\Discord—don’t go poking around other areas. A wrong delete can break other apps.
• Forgetting the “discord-updater” folder. This folder often remains and can cause Discord to reinstall itself if you later reinstall Discord.
• Not backing up chat logs. While most messages are stored on Discord’s servers, local cache may contain drafts or custom themes. If you want to keep them, copy the folders before deleting.

Tips

• Use the official uninstaller first—it’s designed to remove most files. Then manually clean the leftovers as described.
• If you’re reinstalling Discord, you don’t need to delete the registry keys—just the AppData folders. That way, you keep your login tokens and settings (though they’re also stored in the cloud).
• For a truly clean removal, consider using a third-party uninstaller like Revo Uninstaller, but it’s not required—manual steps work fine.
• Clear your browser cache if you used the web version—Discord may still have service workers that store data.

Troubleshooting

• “Discord is still running” error during uninstall. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to the “Processes” tab, select all Discord processes, and click “End Task”. Then try uninstalling again.
• Discord reappears after uninstall. This usually happens because the updater folder wasn’t deleted. Go to %localappdata%\discord-updater and delete it. Also check the Startup folder (shell:startup) for a Discord shortcut.
• Registry key cannot be deleted. You might not have administrator rights. Right-click the Start button, select “Windows Terminal (Admin)” or “Command Prompt (Admin)”, and run reg delete "HKCU\Software\Discord" /f.
• Files are locked and can’t be deleted. Restart your computer in Safe Mode (hold Shift while clicking Restart) and then delete the folders. Safe Mode loads only essential drivers, so file locks are minimized.
• Discord still shows in “Add or Remove Programs”. This is a registry orphan. After uninstalling, run regedit, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall (and WOW6432Node), find the Discord entry, and delete it. Be careful—only delete Discord-related entries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will uninstalling Discord delete my messages and servers?

No. Your messages, servers, and friends are stored on Discord’s cloud servers. Uninstalling only removes the app from your computer. When you log back in, everything reappears.

Do I need to uninstall Discord to update it?

No. Discord updates automatically in the background. If you’re having update issues, try reinstalling instead of uninstalling completely.

Can I uninstall Discord and keep my login info?

Yes, if you skip deleting the %appdata%\discord folder, your login token is preserved. However, for a complete uninstall, you should delete it—you can always log in again with your email and password.

Is there a way to uninstall Discord without admin rights?

On Windows, you need admin rights to delete registry keys and system folders. On macOS, you need admin rights to empty the Trash. If you don’t have admin, you can still delete the app from your user folder, but it may not be fully removed.

Why does Discord keep reinstalling itself?

This happens when the discord-updater folder remains. It contains the updater executable that can re-download Discord. Delete that folder and the registry keys to stop it.

Will uninstalling Discord affect my other apps?

No. Discord is standalone. Deleting its files won’t affect other software. However, be careful when editing the registry—only delete Discord-specific keys.

Related

• Fix Logitech G930 Headset Driver Problems
• Windows 11 Start Menu: How to Use It
• Fix Computer Won’t Wake From Sleep: 7 Fixes That Work