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How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord

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Do you have your own Discord server or help moderate someone else’s Discord? Consider adding an AFK voice channel! An AFK channel in Discord is a channel that you and other users will be automatically transferred to if they haven’t interacted with the channel in a while. This way, people know if the person is actually in the voice channel or not.

You can set the amount of time it takes for the person to receive the AFK timeout and be moved to the channel. The person can always rejoin the original channel once they become active again.

This post will cover making an AFK channel in Discord and managing it as an admin or owner.

What is an AFK Channel on Discord?

AFK stands for Away From Keyboard. When someone has been away from their keyboard for a period of time, Discord has a feature that will automatically move the user to an AFK channel once you set it up.

How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord

Here’s how to make an AFK channel on Discord from the computer:

  1. Step 1

    Click on the arrow in the top left corner next to a Discord server’s name to pull up a drop-down menu.

    Discord Server Name
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 24
  2. Step 2

    Click on Server Settings.

    Server Settings
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 25
  3. Step 3

    If you are the owner or an administrator for the Discord, you should have access to the Overview section.

    Overview
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 26
  4. Step 4

    Look for the “Inactive” section underneath the Server Name.

    Inactive
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 27
  5. Step 5

    Click on the drop-down menu for “Inactive Channel”. This will pull up a list of all your current voice channels in Discord.

    No Inactive Channel
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 28
  6. Step 6

    It’s best to have a voice channel specifically titled “AFK” or something similar. To make a voice channel, you’ll need to head back to the main section of your Discord and go to the drop-down menu again, this time looking for “Create Channel”.

    Create Channel
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 29
  7. Step 7

    A pop-up will appear asking you to name the new voice channel. Make sure to leave the Private Channel setting unchecked, otherwise, users will not be automatically moved to the channel by Discord unless they are assigned one of the roles granted access under the Private Channel’s settings. Click Create Channel.

    Create Voice Channel
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 30
  8. Step 8

    Head back to the Server Settings > Overview.

  9. Step 9

    The newly created voice channel should now show up on the drop-down menu when you click “No Inactive Channel”.

    No Inactive Channel 2
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 31
  10. Step 10

    The “Inactive Timeout” section determines how long someone would need to be away from their keyboard to be moved to this channel.

    Inactive Timeout
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 32
  11. Step 11

    Make sure to “Save Changes” once you have selected from both of the drop-down menus and you should now have an AFK channel for your Discord!

    Unsaved Changes
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 33
    Saved Changes
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 34
  12. Step 12

    You can test if your settings are working by joining the voice channel to see if this pop-up appears.

    AFK Channel Popup
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 35

AFK on the Discord Mobile App

If you are on mobile Discord, here’s how to set up an AFK channel:

  1. Step 1

    Start by selecting the three dots next to a Discord server’s name.

    Discord Server Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 36
  2. Step 2

    If you are the owner or have administrator privileges, you should see the “Settings” gear.

    Server Settings Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 37
  3. Step 3

    Click on “Settings” and then “Overview”.

    Overview Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 38
  4. Step 4

    Look for the “Inactive Settings” underneath the Server Region.

    Inactive Settings Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 39
  5. Step 5

    Click on the “No Inactive Channel” section to pull up a list of your current voice channels.

    No Inactive Channel Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 40
  6. Step 6

    If you do not have an AFK channel already set up, return to the Settings page and click Create Channel.

    Create Channel Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 41
  7. Step 7

    Give the channel a name and select the Voice Channel type. Make sure to leave the Private Channel setting unselected, otherwise, users will not be automatically moved to the channel by Discord unless they are assigned one of the roles granted access under the Private Channel’s settings. Click the checkmark in the top right corner to create the channel.

    Create AFK Channel Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 42
  8. Step 8

    When you return to the Server Settings > Overview > Inactive Settings, the new voice channel should now appear in the selection list.

    Select a Channel Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 43
  9. Step 9

    Select how long someone is away from their keyboard before they are moved to the inactive voice channel.

    Inactive Timeout Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 44
  10. Step 10

    Once you have selected your Inactive Settings for the channel and timeout, make sure to click the blue Save button in the bottom right corner. You have now set up an AFK channel for your Discord on mobile!

    AFK Channel Discord Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 45

Reasons to Make an AFK Channel on Discord

But why should you have an AFK channel in the first place?

  1. Step 1

    If a voice channel has a user limit when a user becomes inactive after the specified amount of time, they would be moved to the AFK channel, freeing up a space for someone active to join. Some Discords tend to have a user limit for a voice channel when a game only has space for x amount of people, that way only people playing the game are in the voice channel.

    User Limit Discord Mobile
    How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord 46
  2. Step 2

    An AFK voice channel automatically mutes users when they are moved to this channel. As long as the AFK channel is not a private one, it can also be a place where users who want to be a part of your Discord’s conversations can go themselves temporarily until they are back at their computer or mobile device. It is a way for users to let others know they will “be right back”.

  3. Step 3

    Sometimes people fall asleep while still on a Discord call or may just forget to leave the call. An AFK channel is helpful in these circumstances because Discord will automatically move them to the channel and mute their microphone. In Discords without an AFK channel, people may pop into the channel to try to check on the user or ask in a text channel if said user is okay. The AFK channel indirectly notifies other server members that one of the mentioned situations may have happened and the user is simply away from their keyboard and Discord for the time being.

Conclusion

An “Away From Keyboard” voice channel is a useful feature to have for your Discord. It ensures that people currently active on Discord are the ones hanging out in your voice channels, whether during the stream or for an off-stream hangout. It gives members somewhere to go if they know they will be away for a while and easily return to another voice channel when they are back. The automatic muting feature, also gives all users moved to this channel privacy in case they forgot to exit Discord.

Now go give your Discord that professional touch!

About the Author

Stacie

Stacie streams under the name justeicats on Twitch. She is an elementary teacher by day. After work,, you can find her snuggling her two cats, bowling, or watching TV. Stacie has loved the paw-sitive community she's met through streaming!

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