Struggling with "RTC Connecting" Errors on Discord? Here‘s How to Finally Fix it Once and For All

Hey there! Have you ever tried to hop into a voice channel on Discord, only to be confronted by the dreaded "RTC Connecting" error message?

I feel your frustration. As a fellow Discord user myself, I know how annoying RTC connection issues can be when you just want to hang out with your friends online.

But don‘t worry – we‘ll get this fixed for you. In this detailed guide, I‘m going to walk you through exactly why you‘re seeing the RTC connecting error on Discord, and simple solutions to resolve it for good.

Just follow along with me step-by-step below, and we‘ll have you back to seamless voice chats in no time!

Why Does the RTC Connecting Error Happen on Discord?

RTC stands for Real-Time Communications. It‘s the protocol that powers Discord‘s voice chat by facilitating real-time transmission of voice data between users.

The "RTC Connecting" error essentially means that Discord is unable to establish a stable RTC connection to its voice servers.

There could be a few reasons why this is happening:

Unstable internet connectivity – Choppy WiFi, congested networks, using mobile data and frequent disconnections can all prevent RTC connections.
Problems with Discord‘s servers – Server outages or technical difficulties on Discord‘s end also manifest as RTC errors.
Software bugs – Glitches, crashes and bugs in the Discord app itself are common culprits.
Incorrect voice server region – Choosing a region different from your location causes lag.
Firewall or antivirus blocking access – Security apps may interpret Discord as a threat and block connections.
DNS issues – DNS resolves Discord‘s domain names into IP addresses. DNS problems interfere with this process.
Incompatible VPN – For voice to work, your VPN needs to allow UDP protocol for real-time traffic.
Hardware or driver faults – Faulty audio devices, network cards or outdated drivers affect connectivity.

I know that list seems long, but don‘t get overwhelmed. We‘ll go through each potential cause one-by-one and make sure your RTC connection problems get banished for good.

Step 1: Check Your Internet Connection

Since Discord voice chat relies on a stable internet connection, that‘s the first thing we need to troubleshoot.

Run a speed test first to check your internet speeds. You need at least 3 Mbps download and upload speeds for clear voice quality on Discord.

If your speed test results are consistently low, contact your ISP. There could be network congestion or capacity issues hampering connectivity in your area.

WiFi users should try moving their computer closer to the router if possible. The further away you are, the weaker the signal gets.

On mobile, switch to a stable WiFi network if you‘re relying on spotty mobile data. Public WiFis work well too.

If other household members are streaming movies or downloading files while you use Discord, the bandwidth impact can also cause RTC problems. Ask them to pause for a bit to free up the network.

To check if the issues are localized to your network, use Discord on your phone‘s mobile data. If it works fine there, you know it‘s your home WiFi causing problems.

Step 2: Restart the Discord App

Here are the quick steps to fully restart the Discord desktop app:

On Windows:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
Go to the Processes tab
Search for Discord and click End Process

On Mac:

Click the Apple menu and select Force Quit
Select Discord from the list of open apps and click Force Quit

After fully restarting Discord, open it again and check if you can now connect to voice. Many times, restarting the app resolves temporary glitches causing RTC issues.

Step 3: Update Discord to the Latest Version

Bugs in outdated versions of Discord can also manifest as RTC connecting errors.

Discord releases fixes and performance improvements with every update. So staying updated is key to smooth voice connectivity.

Here‘s how you can update Discord on desktop:

Windows and Mac:

Click on the Gear icon next to your username
Go to App Settings > Check for Updates
Install any available updates and restart Discord

On iOS or Android mobile apps, you should receive update prompts automatically from the app store.

Updating eliminates bugs that may be interfering with Discord‘s ability to make RTC connections, so it should help resolve RTC issues.

Step 4: Change Your Discord Voice Server Region

Did you know Discord uses specialized servers located across the world to route voice chat traffic?

By default, Discord selects the closest available voice server to connect you to automatically.

But sometimes, choosing a different voice server location can improve connectivity issues.

Follow these steps to manually change your voice server region in Discord:

Desktop:

Click the Gear icon
Go to App Settings > Voice & Video
Under Server Region Selector, click the drop down menu
Select a voice server region closest to your location

Mobile:

Tap your profile picture
Go to User Settings > Voice & Video
Tap Server Region Selector and choose your region

Selecting the voice server region that most closely matches your actual location results in the shortest distance for voice data to travel. This minimizes lag and improves call quality.

Step 5: Check Your Firewall and Antivirus Software

Firewalls and antivirus programs help keep your computer secure online. But sometimes, they may inadvertently block Discord from making outbound connections – causing RTC errors.

So we need to check that Discord is allowed access through your firewall software. Here‘s what to look out for on Windows and Mac:

Windows Defender Firewall:

Go to Start > Windows Security > Firewall & Network Protection
Click Allow an App through Firewall
Ensure Discord is on the allowlist

Mac Firewall:

Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy
Click the Firewall tab
Ensure Discord is checked under Allow App Connection

For third-party firewalls like Avast, check for a setting like "Allowed Apps" or "Application Rules" where you can whitelist Discord.

Antivirus programs like Norton and McAfee also have exceptions settings to allow desired apps – make sure Discord is enabled here.

Allowing Discord through your firewall eliminates connectivity blocks so voice and video calls can connect successfully.

Step 6: Flush and Reset Your DNS Cache

DNS (Domain Name System) is like an address book for the internet. It converts Discord‘s domain into a numerical IP address required to route traffic.

Caching stores DNS entries locally on your computer for faster lookups. But sometimes cached data can get outdated or corrupted.

Flushing the DNS cache forces a refresh of this data which can resolve connectivity issues caused by DNS problems.

Here is how to flush DNS caches on Windows and Mac:

Windows:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator
Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter

Mac:

Launch Terminal
Enter the command dscacheutil -flushcache

Now when you reconnect, Discord will be routed through fresh DNS data. This remedies any RPC connecting errors caused by stale DNS cache information.

Step 7: Try Alternate DNS Servers

In some cases, the default DNS servers provided by your ISP could be the culprit behind connectivity issues.

An easy fix is to switch over to reliable third-party DNS servers like Google or Cloudflare to bypass any problems with your ISP‘s servers.

On Windows 10:

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Change Adapter Options
Right click your active WiFi adapter and select Properties
Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
Click Use the following DNS server addresses
Enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google DNS servers)

On Mac:

Go to System Preferences > Network > Advanced > DNS
Delete any existing entries and enter:
- 8.8.8.8
- 8.8.4.4

Once you save these changes, your computer will begin using Google‘s DNS instead of your ISP‘s. This troubleshooting step resolves tons of connectivity headaches.

Step 8: Tweak Quality of Service (QoS) Settings

QoS or Quality of Service allows you to prioritize latency-sensitive apps like Discord for the best performance.

Try disabling QoS if you‘re experiencing choppy voice quality or lag with Discord calls.

Navigate to User Settings > Voice & Video > Scroll down to Advanced > Turn off Enable Quality of Service High Packet Priority.

With QoS disabled, Discord‘s voice traffic will no longer be prioritized. While this may impact voice quality slightly, it also eliminates any issues caused by QoS misconfiguration.

Step 9: Check your VPN Connection

If you use a VPN, it needs to fully support real-time traffic and UDP protocol for Discord‘s voice calls to connect properly.

Many VPNs are designed to simply tunnel web browsing traffic, and don‘t adequately support real-time apps.

I recommend using a reputable VPN like ExpressVPN or NordVPN if voice quality over Discord is a priority. Both maintain high-speed, low-latency connections perfect for Discord.

If you must use your existing VPN, ensure UDP protocol is enabled in the settings for the smoothest voice chat experience.

Step 10: Inspect Your Hardware and Drivers

Outdated network adapter drivers or hardware faults like damaged sound cards can also get in the way of Discord establishing RTC connections.

It‘s worthwhile double checking that all your PC‘s core components are functioning properly.

Update your network adapter, sound card and other relevant drivers to the newest available versions. Outdated drivers cause glitches.
In Device Manager, check for any error codes or issues with your network and audio hardware. Resolve any problems detected.
Try swapping to a different USB or 3.5mm audio device if you suspect issues with your currently selected microphone or headset.
If you‘re on a laptop, the built-in WiFi card could potentially be faulty. Use a USB WiFi adapter instead in this case.
Consider investing in a gaming-grade headset or external microphone for crystal clear voice quality. The HyperX Cloud II and Blue Yeti are great options.

While hardware issues are less common, it‘s worth ruling them out as we troubleshoot the root of your Discord RTC problems.

Step 11: Contact Discord‘s Support Team

After all that, if you‘re still unable to overcome the RTC connecting errors in Discord, it may be time to directly contact their support team for assistance.

Discord‘s support team can help identify and resolve persistent RTC connection problems. Here are the best ways to get in touch with them:

Twitter – Send a direct message to @discordapp on Twitter explaining your issue. They‘re quite responsive here.
Email – Send an email to [email protected] detailing your problem and troubleshooting steps attempted.
Discord Testers Server – Join the Discord Testers server using this invite link and post about your issue in the #rtc-connection-issues channel.
Official Support Page – You can also open a support ticket at Discord‘s contact page.

Discord‘s developers constantly work to improve connectivity and squash pesky RTC bugs. Collaborating with their support team is a great way to get long-standing voice chat problems permanently resolved.

Fixing Discord RTC Connecting Errors: Let‘s Recap

I know that was a lot of information, so let‘s do a quick recap of the key fixes we covered to resolve Discord‘s "RTC connecting" error:

Check for unstable internet connectivity interfering with voice chat traffic.
Fully restart the Discord application to clear any glitches.
Update Discord to the latest version for performance improvements.
Manually select an optimal voice server region for your location.
Whitelist Discord in firewall, antivirus and security software.
Flush DNS cache and switch to alternate DNS servers.
Ensure your VPN supports UDP protocol for real-time communication.
Troubleshoot hardware issues and update relevant drivers.
Seek assistance from Discord‘s customer support team.

Going through each of these systematic troubleshooting steps will help you pinpoint the exact cause and get Discord‘s voice working properly again.

I hope this guide gave you a better understanding of what‘s causing the "RTC connecting" error so we can work together to fix it once and for all.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help out a fellow Discord user.