What Are Discord Activities
Discord activities are the status messages and presence indicators that appear on your Discord profile, showing other users what you are currently doing. These can range from simple custom status messages to Rich Presence displays that show detailed information about the game you are playing, the music you are listening to, or the application you are using.
Discord activities serve as a form of self-expression and social communication within the platform. They let your friends and server members know your current status, what you are interested in, and whether you are available for chat or gaming. Custom activities allow you to go beyond the default options and create unique, personalized presence displays that reflect your personality and interests.
Understanding how to customize your Discord activity can enhance your experience on the platform and make your profile stand out. Whether you want to display a witty custom status, show off what you are working on, or create an elaborate Rich Presence display, this guide covers all the methods available to you.
Setting a Custom Status
The simplest way to customize your Discord activity is by setting a custom status. This feature is built into Discord and does not require any additional tools or technical knowledge.
To set a custom status, click on your avatar or username at the bottom-left corner of the Discord client. Select Set Custom Status from the menu. You will see a dialog box where you can enter a status message of up to 128 characters, choose an emoji to display alongside your status, and set a duration for how long the status should remain active. Duration options include 30 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, today, and never clear.
Your custom status appears next to your name in server member lists, direct messages, and your profile pop-up. It is a quick and easy way to let people know what you are up to, share a favorite quote, or display any message you choose.
To edit or remove your custom status at any time, simply click on your avatar again and modify or clear the status. You can also set custom statuses through the Discord mobile app using the same process.
Using Rich Presence for Custom Activities
Rich Presence is a more advanced Discord feature that allows applications and games to display detailed activity information on your profile. This includes the application name, current state, elapsed time, images, and even invite buttons. Rich Presence is what creates those detailed game activity displays you see on other users' profiles.
To create a custom Rich Presence activity, you need to use the Discord Developer Portal to create a new application. Go to discord.com/developers/applications and click New Application. Give your application a name — this will be the activity name that appears on your profile. Under the Rich Presence section, you can upload assets (images) that will display alongside your activity. You can upload up to 300 images for your application, including both large and small images.
Once your application is set up in the Developer Portal, you need a client application to connect it to your Discord account and display the Rich Presence information. Several third-party tools make this process straightforward without requiring programming knowledge.
Third-Party Tools for Custom Activities
Several applications and tools have been developed to make it easy to set up custom Discord activities without any coding experience.
PreMiD: PreMiD is a popular browser extension and application that automatically displays your web activity on Discord. It supports hundreds of websites, including YouTube, Netflix, Twitch, SoundCloud, and many others. When you visit a supported website, PreMiD automatically updates your Discord status to show what you are watching, listening to, or browsing. You can also create custom presences for websites that are not yet supported.
Custom Rich Presence: This open-source tool allows you to create and display custom Rich Presence activities using your Discord application's client ID. You can set custom text, images, timestamps, and buttons directly through a user-friendly interface. It is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Discord Rich Presence Maker: This is a web-based tool that generates the configuration needed for custom Rich Presence displays. You input your application's client ID, desired text, images, and settings, and the tool generates the necessary configuration that you can use with a Rich Presence client.
Creating Activities with Discord Bots
If you are comfortable with basic programming, you can create custom Discord activities using a bot. Discord bots can display Rich Presence information and can be programmed to change their activity dynamically based on various triggers.
Using Node.js and the discord.js library, you can create a bot that sets a custom activity with just a few lines of code. After installing discord.js via npm, create a new bot application in the Discord Developer Portal, obtain your bot token, and write a simple script that sets the bot's activity when it connects. Your bot can display Playing, Streaming, Listening to, Watching, or Competing in activities, each with custom text.
For more complex setups, you can program your bot to rotate through different activities on a timer, respond to commands to change its activity, or display real-time information from external sources like APIs or databases.
Displaying Music Activities
One of the most popular custom activity use cases is displaying what music you are currently listening to. Several methods are available for this.
Spotify Integration: Discord has built-in Spotify integration. If you connect your Spotify account to Discord through User Settings, then Connections, then Spotify, your currently playing track will automatically appear as your Discord activity. Friends can even listen along with you through the activity display.
Other Music Services: For music services other than Spotify, tools like PreMiD or custom Rich Presence applications can display your current track. Apple Music, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, and other services can be integrated using third-party tools or custom scripts.
Tips for Creative Activities
To make the most of your custom Discord activities, consider these creative tips. Keep your custom status concise and readable, as long messages may be truncated on smaller screens. Use relevant emojis to add visual appeal and communicate your status at a glance. If using Rich Presence, upload high-quality images that look good at small sizes, as they are displayed as small icons. Update your activity regularly to keep it fresh and relevant. Be mindful of your server's community guidelines, as some servers have rules about appropriate status messages. And remember that your activity is visible to everyone on servers you share, so keep it professional if you use Discord for work or school as well as personal use.
Customizing your Discord activity is a fun way to personalize your presence on the platform and express yourself to your community. Whether you choose a simple custom status or an elaborate Rich Presence setup, the options available allow for significant creativity and personalization.
