Is Discord showing you the “Messages won’t load” error when you browse a channel? It happens when Discord can’t load messages. Most of the time, this happens when you are not connected to the Internet or do not have access to a channel. In rare cases, the app itself or a block of IP addresses may be to blame.
In this article, we will demonstrate how to fix the error and make your messages accessible again.
1. Make sure Discord is not down
Before you start tweaking any settings, make sure Discord isn’t down first. Check the Discord status page for reported issues and keep an eye out for server connection issues. If other Discord users reported a similar issue, there may be a backend issue.
If the problem is with the Discord servers, you can’t do much about it until the developers resolve the server issues. Once they’re done, Discord should be back to normal operation.
2. Rule out any internet issues
A weak or unstable internet connection could be the cause of this error. Therefore, make sure you have an active internet connection when trying to access Discord. You can also run other apps on your device to make sure your internet is working.
If other applications are not loading properly and the problem is consistent throughout the operating system, the Internet is to blame. In that case, we recommend checking out our guide on how to fix network access issues when connected to Wi-Fi in Windows.
However, if other apps work, try closing the bandwidth-hogging apps on your PC. Double check if any devices on your network are also sucking up bandwidth. Once you’ve freed up some space, try running Discord again.
3. Give Discord a fresh start
Sometimes just giving Discord a fresh start is enough to get him out of his troubles. Sign out of your account, close Discord, restart the app, and sign back in. Check if the messages are loading correctly this time.
4. Check for channel-specific issues
After confirming that Discord’s systems are operational, the internet is working fine, and there are no temporary glitches, you should rule out channel-specific issues. For that, try to switch to another channel on the same server. If the problem occurs on all channels on the same server, check that you have not been banned.
5. Make sure you’re not temporarily banned from Discord
If the message appears on all servers and all channels, there is a small chance that you have been temporarily banned from Discord. This usually happens when you overload the Discord API with repetitive actions, like spam reactions.
When this happens, Discord prevents you from using its API, which also handles capturing messages from servers; hence the error. Don’t worry, though; these bans generally last no more than one day and will not “add a mark” to your Discord rap sheet.
Unfortunately, the API ban is based on your IP address, not your account. As such, creating a new account will not bypass the ban.
6. Enable or disable a VPN
If you encounter the error when accessing Discord for the first time from a new location, Discord may be blocked in that area. Similarly, you may find the error under discussion if your IP address is banned by Discord.
To try this out, start a VPN. There are plenty of totally free VPNs you can download, and once you turn them on, any connection you make will see your VPN’s IP address instead of yours. This will allow you to bypass any IP blocking instead.
If you are using Discord while having a VPN enabled and getting this error, it is possible that Discord has blocked the IP assigned by the VPN. Therefore, temporarily disable the VPN to resolve the issue. You can also try connecting to other servers through your VPN and see if any of them work better.
7. Update Discord
Discord automatically checks for new updates the moment you launch it. If Discord finds an update that’s ready to download, it will install it before showing you the login screen.
If you’ve disabled automatic updates, there may be a backlog of updates waiting for you. As such, it’s a good idea to make sure Discord is up to date.
Click on the green download button (down arrow) in the upper right corner to check for updates, or touch CTRL+R to force Discord to check for updates. Check if installing updates made any difference if updates were pending.
8. Switch to a different Discord client
If none of the fixes worked, you should try uploading messages to a different Discord client. You can access Discord in a variety of ways, including a PC client, a mobile app, and a web version that you can use in your browser.
To double check whether the problem lies with your chosen client or not, try connecting to Discord through a different one. If it doesn’t work on one client but works on another, you need to uninstall Discord from your device and install it again to fix the problem. If the problem is with the web version, try clearing the cookies and cache and see if that fixes the problem.
9. Report the problem to Discord support as a last resort
If none of the solutions work, please contact Discord support as a last resort. For that, you can contact them via email at [email protected]. If you do not receive a response, you can submit a request via the request form on the Discord website. If that also fails, you can contact Discord via Twitter.
“Messages not loading” bug fixed
Hopefully, the solutions mentioned in this article will help you resolve the Discord “Messages could not be loaded” error. This way, you will be able to access your messages again. You can try all of these fixes first, but if they don’t work, you may need to contact Discord customer support.
Have you ever had a hard time joining the best Discord servers? You can find the ideal home in many ways, such as using the Discord server directories.
