Does Discord Show Idle on Mobile? Yes, Almost at Once
Yes. When you leave the Discord app on your phone, your status changes from online to idle, the yellow moon, almost at once. There is no 10-minute wait as on a computer. What others see on mobile, when you go offline, and how to stay online or hide it.
Yes, Discord shows idle on mobile. While the Discord app is open on your phone screen, you show as online, with a small green phone shape instead of the usual dot. When you switch to another app or lock the phone, your status changes to idle, the yellow moon, almost at once. There is no 10-minute wait as on a computer. When iOS or Android later closes the app's connection, you show as offline. If Discord is active on your computer at the same time, others see you online from the computer instead.
Slack has the same phone question with a different answer, covered in does Slack show when you are on mobile. The settings below are what Discord offers.
When Discord goes idle on mobile
- The app is open on screen. You show as online. Others see a green phone shape next to your name, which Discord calls Mobile Presence. Discord's help center says the phone icon appears when you are active only on mobile.
- You leave the app. Switching apps, going to the home screen or locking the phone counts. Your status turns to idle, the yellow moon, within moments. The phone icon goes away with it.
- The phone ends the connection. Phones stop background apps to save battery. Once Discord's connection closes, you show as offline. How long that takes depends on the phone and its battery settings.
- • Keep the app open on screen. Set a longer screen timeout under your phone's display settings, and keep Discord in front. It drains the battery.
- • Stay signed in on a computer. A desktop app that sees keyboard or mouse input shows you online, whatever the phone does.
- • Use a custom status. Tap your profile picture, then Set Custom Status, and write something like "On my phone, reply soon". It shows next to your name even while you are idle.
Open Discord again and you are back to online at once.
Discord idle on a phone vs a computer
| Computer (desktop app) | Phone (iOS, Android) | |
|---|---|---|
| What counts as active | Keyboard or mouse input anywhere on the computer | The Discord app open on screen |
| When idle starts | After about 10 minutes without input | As soon as you leave the app |
| Online icon | Green dot | Green phone shape |
| Idle icon | Yellow moon | Yellow moon |
| Stops the automatic idle | Do Not Disturb or Invisible | Do Not Disturb or Invisible |
Discord does not publish the exact desktop timer. About 10 minutes matches most user reports on Discord's feedback site, and some older guides say 5. The desktop timer, and when Discord goes idle on each device, is covered in Discord AFK timeout. There is no setting to change it on either device. What idle means in general, including in voice channels, is in what does idle mean on Discord.
Does Discord show online on mobile when the app is closed?
No. Once you leave the app you show as idle, and once the connection is gone you show as offline. A friend who still sees the green phone shape is looking at someone with Discord open on screen. The exception is a status you set by hand. If you choose Idle, Do Not Disturb or Invisible yourself, Discord keeps that status and does not switch it automatically.
If you still see them green, Discord is probably open on their computer or in a browser tab. The causes are in why Discord shows someone online when they are offline.
How to appear online on Discord mobile
Discord has no "always online" option. The status follows the app on screen. Your choices:
How to hide that you are on mobile
Set your status to Invisible. Discord's Mobile Presence article says there is no switch to turn off the phone icon alone, and Invisible removes it. To change it on a phone, open the You tab, tap your profile picture and pick Invisible. What others see when you are invisible is in Discord invisible vs offline, and hiding from one person only is in how to appear offline to one person on Discord.
FAQ
Does Discord go idle on mobile right away?
Yes, within moments of leaving the app. On a computer it takes about 10 minutes without input.
What does the green phone mean on Discord?
The person is online on the Discord mobile app, and not active on a computer.
Why does my friend show online on mobile all the time?
They have the app open on screen, or they are active on a computer and you see that status. Discord shows one status per person, from whichever device is active.
Can I stop Discord from going idle on my phone?
Not with a setting. Keep the app on screen, or set Do Not Disturb, which stays as set.
Related Articles
Slack Daily Standup Without a Paid Bot: /remind, Workflow Builder and a Script
We set up a weekday 9:30 standup in a free Slack workspace three ways: a /remind reminder, Workflow Builder, and a short script that posts the questions and collects the thread replies.
Slack Tabs Under a Channel Name: What Each One Is and How to Edit Them
We added, renamed, moved, hid and deleted the tabs under a channel name in Slack web on the Free plan, and compared them with the tabs in a DM.
Leave Multiple Slack Channels at Once: 4 Ways Timed, Plus a Script
Slack has no bulk leave button. We made 12 test channels and left them with the sidebar menu, the channel browser, /leave and a 30-line script, and timed each way.