Discord has become a popular platform for gamers, students, and business enthusiasts to communicate with others. Gamers can do live streaming to show their gameplay, students can attend lectures and professionals can attend meetings and presentations.
However, sometimes things might not work as planned and users can face a black screen issue which is hard to resolve if they are unaware of it.
The most effective solutions to fix the black screen issue will be discussed in this article.
Fix the Black Screen Issue When Streaming on Discord?
The Discord black screen issue occurs due to different reasons like when hardware acceleration is enabled on Discord, or Discord required more control over the sources, the system’s outdated driver, or a problem with the Discord application.
To fix the stated issue, look at the listed fixes:
- Disable OpenH264 Video Codec and Hardware Acceleration
- Update Discord to the Latest Version
- Update Graphics Driver
- Check for Software Conflicts
- Clear Discord Cache
- Reinstall Discord
- Try Another Browser or Device
- Seek Help from Discord Support
Fix 1: Disable OpenH264 Video Codec and Hardware Acceleration
The OpenH264 Video Codec and H.264 Hardware Acceleration options can sometimes cause conflicts and result in a black screen during streaming on Discord. A user can disable these options by following the below steps.
Step 1: Launch the “User Settings”
First, launch the “User Settings” by clicking on the “Gear” icon from the bottom available on the right side of the profile picture:
Step 2: Navigate to the “Voice & Video” tab
Next, open the “Voice & Video” settings and locate the options for “OpenH264 Video Codec”, “Hardware Acceleration” and “AV1 video codec” under the “Advanced” menu and disable them:
Fix 2: Update Discord to the Latest Version
Keeping Discord updated is essential to ensure smooth performance and resolve known issues by removing bugs and glitches. The Discord application can be updated by following the below steps.
Step 1: Launch the “Run” Utility
The “Run” utility can be launched by pressing the “Windows + R” shortcut key:
Step 2: Execute “%localappdata%”
Next, execute the “%localappdata%” command through the run utility. It will launch the “local” directory:
Step 3: Execute the “Discord” Update File
Next, open the “Discord” folder and then double-click on the “Update.exe” file to run the update for Discord:
Fix 3: Update Graphics Driver
An outdated or corrupted graphics driver can also contribute to the black screen issue while streaming on Discord. In this case, a graphic driver needs to be updated which can be done by following the below steps.
Step 1: Launch the Run Utility and Execute “devmgmt.msc”
To update your graphics driver, first, press the keyboard shortcut key of “Windows + R”, then type “devmgmt.msc” and press Enter to open the Device Manager tool:
Step 2: Update Display Adapters
Next, navigate to the “Display adapters” drop-down, right-click on the graphic driver, and then choose the “Update driver” option:
A user can update the display either by searching online by selecting “Search automatically for drivers” or provide the driver manually from any drive:
Fix 4: Check for Software Conflicts
If a user has opened multiple software at once then there is the possibility that those software conflict with each other due to compatibility issues. Closing such applications can fix this issue when a user launches the Discord application again.
Fix 5: Clear Discord Cache
Clearing the Discord cache can help resolve various issues, including the black screen problem which can be done by following the below steps.
Step 1: Launch “Run” Utility and Execute “%appdata%”
First, write the “%appdata%” inside a Run utility and press Enter:
Step 2: Remove Cache Data
Next, access the “Discord” folder, then the “Cache” folder, and remove all cache:
Fix 6: Reinstall Discord
Reinstalling Discord can provide a fresh start and potentially fix this issue. Follow the below steps to implement this process.
Step 1: Launch Control Panel
First, make a search for “Control Panel” in the Start menu and launch the “Programs and Features” Control Panel settings:
Step 2: Uninstall Discord
Next, locate the Discord application and click on the “Uninstall” option available at the top:
Now, re-install the Discord application again from its official website and check if the issue has been resolved or not.
Fix 7: Try Another Browser or Device
Switching the Discord application to a different browser or using the other versions of Discord such as its desktop or mobile app can help resolve the black screen issue. If the issue is resolved by doing this then it means that there is a compatibility issue with the Discord client side.
Fix 8: Seek Help from Discord Support
If none of the previous solutions have resolved the issue then it is recommended to seek assistance from Discord support by following the below steps.
Step 1: Launch Discord Support
A user needs to open Discord support which allows users to send an email regarding the issue they are facing:
Step 2: Fill Out the Form
Next, fill out the form by providing the relevant information as shown in the image below:
After that, provide a detailed description of the problem and what steps you have already taken to fix this issue:
Lastly, click on the “Submit” button after providing all the relevant information:
That’s all about resolving the black screen problem in Discord.
Conclusion
Discord offers a screen-sharing feature that can be used to share a user’s screen for presentation and live gameplay. But sometimes, a user is not able to stream properly and faces a black screen issue while streaming on Discord. This issue can be resolved by updating the Graphics driver, clearing Discord Cache, reinstalling Discord, or seeking help from Discord Support.
