How to Disable DMs from a Discord Server
You can turn off direct messages from nonfriends in a particular Discord server while keeping them open elsewhere. Friends and message-request settings are separate.
Desktop and browser
- Open User Settings with the cogwheel next to your profile.
- Look for Direct Messages under Messaging Permissions in newer desktop layouts. Older layouts place the controls under Content & Social → Social permissions.
- Select the intended server using the available server selector.
- Turn off Direct messages for that server.
Discord also documents a server-specific Privacy Settings route. Labels can move between app versions; check which server is selected before changing the toggle.
If you change the broader default, Discord may ask whether to apply it to existing servers. Read that prompt rather than assuming you have changed only one community.
Mobile
- Open your profile from the bottom-right icon.
- Tap the cogwheel to open settings.
- Choose Content & Social.
- Under Server Settings, open Server defaults or the server dropdown and select the intended server.
- Turn off Direct messages.
The server picker is labeled Server defaults in the iOS layout checked for this guide. Labels can differ by version. The old Android long-press and scroll-up instructions should not be treated as a universal menu path.
What the setting changes
Discord describes this control as blocking DMs from nonfriends in servers. A friend who also belongs to the server can still message you. To stop a particular person's contact, use that person's block control instead.
Turning off server-member DMs does not delete your old DM history. It also does not guarantee you can start a conversation with every member: their privacy settings still apply.
Changing a server's setting is not the same as blocking an individual account.
Message Requests are a different choice
Under Content & Social, Message Requests determines how eligible nonfriend messages are presented. Turning requests off does not turn DMs off; an allowed message can appear directly in your DM list instead.
It is also inaccurate to say every nonfriend message always goes to requests. Discord documents exceptions for adult users who share a mutual friend or a small server with the sender. Use the DM permission toggle when your goal is to stop those messages.
Discord's Message Requests guide explains the current behavior.
Friend requests and blocking
Friend-request settings are under Content & Social > Friend Requests. Discord offers Everyone, Friends of Friends and Server Members. These choices control friend requests, not whether an existing friend can DM you.
To block an individual, open their profile and use Block. Blocking direct contact and shared-server visibility are separate settings.
Questions about existing chats and bots
Q: Will this erase old messages?
A: No. The DM permission setting is not a history-deletion control.
Q: Can I still send messages?
A: You can try to start a conversation, but the recipient's own permissions still determine whether Discord accepts it.
Q: What if the member is already my friend?
A: The server-member restriction concerns nonfriends. Use individual blocking if you want to stop that friend's contact.
Q: Does SuccubusBot bypass these privacy settings?
A: Do not assume that it does. Bot DMs can fail when Discord prevents delivery. A response inside a server channel is a different route from a DM.
Q: How do I allow DMs again?
A: Return to the same selected server and enable Direct messages. Check the server selection before changing the toggle.
See Discord's Blocking & Privacy Settings guide for its current desktop and mobile instructions.