If you often game online, Discord is indispensable on your iPhone. This app is also ideal if you are looking for a chat group with like-minded people.
Discord is like Slack for gamers
Earlier we wrote about Slack in our Eyeballs section. This extensive and especially nice chat app is used by both companies and groups of friends to communicate. Discord can be seen as a kind of Slack for gamers, with a focus on speech and some other nice features.
Discord has now been around for a little over two years and has grown enormously in that short time. This is not only due to the tight focus of the app, namely communicating while gaming, but also because Discord is excellent in terms of ease of use and possibilities. As a result, the app, like Slack, has gone beyond its original purpose. Not only is the app used to chat while gaming online, but it is also a great place to meet others and hang out with your friends online.
A server for everyone
In Discord, you join a server, also known as a chat group. You need an invitation for this, but these can be shared publicly with a link. The groups usually focus around specific games or other interests, such as anime, conversations for 18+ or a group especially for people with autism. Each server is divided into specific channels, so that the conversations remain clear.
Most servers can talk via text or speech. While gaming, you usually don’t have time to type, so talking is very important to Discord. In the groups you can usually visit separate chat channels and voice channels, so that the distinction is immediately clear.
Discord has a loose friend system. This means that if you receive a personal message from someone in a server, it will be done separately from that group. This allows you to keep talking to that person when you leave the server.
Connecting to other game services
Discord can be downloaded as an app on your desktop computer, but can also be used in the browser. If you go to the user settings on your desktop and choose ‘connections’, you make a connection between Discord and gaming services such as Twitch, YouTube Gaming and Steam. This is useful for adding friends, among other things. When you download Discord as an app for your computer, you get the option to add even more services, such as Battle.net. Two-factor authentication can also be activated from the browser or in the desktop app. Unfortunately, this is not yet possible directly via the app.
The app is completely free to use, but since the beginning of this year, the makers have added a monthly subscription. If you pay for the service, you will receive a few extras. You can choose an animated avatar, use your own emoji on all servers and upload larger files.
The fact that the app has such a strong focus does not mean that it has few users. Last month, the app already reached 45 million users from all over the world. This success keeps the creators busy with new features to expand the app. This will make it possible to make video calls and share your screen in the future. And no matter how big Discord gets, the makers keep repeating: the communication functions remain free.
→ Download Discord from the App Store (free)
Also check out our other Eyeballs
- Eyeball # 28: Easy Vegetable Garden app also works if you don’t have green fingers (13-4)
- Eyeball # 27: Amazing Marvin is the ultimate calendar and to-do app (13-4-2020)
- Eyeball # 26: DoggyDating is essential for any new dog owner (1/27/2020)
- Eyeball # 24: Why Microsoft OneNote is my favorite study app (8/15/2019)
- Eyeball # 23: With the Pepper.com app you will find the best offers (11/22/2018)