Discord finally rolls out end-to-end encryption by default for all voice and video calls

Discord has implemented end-to-end encryption for all voice and video calls across its instant messaging platform, excluding stage channels. This change makes encrypted communication the default setting for direct messages, group calls, voice channels, and Go Live streams. Users on gaming consoles, the web app, Discord bots, and those integrating with Discord's social SDK now benefit from the DAVE encryption protocol, closing previous security gaps.

Discord first started experimenting with end-to-end encryption for voice and video calls in August 2023, before officially announcing its end-to-end encryption protocol, named .

Following this rollout, Discord requires every client to support the DAVE protocol before joining a call. The company is currently removing fallback code that previously allowed unencrypted conversations. Once this process finishes, users will no longer be able to fall back to unencrypted calls, ensuring consistency platform-wide. The DAVE protocol itself is open, and its integration is open source, allowing independent security reviews and potential third-party integrations.

Discord states these changes have not reduced call quality or increased latency. While stage channels remain unencrypted because of technical obstacles in broadcasting to larger audiences, all other call types now default to end-to-end encryption. However, Discord does not plan to bring end-to-end encryption to text messages at this time, because it would require “rebuilding them to work with encryption”, and it is a “meaningful engineering challenge”.