How to Make an AFK Channel on Discord

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.

   

2. Step 2

   Click on Server Settings.

   

3. Step 3

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

   

4. Step 4

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

   

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.

   

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”.

   

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.

   

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”.

   

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.

    

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!

    

    

12. Step 12

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

    

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.

   

2. Step 2

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

   

3. Step 3

   Click on “Settings” and then “Overview”.

   

4. Step 4

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

   

5. Step 5

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

   

6. Step 6

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

   

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.

   

8. Step 8

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

   

9. Step 9

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

   

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!

    

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.

   

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!