Alexis Kestler
As a fellow gaming and Discord enthusiast, I know how frustrating it is to randomly get hit with the “Sorry, you have been blocked” error when trying to access Discord.
Not being able to chat with your friends or engage with your favorite gaming communities is a huge letdown. But don’t worry – I’ve got your back!
In this detailed troubleshooting guide, I’ll walk you through exactly why this error happens and all the possible solutions to get Discord working again. Just follow along with these steps below, and you‘ll be unblocked and chatting again in no time.
Why Does the “Sorry, You Have Been Blocked” Error Happen on Discord?
Before we get into the fixes, it helps to understand exactly what causes Discord to throw up this blocking message. There are a few main reasons you could be getting hit with the “Sorry, you have been blocked” screen:
Discord Servers Are Down
The most common trigger for the blocking error is when the Discord servers are down or having connectivity issues on Discord‘s end.
According to Discord’s status site, they average around 0-1 major outages per month, each lasting 1-2 hours typically. Discord relies on cloud servers from Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, which also experience periodic outages.
When any of these server farms have issues, it results in major worldwide connection problems and blocking errors for Discord users.
Table: Discord Server Outage History
| Date | Duration | Details |
|---|---|---|
| June 21, 2022 | ~2 hours | API errors, connectivity issues |
| May 4, 2022 | ~1 hour | Cloud server outage |
| April 19, 2022 | ~1.5 hours | API failure, service disruption |
As you can see above, Discord has experienced at least three major outages in 2022 already. If one happens while you‘re trying to access Discord, you‘ll get the standard “Sorry, you have been blocked” or “You are being rate limited” error messages.
VPN or Proxy Detected
Discord blocks connections from most VPNs and proxy servers to cut down on abuse of their service. They want to make you connect directly through your true public IP address.
If you normally connect to a VPN or proxy service, Discord may detect that encrypted traffic and block access.
Unusual Account Activity
Discord‘s automated security system looks for suspicious activity that seems out of the ordinary for your account.
For example, if you normally log in from the U.S., but then try accessing your account from an IP address in China, Discord may temporarily block access until you verify it‘s really you.
This is Discord‘s way of protecting accounts from potential hacking attempts. But sometimes the security system overreacts to normal travel or network changes.
Firewall or Antivirus Interference
If your computer has a faultly configured firewall or overly-zealous antivirus software, they could detect Discord‘s traffic as suspicious and block connections.
Regional Blocking
In some countries like the UAE and Indonesia, the government actively blocks access to Discord entirely. This regional blocking is rare though.
Now that you know what causes the blocking message, let‘s get your account back up and running!
1. Check Discord Server Status
Whenever the “Sorry, you have been blocked” error appears, first check if it‘s just because of a widespread Discord outage.
Go to Discord’s status website at status.discord.com. This will show any ongoing issues with their servers. You can also search “is Discord down?” on Google and Twitter to see if others are reporting problems.
If Discord is down or experiencing an outage, no other troubleshooting tips will help. You’ll just need to wait out the outage until Discord’s engineers can get their servers back online.
Minor blips are usually fixed within an hour, but major outages can take 1-3 hours to fully resolve. Just keep checking Discord’s status page until all systems show operational again.
2. Try Different Discord Apps
If the main Discord desktop app is blocked, try accessing Discord through:
-
The web app – Go to discord.com/app and log in through your browser
-
Mobile app – Download the Discord mobile app for iOS or Android
-
Microsoft Store app – Install the Discord app from the Microsoft Store (for Windows 10/11 users)
The desktop, web, and mobile versions of Discord connect to separate server clusters. If one cluster is having issues, switching to another Discord app accessing a different server group could let you connect.
3. Connect Through a VPN
One way to bypass any IP-based blocking of your location is to connect through a trusted VPN service before accessing Discord. This masks your public IP and makes it seem like you are accessing Discord from the VPN server‘s location instead.
Some good free VPNs to try are:
- ProtonVPN – Offers unlimited free plan with servers in 3 countries
- TunnelBear – 500MB free each month
- Windscribe – 10GB free each month
Install your chosen VPN app on your computer or mobile device. Connect to a server in a different city or country. Then launch Discord – this should allow you to bypass any regional blocking.
The free VPN servers often have slower speeds. So you may want to upgrade to a paid pro account for faster streaming and gaming. But the free options work fine for unblocking Discord itself.
4. Disconnect from an Existing VPN or Proxy
On the other hand, if you normally use a VPN or proxy service to connect, try disconnecting from it completely and accessing Discord directly through your regular internet connection instead.
As mentioned earlier, Discord aggressively blocks most traffic from VPNs and proxy servers to cut down on abuse.
So if you get the blocking error while using your regular VPN or proxy service, disconnecting from it could allow Discord to work again.
5. Switch Browsers and Remove Extensions
If accessing Discord through the Chrome browser isn‘t working, try alternative browsers like Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, or Brave.
Certain Chrome browser extensions can also cause conflicts with Discord, leading to the blocking error. Uninstall any recently added Chrome extensions to see if that fixes the problem.
You can also launch Chrome in incognito mode, which disables all extensions temporarily. Access Discord in incognito mode to confirm whether an extension is the culprit.
On Chrome, click the 3-dot menu > New Incognito Window to start incognito browsing.
6. Flush Your DNS Cache
Corrupted DNS records can prevent you from accessing Discord sometimes. Flushing your computer‘s DNS cache resets these records and often resolves connectivity issues.
On Windows:
-
Open the Command Prompt as administrator
-
Type
ipconfig /flushdnsand hit Enter
This clears out your DNS cache. Then try opening Discord.
On Mac:
-
Open the Terminal app
-
Type
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponderand hit Enter
Again, this flushes the DNS cache on Mac. Launch Discord afterwards.
7. Restart Your Modem and Router
As a good general networking troubleshooting step, try restarting your modem, router, and computer. This clears out any stuck connections or faulty routing issues that could be blocking Discord.
Turn off your modem and router completely for one minute, then turn them back on. Once fully restarted, reboot your computer as well.
Now launch Discord – a fresh network connection often resolves glitchy problems like this.
8. Allow Discord Through Your Firewall
If you have a third-party firewall application installed for security, check that Discord is allowed through the firewall properly.
Overly restrictive firewall settings can block Discord from making any network connections.
In your firewall app, look for a list of allowed/blocked programs. Make sure Discord is added to the allow list. You may need to manually add the Discord executable file yourself:
On Windows:
C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Local\Discord\app-VERSION_NUMBER\Discord.exe
On Mac:
/Applications/Discord.app
This will whitelist Discord in the firewall and prevent it from being blocked.
9. Pause or Disable Your Antivirus
Just like a firewall, overzealous antivirus software can sometimes detect Discord‘s traffic as a threat and block connections randomly.
Try temporarily pausing or disabling your antivirus to see if that‘s interfering with Discord access.
On Windows Security:
Open Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection > Manage Settings > Real-time Protection > Off
On Third-Party Antivirus:
Look for a "Pause" or "Disable" button in your antivirus software‘s settings to stop it from running temporarily.
Once disabled, restart your computer and try opening Discord. Don‘t forget to re-enable your antivirus afterwards!
10. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies
Corrupted browser cookies for Discord can also trigger the blocking error message sometimes.
Clearing your browser‘s cache and cookies gives Discord‘s website connection a fresh start.
On Chrome:
- Click the 3-dot menu > Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear Browsing Data
- Select "Cached Images and Files" and "Cookies and Other Site Data"
- Click Clear Data
On Firefox:
- Click the 3-line menu > Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
- Click "Clear Data"
Now reload Discord in your cleared browser and see if that fixes it.
11. Contact Discord Support
If you still can‘t access Discord after trying all these steps, you‘ll need to reach out to Discord‘s customer support team directly.
Go to Discord‘s support page and click Submit a Request at the bottom.
This will have you fill out info on the blocking error you‘re getting. Submit the troubleshooting request and a Discord staff member will respond to help investigate further.
Don‘t Let Discord Block You!
I know it‘s super frustrating when Discord randomly blocks you for seemingly no reason. But in most cases, you just need a little patience and some standard connectivity troubleshooting steps to get back up and running.
Now that you know all the ways to fix “Sorry, you have been blocked” errors, you can keep the chat party going nonstop. Discord can throw whatever it wants at you, but you‘ve got the tools to unblock yourself instantly.
Let me know if you have any other issues accessing Discord down the road. I’m always happy to help a fellow gamer in need. After all, no one should get cut off from their favorite Discord gaming communities. Let’s stay connected!
