[TUTORIAL] How to enable Discord Notifications on Windows

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:speech_balloon: [TUTORIAL] How to enable Discord Notifications on Windows

:desktop_computer: Tested systems: Windows 10 / Windows 11
:pushpin: Issue: You no longer receive Discord notifications (bottom-right banners), and nothing appears in the Windows notification center.

:magnifying_glass_tilted_right: Observation

After a lot of research, I found out that Discord has changed how it handles notifications.
Summary:

  • Discord no longer systematically uses system notifications (“toast” notifications)
  • The app now limits its background execution
  • As a result, many users don’t see pings, or they disappear instantly

:warning: As of now, there is no official solution from Discord, and the community is quite frustrated.

:robot: Tests with the help of ChatGPT: advanced tweaks

Here are the steps I tested to try and restore proper notification behavior.
Warning: some steps involve editing the Windows Registry. Proceed with caution.

:hammer_and_wrench: Step 1 – Enable system notifications via Regedit

  1. Open regedit
  2. Navigate to:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
  3. Create a new key:
    PushNotifications
  4. Inside this key, create a DWORD (32-bit) value named:
    ToastEnabled
  5. Set its value to:
    1

:hammer_and_wrench: Step 2 – Allow Discord to run in the background

  1. Still in regedit, go to:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\BackgroundAccessApplications
    (Create it if it doesn’t exist)
  2. Add a subkey:
    Discord.exe
  3. Inside this subkey, create two DWORD (32-bit) values:
    • Access = 1
    • Disabled = 0

These settings tell Windows that Discord is allowed to run in the background and send toast notifications.

:cross_mark: Test Results

No significant improvements were observed.
The steps are complex and results inconsistent… A reliable script would help (calling all devs!).

:test_tube: Additional Tests

  • :white_check_mark: If Discord is left open (not minimized to system tray), banners can display correctly.
    → Keep Discord visible or minimized to the taskbar, not the tray.

  • :white_check_mark: With Discord Canary: some users reported banners showing even when minimized.
    → However, they disappear instantly from the notification center when the app is opened.

This behavior is due to how Discord revokes its own toast notifications upon user interaction.

:white_check_mark: Stable solution: use Discord Web (browser)

Currently, this is the only 100% reliable method to:

  • Get popup notifications
  • Retain them in the Windows notification center

:backhand_index_pointing_right: Steps:

  1. Open Discord in Google Chrome
  2. Allow browser notifications in Windows
  3. Enable notifications for Discord in Chrome
  4. Test if your notifications show up:
    https://www.bennish.net/web-notifications.html
  5. Once logged into Discord Web:
    • Go to Settings > Notifications
    • Enable "Enable desktop notifications"

:raising_hands: Conclusion

Until Discord fixes this behavior (or gives users a choice), the browser version remains the most reliable way to get proper notifications.

:speech_balloon: Feel free to share your feedback or improvements!
Fly safe o7 :waving_hand:

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