BetterDiscord is a simple extension of the Discord app that allows user to customize all of Discord to their liking. On the surface, BetterDiscord can simply be used to create (or download, via their website) custom themes; including backgrounds, chat bubble design, UI placement, and customizable text.

The BetterDiscord community has accumulated an interesting library of plugins for everything from a built-in text translator to a silent typing tool—you can even write your own plugins using JavaScript.

On the surface, it appears to just be an easy way to change the theme and style of your Discord app. However, BetterDiscord can be used to truly improve, and further personalize, your Discord experience.

Let's discuss how to set up BetterDiscord and take full advantage of its potential.

Important Note: BetterDiscord and Discord Terms of Service

Before going through the installation process, we should note that BetterDiscord violates Discord's Terms of Service. This doesn't mean that using BetterDiscord will get you removed from Discord entirely, it is simply a safety precaution on Discord's part.

You'll be downloading and implementing themes and plugins created by community members, if you decide not to write the code yourself. This is technically a security risk, as users can implement potentially harmful code.

Using BetterDiscord and community-made assets should be done at your own discretion, with the understanding that—like most places on the internet where you download open-source assets—you have to be careful about what you download.

How to Install BetterDiscord

Setting up BetterDiscord is quick and easy. It's almost like downloading an update for the Discord app. This means, of course, you should already have Discord installed. If you're new to Discord or just looking for the right group to hang out with, there are several great ways to find the right Discord community for you.

You'll have to head to BetterDiscord's website. On the front page, you'll simply click the download button. Run the installer once it has finished downloading.

Download: BetterDiscord (Free)

Navigating the Installer

The installer will first ask you to accept its end-user license agreement. You'll check the box to accept this, then select Next.

Then, you'll be asked to choose whichever version of Discord you use by clicking on one of the options. We're using vanilla Discord for this guide, so we'll click on Discord, then click Install. The installation should be relatively quick. Once it's finished, just click the Close button.

Now that you've installed BetterDiscord, you're ready to use it! All you have to do now is open your Discord app to continue the process.

Changing Themes With BetterDiscord

The biggest selling point for BetterDiscord is its ability to easily change the style of Discord. If you're sick of the gray background, basic layout, and limited tools of Discord, BetterDiscord will allow you to spruce things up.

With Discord open, you'll be greeted by a change log with news on the most recent BetterDiscord update. To access BetterDiscord's settings, you'll click User Settings in the bottom left corner, as usual. In the settings menu, you'll have a list of settings tabs on the left. Scroll all the way to the bottom to find the BetterDiscord section.

This is where you can access and edit all of BetterDiscord's unique features. We'll start by discussing their community-made themes.

Changing Themes Using BetterDiscord's Library

Using BetterDiscord's library of themes is incredibly simple. From their home page, you can navigate to a tab dedicated to community-made BetterDiscord themes. Scroll through their library until you find something that suits you.

Once you've found a theme you like, click Download. For easy access to this file, keep your download folder open, or move the file to your desktop. Return to the Discord app, and make your way back to BetterDiscord's settings if you aren't still there.

Click Themes, and you'll see a blue button at the top labeled Open Themes Folder. This will open the folder on your PC from which Discord will access new themes. Drag and drop your recently downloaded theme into this folder, then close it. You'll see that the theme is now visible in the themes settings.

Just click the toggle button to activate that new theme! If you add another theme to your personal library, don't forget to toggle the old theme off before toggling the new one on. You'll see that we already had our Discord+ theme active, but we've switched to a Fallout 4 Terminal theme.

Customizing Themes From the Community Library

It's worth noting that if you've installed a custom theme with a layout and style that you generally enjoy, but you wish you could change the background image—you can do so, with a little tinkering.

For this, we're switching back to the Discord+ theme. All you have to do is return to the theme settings. Next to the toggle switch, you'll see an Edit button.

This will open a small window containing the theme's code. If you're unfamiliar, it can look confusing. However, most community themes have very clean and well-labeled code. Above, you'll see that we've found and highlighted a line labeled --dplus-background: immediately followed by a URL.

This URL leads to the image used as the Discord+ background. As you might have guessed by now, that means that if you replace the image URL with one of your choice—even a GIF—it will change the background of your app. If you're looking for a good replacement background, there are plenty of websites hosting free images for your choosing.

Replace the URL with your preferred image, click the save icon in the top left corner of the editor, then close it. It's that easy!

Using Plugins From BetterDiscord's Library

You may have noticed a plugins section while browsing themes on BetterDiscord's website, or the plugins tab in the settings.

BetterDiscord's community has a library similar to the theme library: a collection of neat quality-of-life extensions for your freshly-painted Discord. These community-made plugins for BetterDiscord are available on its website, and the process for installing and activating them is entirely the same. They offer everything from a redesigned friends list, to a built-in Spotify volume controller.

Just go to the Plugins tab of your settings, open the plugin folder by pressing the appropriately-labeled blue button, and drop your downloaded plugins into this folder. They'll appear immediately in your plugin settings. Don't forget to toggle it on before trying to use it!

We've downloaded a translator plugin created by user DevilBro, which does just what it says—selected messages can be translated to whatever target language you choose. It uses Google's translation engine by default, but this can be changed to DeepL or Papago. Once set up, all you have to do is click the translate button found with the other message options; in the same drop-down menu as reply, react, copy message link, etc.

Translation can be applied to both received and outgoing messages (outgoing messages can be translated before or after they're sent).

This is just one of many incredible plugins made available by the community. You're sure to find something in their library that brightens your Discord experience!

Making Your Own Plug-Ins for BetterDiscord

Now that you've seen how easy it is to take advantage of the BetterDiscord community's massive library of themes and plugins, you'll likely recognize how incredibly customizable your Discord has become. You can now, using community-made assets, personalize Discord to your liking.

However, these options might not be enough for you. Perhaps none of the themes fit your style, or you were hoping for a very niche plugin that has yet to be made. If that's the case, and you're code-savvy, you can easily create your own themes and plugins using JavaScript.

Better Customizability With BetterDiscord

The main takeaway here is that, whether community or custom-made, BetterDiscord allows you to implement themes, fonts, colors, layouts, and tools to personalize the app to your liking. The possibilities are seemingly endless. You could easily spend an entire day tinkering with your now incredibly personalized Discord.

However, if you don't feel like overhauling Discord yourself, whether due to the process or the terms of service, you might be looking for an alternative.