Are you planning to participate in a call on Discord, and are wondering if it will be recorded?
Whether you’re concerned about your privacy or you actually want a recording of the call, knowing whether or not such a thing is possible is useful to know.
But does Discord record or monitor calls, and what should you do to toggle it on or off?
In this article, we’ll cover everything that you need to know!
Does Discord Record Or Monitor Calls?
No. Discord does not monitor, record or store any calls that are made on Discord.
This applies not only to audio calls, but to video calls as well.
Additionally, this holds true both for calls made within a Discord server, and private calls within DMs or even groups.
So, you really have nothing to worry about in regards to Discord themselves holding onto a copy of the conversation. That being said, it is still possible that it can be recorded via other means.
It’s Still Possible For Calls To Be Recorded, However
As noted, Discord does not have any functionality built-in to record and save calls on their servers, even if you wanted to.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that it’s not still possible.
Although Discord themselves will not monitor your calls, it’s still possible that one of the call participants may record it themselves, using screen capturing software or an external recording device, such as their cell phone.
They would be able to record the call without anyone ever having any idea that the call was being recorded, which can be particularly worrisome.
Therefore, you’ve got to be sure that you trust the people that you’re on the call with, and don’t say anything that you wouldn’t want saved forever.
Additionally, you should be wary of inviting any Discord bots onto the call unless you’re sure of all of the capabilities that they have.
If you do want your calls to be recorded, we will share tips on how to do this yourself a little later on.
However, by default all Discord calls are completely uncensored and unmonitored. While you are still expected to abide by Discord’s rules, Discord is unable to review the call even if someone were to report you.
Does Discord Save And Store Audio?
Now that we’ve talked about calls, what about audio messages shared in voice chat channels? Does Discord save or keep any record of these?
Thankfully, the answer is ‘no’ here as well. Even in a server’s audio or voice chat channels, audio will not be saved, stored, recorded or monitored by Discord staff.
Of course, it’s possible that server moderators may take disciplinary action if you are breaking any of the server rules.
However, the messages themselves are not recorded by Discord automatically.
That being said, voice channels suffer from the same issue mentioned earlier. Even if Discord doesn’t record them, it’s still possible for a member of the voice chat channel to record them.
Because voice chat channels are typically accessed by more people (and more people go in and out of them more frequently), it increases the likelihood that somebody may be recording it without anyone else realizing it.
So, you should use extra caution when sharing things in voice chat channels, particularly in public servers with lots of people. Unfortunately, not everyone has good intentions!
Other Tools Designed For Recording Calls
Let’s say that you wanted to record a copy of your Discord call. How should this be done?
Really, there are two easy ways to do this.
The first way is to use screen recording software. My favorite recommendations for both free and paid screen recording software can be found in this article.
This works best for video calls, where other people are sharing their webcam or even sharing their screen themselves. However, most screen recording software is also perfectly capable of capturing audio as well.
The second solution is to use software that’s more suited for recording calls, such as Zoom.
In fact, Zoom has an option that can automatically record the call without any further work on your part, and then save it to your computer afterwards without any further action by you.
This makes it a powerful tool for conferencing and work-related calls, where keeping a record of everything can be quite valuable.
Note however that all participants of a Zoom call will be able to tell that it’s being recorded, where as this isn’t possible when using screen recording software.
Are Discord Calls End-To-End Encrypted?
Any time privacy concerns come up with chatting platforms, people commonly ask whether or not communications are encrypted end-to-end.
Unfortunately, the answer in this case is no.
Information is encrypted in transit using HTTPS, meaning that somebody snooping around on your network would be unable to see it as data is being sent or received. However, the content themselves is not encrypted end-to-end.
This is due to the way Discord works. It is intended to be a group chatting tool more than anything else, and many people use Discord on a wide number of different devices. Supporting end-to-end encryption would either be pointless, or render certain features useless simply due to the nature of the platform.
That being said, privacy is an important right, and you shouldn’t be afraid to move towards platforms with stronger privacy protections.
As far as chatting tools go, we recommend reviewing this list from PrivacyTools.io. It even lists several Discord alternatives!
Conclusion
Thankfully, Discord does not record, monitor or store calls in any manner. This is truth both for audio calls, as well as video calls made on their platform.
However, it’s still possible for a participant in the call to record it themselves, and share it without you knowing. Therefore, you should be careful of what you say or choose to share.
I hope that you’ve found this article helpful. If you have any other questions about Discord or its privacy policies, please ask them using the comment form below.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister