Discord is a web-based communication tool or application primarily built to enable communication between gamers.
What Is Discord?
In the world of gaming, Discord probably isn’t an unheard thing.
At its core, Discord is a communication application where users can send text messages, participate in voice and video calls, and participate in communities (servers).
When launched in 2015, its main focus was only on serving the gaming community by enabling convenient communication through a proper channel to cater to the community-building needs of gamers. In fact, its founders have been involved with the video gaming industry for a long time and released Discord to provide a better communication medium to gamers.
However, the dynamics have changed. Discord is not a communication platform only for gamers anymore. It has evolved into a medium for all kinds of users looking to build a community or communicate with others.
Anyone can create a community, called a server on Discord, and invite others to join and connect with them. Inside a server, different channels can be created for specific topics.
The Recent Rise in Discord’s Popularity
By the end of 2020, Discord already had over 140 million active users. One reason is the increasing demand for social networking and communication tools during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the rise in content creation contributed the most to its popularity in the recent past.
Discord has always been popular in the gaming community, which is one of the reasons that the application experienced a surge in downloads during the pandemic. As people had more free time, they indulged in e-gaming and many started streaming their games online.
Recently, Discord has been a hotbed for crypto enthusiasts. It has become quite trendy in the world of crypto and blockchain as many groups have formed communities using its servers.
Discord lets online streamers take calls from guests while doing online streaming. Gamers can connect via the application and play multiplayer games. It also offers tons of other integrations that enable you to use multiple features, such as listening to songs on Spotify with friends. Besides, you can automate a few tasks by setting bots.
A Word About Its Safety
Discord isn’t the most secure platform out there as it doesn’t have end-to-end encryption. The data you post goes through their servers that can get into the hands of third parties.
You can access Discord directly from the website and use it within your browser. However, it’s available in the form of applications for Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and Linux as well.