Ping spikes or lags are a mood-killer regardless of the application you are using. This is especially true for Discord users who just want to communicate with their friends and family in peace.
When problems like discord ping spikes pop up, texts and calls are interrupted leaving the users worried and in search of any potential fix.
Now you don’t have to look here and there for solutions to discord ping spikes and lags because we have done all the homework for you!
What Is There To Know About Discord Ping Spikes
Since the time of its launch, Discord has been used extensively as a top-choice for VoIP source of communications. Millions of users currently rely on it to keep in touch with friends and communities.
Note! Discord is open-source software and proprietary freeware. It was introduced with the main purpose of allowing instant texting and voice contact between users.
Currently, you will find a range of users here from businessmen to gamers and people utilizing it for educational purposes as well.
Discord is being extensively used for:
- Instant texting
- Creating images
- Conducting videos
- Allowing audio communication
- Maintaining touch between communities
It seems like Discord is the perfect solution to talk with friends and families. Unfortunately, the application is not without its drawback.
With ping spikes occurring amidst use, customers have been bothered by the inability to send text messaged or make calls.
Why Are You Facing Discord Ping Spikes?
Ping spikes can be due to several reasons. Many experts have pointed out that platform outrages and internet connection issues to be a few of the common factors causing Discord ping spikes.
We think there are other reasons as well and here is a list you might want to look at.
- Overloaded cache files
- Outdated drivers
- Processing issues in the background
- Using the PTB version of the app
- Using the Canary version of the app
- Disabling “hardware acceleration” on Discord app
- Internet connection or signal issues
- Platform outrages
- Too many apps running in the background
You can see that many of the issues mentioned on the list are not hard to fix. All you need is a little tweaking with the settings.
However, there are some problems that are beyond your control to solve.
Now let’s go over some of the potential fixes that you can try if you are constantly having trouble with Discord ping.
8 Easiest Fixes To Discord Ping Issues
Ensure That Your Internet Connection Is Stable
This is one of the most common reasons for ping spikes. A poor internet connection will most definitely lead to Discord acting up.
Now there can be several reasons why your internet is not stable. You can confirm that your modem is not faulty or you should check whether there is too much traffic on your network.
Some customers have also pointed out that their internet connection got poor with weather conditions in the area. This occurs more often with wired connections such as DSL phone wiring.
One costly way of fixing this is to switch to fibre optics and bid goodbye to wired internet connection once and for all. Otherwise, you will have to wait for the internet to speed up on its own.
Run a Speed Test
You can only attribute such issues to internet connection once you have confirmed that the speed is actually lower than average.
- There are speed tests that you can carry out to check whether it matches with the opted value or not.
Does this sound difficult or new to you? We guessed so! Many users don’t know that a simple Google search on “Internet Speed Test” will let them access free testers for this purpose.
Reduce The Number of Apps Running in The Background
Unless you are very lucky, no internet connection is ever too strong to manage multiple apps all at the same time.
If you leave too many applications running in the background (when you are not even using them!) Discord app will freeze from time to time, disrupting your communication. This does not mean that your internet is slow, it is just that you are over-burdening it.
- Luckily, this issue is quite easy to fix. You just need to get rid of all the tabs and apps that you have left running on your browser.
You can use the Task Manager for this action as it makes things simpler. It will show which apps or processes are consuming CPU and memory on your device so you can choose which ones to close.
Reduce Cache Load
Apps build app cache files to make user’s experiences better and allow quick-loading content. Since Discord is an image and file-sharing app, it is coming for its cache to get overloaded quickly.
When this occurs, your device can start acting up. This happens because the storage space will be exhausted especially on mobile devices that have limited space.
- You can search the internet for common methods on how to clear your device’s caches.
Once you have cleared up the cache files, the device will run a bit more smoothly and it will also allow the app ping to normalize. This may seem like a long shot but many users have successfully fixed the Discord issue using this hack.
Enable Discord’s Hardware Acceleration
Some issues with applications are unavoidable if you are using older devices. These present some hardware restrictions that are out of the scope for this article to discuss.
- Nonetheless, we are not going to suggest that you get a new device altogether because there is another way out.
You can make use of Discord’s Hardware Acceleration feature instead. This allows more resources to be dedicated to the Discord app instead of being invested in other apps resulting in smoother, quicker use.
You can enable this feature by clicking on the Settings icon and then tapping on the Appearance option towards the left side of the bar.
- Then open Advanced Options and click on the hardware acceleration toggle to turn it on.
You will be directed to restart the Discord app which will conclude the process. Hopefully, this will fix your ping issues.
Wait For The Company To Resolve Outages Issues
When it comes to Discord outages issues, there is not much you can do to fix it. Although this situation occurs rarely, the problem is still there. Major Discord outages can take place once a month and affect user’s communication on the app.
Use Up-To-Date Drivers
Devices need their drivers to be updated from time to time. It is possible that the device or the accessories you are using have outdated drivers that are stopping the app from functioning efficiently.
Computers often don’t recognize devices with older drivers. Moreover, it is also an issue to find the right drivers that you need especially when you are not using popular devices.
If you want to check if this is the culprit causing the issue, it is easy to do so by accessing the search engine on the taskbar. Simply type in Device Manager and you will be able to see if the drivers on the device are updated or not.
Download Latest Version of Discord App
Currently, the Discord app has three versions namely Stable, Canary, and PTB. Discord PTB is a beta version whereas the Canary is an alpha version.
Such versions are meant for users who wish to help the company test new features. That is also the reason why these are more prone to errors and instability in use.
If you wish to stay away from all such issues, you should only download and use the Stable Discord app. Check which version you are using because all of them carry the same icon.
Wrap Up
Hopefully, this article will be enough to help you fix the issues with your Discord app. If you still have any queries or confusion, feel free to leave the reviews in the comment section below.
Frequently Asked Questions About Discord Ping Spikes
What is Discord?
Discord is open-source software and proprietary freeware. It was introduced with the main purpose of allowing instant texting and voice contact between users.
Discord is being extensively used for instant texting, creating images, conducting videos, allowing audio communication and maintaining touch between communities.
What causes ping spikes on Discord?
Ping spikes can be due to several reasons. These include overloaded cache files, outdated drivers, processing issues in the background, using PTB version of the app, using Canary version of the app, disabling “hardware acceleration” on Discord app, internet connection or signal issues, platform outrages and having too many apps running in the background.
How can I make sure that the internet connection is the reason for my ping spikes?
You can only attribute such issues to internet connection once you have confirmed that the speed is actually lower than average. There are speed tests that you can carry out to check whether it matches with the opted value or not.
A simple Google search on “Internet Speed Test” will let you access free testers for this purpose.
How can I enable Discord’s Hardware Acceleration?
You can enable this feature by clicking on the Settings icon and then tapping on the Appearance option towards the left side of the bar. Then open Advanced Options and click on the hardware acceleration toggle to turn it on. You will be directed to restart the Discord app which will conclude the process. Hopefully, this will fix your ping issues.
