Discord Is About to Force You to Verify Your Age.

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On Monday, Discord announced plans to begin implementing mandatory age verification globally. Starting in March , new and existing accounts will switch to a “teen by default” setting, which will block access to certain chats and features until the account owner proves they are an adult. Here’s what you’ll lose, how to get it back, and, for completeness, what other options you have.

Starting in March, Discord will require age verification.

In its announcement, Discord stated that the new age verification settings will begin rolling out globally in March, so it may take some time before they appear in your region. However, once the changes are live in your region, you will lose access to the following features until you verify your age:

  • Age-restricted channels and servers: This is the most obvious option. Any channels designated for adults only will now be unavailable to your account until age verification. In some cases, this may include entire servers or, depending on the server, specific app commands .

  • Explicit Content: Until you verify your age, Discord will have content filters enabled and will blur any images it deems too sensitive or contain explicit content.

  • Message Requests: Direct messages from strangers will now go to a separate inbox.

  • Performances on Private Platforms: Accounts that have not passed age verification will not be able to perform on private platforms , which are live streams where multiple server members can broadcast simultaneously to all users on the server.

  • Friend request warnings: This new feature doesn’t replace the existing one. Now, until you verify your age, you’ll see a warning when you receive a friend request from someone you don’t know.

How to verify your age on Discord

Discord offers two ways to verify your age , though the system will notify you if this is required. To its credit, the platform won’t suddenly remove numerous features without explanation.

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To start age verification on Discord, either click “Get Started” in the pop-up window the platform sends you once age verification becomes available in your region, or go to User Settings > My Account > Age Group to view your age group and verify it there.

Now you can either take a video selfie or scan a valid government-issued ID. For a video selfie, simply select “Take a Selfie” on the verification page, follow the on-screen instructions, and tap “Done” to submit. To verify with a government-issued ID, select “Use Your ID,” scan the provided QR code with your mobile device, take a clear photo of your ID on that device, and tap “Done” to submit.

Discord states that video selfies used for age verification are processed solely on-device, and that while government-issued ID photos are sent to “vendor partners” for verification, they are “quickly deleted—in most cases, immediately after age verification.”

After submitting a video selfie or ID, the app will begin the process of assigning you an “age group,” which you can view under User Settings > My Account > Age Group . Discord advises that most users only need to verify once, but if the app can’t reliably determine your age from a face scan alone, you may be required to provide government-issued identification in addition to the video selfie. You can also attempt to re-verify at any time, but if the app determines you’re under the required age to use Discord, your account will be suspended. (You can appeal this and attempt to recover your Discord account using ID .)

What do you think at the moment?

According to Discord, the age verification process “usually takes just a few minutes,” and you’ll receive a notification and private message once it’s complete.

The best Discord alternatives that don’t use age verification.

As countries around the world introduce new online age verification laws (Discord specifically cites the UK and Australia), it appears Discord is simply throwing up its hands and deciding to proceed with extreme caution when rolling out this feature globally. This move mirrors similar decisions by Google , ChatGPT , and Roblox , but even adult users may find it inconvenient, as they will have to provide the company—and its third-party data processors—with personal information to comply with the law.

If this leaves a bad taste in your mouth, there are a few Discord alternatives that don’t yet require age verification, though they may not fully match the app’s feature set:

  • Slack : Discord has essentially stolen all of Slack’s functionality, which is great news for those looking for a Discord alternative. The only missing Discord feature is persistent voice channels, though you can still communicate with others over the phone using groups . Slack can be a worthy Discord replacement or complement to another Discord alternative, but if you’re a teenager looking for a new home, beware. Technically, according to the app’s terms of service, users under 16 are prohibited from using Slack .

  • TeamSpeak: Since the 2000s, TeamSpeak has been updated repeatedly to match many of Discord’s features, including the addition of persistent chat channels . However, it still lags behind in some features, such as video chat. Furthermore, a free TeamSpeak server can only host 32 users at a time. This is the server I used as a teenager before moving on to other platforms.

  • Mumble and Ventrilo : These are simple, voice-focused clients that prioritize privacy and provide low-latency connections, with Mumble even being open-source. They aren’t as feature-rich as Discord, but they can serve as a good complement to voice channels as an alternative to Discord, such as Slack.

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