How to Enable Developer Mode in Discord

Posted on March 6, 2023

Developer mode on Discord unlocks access to certain information and functionality to help you develop third-party bots and apps. Here’s how to enable it.

If you’re looking to expand your Discord server with a bot or two but can’t find the right one, you might need to consider creating one yourself. To do that, however, you’ll need to enable developer mode on Discord first.

Enabling developer mode gives you access to more features and settings, such as the ability to copy server and channel IDs, as well as IDs to channel messages. If you’re trying to set up your own bot, this will help you to do it.

To enable developer mode in Discord, follow the steps below.

How to Enable Discord Developer Mode on PC or Mac

If you want to enable and use developer mode on Discord, you’ll need to install the client first. Developer mode isn’t available in the web version of Discord.

To enable Discord developer mode on your PC or Mac:

Open the Discord app on your PC or Mac and sign in.
Click the User Settings icon located in the bottom-left corner next to your username.
Select the Advanced option from the menu on the left.
Toggle the Developer Mode option to enable or disable it. You can now begin using developer mode.
To copy an ID for a server, channel, or user, right-click the server name, channel name, or username and select Copy ID.
To copy a message ID, hover over a message and click the three-dot menu icon (or right-click the message text), then select Copy ID.

You can then use these ID values to instruct your bot to target and perform actions in specific channels or on users or messages in your server.

How to Enable Discord Developer Mode on Mobile Devices

You can also enable developer mode in Discord by using the app on your mobile device. Discord is available for Android, iPhone, and iPad users.

To enable Discord developer mode on mobile devices:

Open the Discord app on your mobile device and sign in.
Tap the three-line menu icon in the top-left corner to access the menu panel.
Tap your profile icon in the bottom-right corner of the menu panel.
In the User Settings menu, swipe through the options and tap Appearance.
In the Appearance menu, toggle the Developer Mode option by tapping the slider—it’ll turn blue to show it’s active.
Exit the menu and return to your server. To copy the ID of a server, tap and hold the server name and select More Options > Copy ID from the options panel.
If you want to copy the ID of a channel or message in your server, press and hold the channel or message and select Copy ID.
If you want to copy a user’s ID, tap and hold their username first.
In the pop-up settings panel, tap the three-dots menu icon in the top-right, then tap Copy ID.

The ID you’ve copied will now be available in your clipboard. You can then paste the values elsewhere and use them for development purposes by using the Discord API. If you’re unsure how to do this, make sure to read the Discord developer documentation for ideas and inspiration.

Development on Discord

Using the steps above, you can quickly enable developer mode in Discord. With the information you can collect, you can create applications that interact with Discord elements, whether it’s to change messages, upgrade user functionality, and more.

New to the platform and want to keep track of deleted messages on Discord? Try checking the audit log for any removed content.

Looking to make sure that your own Discord server stays safe? Assigning roles and permission levels is a great way to help you moderate it.

If you’re usually working from the wrong time zone as your Discord server members, you might need to think about updating your time zone settings next.