How to make an app like Discord?

By Snigdha | August 8, 2022 5:17 pm  | 6-min read

Smooth communication is important for any team to work flawlessly. And when it is multi-player gaming, communication takes on a whole new level of importance. Until some time ago, gamers would face a big challenge in terms of audio quality when they used the built-in voice chat.

This gap was addressed and filled by Discord, a voice and chat app created with the intent to help gamers interact and coordinate with each other. However, the platform quickly expanded and spilled into and became popular among a variety of other community verticals.

You can also come up with your own chat app like Discord. Yes! Even if you are not a tech whiz, you can make apps similar to Discord with Appy Pie. No need to worry about coding, no need to hire especially skilled professionals or outsource to an external agency.

What is Discord, and how does it work?

Discord is a unique VoIP application that combines Slack and Reddit, along with text, voice, and video messaging features. The app is versatile and compatible with MacOS, LINUX, Windows, and even web browsers. Additionally, the Discord app can also be downloaded for Android and iOS devices.

Users can use Discord to invite people with similar interests, hold discussions, and exchange information and multimedia files.

Discord has two different types of channels.

• A text-based channel to chat and share images and files
• A voice channel enabled with background sound cancellation for users to communicate with others through a video and audio call

Top features you must add to your chat apps similar to Discord

Discord app is unique in its functioning and purpose, and if you plan to make Discord-like apps, below are some features you must add to your app.

1. Servers and channels

   Servers are spaces built to facilitate communication and are organized into channels. Each of the servers is typically dedicated to particular topics and may have different rules. Servers can be considered public or private chatrooms to discuss specific topics. Each server can hold up to 500 channels. As a business, you can use Discord to set up channels around different projects or departments.

2. Roles and permissions

   Admins can assign roles to members and permissions within servers and channels. You can not only adjust the roles and permissions for all the channels on a Discord server or one specific channel. In a typical chat app, you may assign one or two roles, a chat admin or a chat moderator, with specific permissions for managing the group. On Discord, however, there are about thirty options for permissions which can be combined in a number of ways. This is one of the most lucrative and powerful features of the app and when you create an app like Discord, give this feature a good thought.

3. Voice and video calls

   When creating apps similar to Discord, make sure that you add direct messaging or chatting as a feature. On Discord, you can have voice and video chats or a dedicated video channel without text messaging abilities. Users can connect to these channels and join in the conversation in a couple of clicks. One important thing to remember is that the audio quality of these channels must be top-notch for apps like discord for Android and iOS.

4. Screen sharing

   Screen sharing for Discord was introduced in 2017. This feature allows users to share their screen while on video calls, quite like Zoom! Businesses can use this feature while presenting information to the team. The Go Live screen sharing feature lets users share one particular window or the entire screen.

5. Integrations

   You have the option to integrate your Discord app with other third-party accounts and services, e.g., you can integrate your social media accounts. If you plan to create an app like Discord for gamers, it is a good idea to integrate apps like Twitch or Steam. If you are planning to make an app like Discord for business, integration with industry apps and networks makes more sense. Ensure that you include all the possible valuable integrations with Discord in your chat application.

6. Message History

   While it makes sense for some chat apps to free up space on a device by automatically clearing the older messages after a certain period. This is a great way to provide secrecy and privacy. However, if you plan to make an app like Discord for business use, it is important to consider providing unlimited storage. It is important to offer the businesses the ability to go back and review the communication from months ago.

7. Notifications

   A messaging app like Discord needs to have a notifications feature. A modern chat application must also offer the ability to partially or completely mute these notifications. Who wants their board meeting to be interspersed with continuous beeps from Discord message notifications?

8. File-sharing

   If you are planning to make a voice and text chat app like Discord, it is important that you allow the users to exchange files with ease. This is almost a standard feature for any messaging app today, but Discord only offers an upload limit of 8MB for their free plan and 50 MB for their paid version. Not many Discord users claim this to be a challenge, but you must research your own target audience before deciding whether you want to include this feature in your chat app.

How to make an app like Discord?

Now you know all the critical features that you must include in your chat app like Discord, it is time to address and answer the question of how to make an app like Discord.

If you have been shying away from making an app like Discord app just because you are intimidated by the technology involved, we have a solution for you – Appy Pie’s no code instant messaging app builder. You need not learn to code or spend months making an app.

1. Give your app a name

   Choose the right app category, a design theme, and a layout to make your app truly your own.

2. Drag-and-drop the right features to your app

   Make as many edits as you want so that your app looks and works exactly the way you want.

3. Test and launch

   Once you are happy with the app, it’s time to test your app on real devices. That’s it! You can now go live on app stores of your choice.