Skip to content
Apps
Discord
How to Turn Off DMs on Discord

How to Turn Off DMs on Discord

Anyone in a Discord server with you can send you a direct message by default. Turn that off in Content & Social, and apply it to all your servers at once.

✅ Tested on
  • SystemWindows
  • AppDiscord web app
  • Also works onDiscord desktop app (the settings look the same).
  • Last verifiedOctober 30, 2026

Every screenshot below is taken from the actual recording on this device — no stock images.

Steps

Open User Settings

Open Discord (in a browser at discord.com or in the desktop app) and click the gear icon at the bottom left, next to your avatar.

Open User Settings

Open Content & Social

In the settings sidebar under User Settings, click Content & Social.

Open Content & Social

Set Social permissions to All servers

Scroll down to Social permissions and make sure the server list is set to All servers, so the change covers every server you are in.

Set Social permissions to All servers

Turn off DMs from server members

Under Social permissions, click the toggle next to Direct Messages — ‘Allow DMs from other server members’ — to switch it off.

Turn off DMs from server members

Apply the change to all existing servers

In the Server Privacy dialog, click Yes to also apply this change to all your existing servers.

Apply the change to all existing servers

Check DMs are off

Back on the Content & Social page, the Direct Messages toggle is now off (grey). Server members can no longer send you direct messages.

Check DMs are off

Good to know

  1. This only stops DMs from server members — friends can still message you.
  2. Use the Friend requests section on the same page to control who can send friend requests.
  3. Per-server DM settings can still override this for individual servers.

More on Discord