Naturally, searching is easier than scrolling all the way up, so I did that.
And then I found that the search bar wasnt returning any results.
Just a quick glance on Reddit revealed that many others were facing the same issue.
Does that mean the search is broken?
Why Discords Search Stops Working
The majority of the errors take place due to Discords server error.
If the servers are down, then not only search but you cannot perform even the basic functionalities.
A forum search revealed that many users are getting 404 Not Found when searching the contents of their messages.
That indicates that the client is having difficulty getting a search result back to you.
There can be problems with your internet connection too.
All this time you swore to Discord and it turns out that your internet connection is to blame.
Another less common issue is the presence of an old Discord app.
Besides if you stream(which is all the rage these days), Discord has a Streamer mode.
This can poke with Discords configs and break the search feature.
Was it on a PC, Mac, or your phone?
Once you do that, see if this is an issue that is limited to your geolocation.
it’s possible for you to check this by going toDiscords status page.
Take note of the separate section for Search.
This is where you will find if search is down globally or just not working for you.
It was just a few months back (April 2023) when I faced searching issues.
That was when the devs stated the search was down temporarily.
If thats the case, just wait it out.
A major outage will mean that Discords devs will already be out to fix it.
But what if your peers can access Discord and you are only the one missing out?
Then that indicates a problem on your end.
This could be the Discord client or your internet connection.
So, lets see how you would fix this.
But do ensure you have a stable internet connection before using Discord.
Just play any random Youtube video to test this and see if you experience any slowdowns.
Then you already know who to call.
Solution 2: Restart Discord
The tech support tips strike again.
Yes, close Discord and fire it up again.
I dont know the sorcery behind this, but this can again (potentially) fix the issue.
I do have an idea why this works.
But do not expect miracles though.
Similar to other apps, Discord also produces temporary files that help it to run.
These can get corrupted over time and wreak havoc when you attempt to launch the app.
Okay, lets see how it’s possible for you to delete these temporary files.
Otherwise, they will occupy your Macs storage space.
Users on Android can do the same thing and clear Discords temporary data.
Apple calls deleting temporary app data offloading.
you’re free to do the same for Discord.
Once we have applied the magical potion, re-open Discord.
Does the search work now?
If not, look at the last few steps below.
Solution 5: Remove Extensions
Discord has a wide library of excellent extensions.
Netflix, OBS, and Robinhood are a few big names on this list.
Better Discord is one extension it’s possible for you to remove and see how that fares for you.
Many people on forums have faced slowdowns due to this particular extension.
This is where you give a shot to search and see if it works.
This mode can potentially restrict what Discord can view when you search for something on the app.
Hence switch it off and see how that affects Discords search capability.
It is a good idea to see close Discord and then reopen it after you have done this.
This ensures that Discord reloads with the new options from scratch.
These are nothing revolutionary and you may already be familiar with all of it.
These steps will uninstall Discord from your gear:
Now go ahead and download the latest iteration of Discord.
Install it and see if the search issues are fixed.
Clear Background Processes
Applications hogging the CPU and memory can slow down other apps running with them.
This can happen with Discord too.
On my computer, I have the Intel Diver Utility open all the time.
Though it does not consume all the resources, I close it every time to save some resources.
To do this open Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del), right-press a specific process, and click onEnd Process.
So try this out too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Discord message search not working?
Discord can experience server troubles which render the search button useless.
In such events, look out for server downtime and take Discord supports help.
Why Discord search show dropped the magnifying glass?
This indicates Discord experienced an error and cannot return a result.
This can be a backend issue that goes away automatically when the servers are back online.
Final Words
So, did you get the search to work again?
Comment below to let us know about any queries that you have.
And that brings us to the end of this article.
