How to Stream Netflix on Discord Without a Black Screen

Learn how to easily share Netflix with friends on Discord by adjusting a few key settings in your browser and Discord app.

How to Stream Netflix on Discord Without a Black Screen

Watching Netflix with friends on Discord can be a fun social experience, but many users encounter a frustrating black screen when trying to stream. Fortunately, this issue can be resolved by making a few simple changes to your browser and Discord settings. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step so you can enjoy Netflix with your Discord community.

Why Does Netflix Show a Black Screen on Discord?

The black screen occurs due to digital rights management (DRM) restrictions that Netflix uses to protect its content from unauthorized sharing. However, on Windows PCs, we can work around this limitation by disabling hardware acceleration in both your web browser and the Discord app.

Note that this method only works on Windows computers. Due to system limitations, Mac users cannot disable the necessary hardware acceleration settings after macOS Catalina, so streaming Netflix on Discord will still result in a black screen for Mac users.

Preparing to Stream Netflix on Discord

Step 1: Download and install the Discord desktop application if you haven’t already. The web version of Discord does not support streaming protected content like Netflix, so the desktop app is required.

Step 2: Disable hardware acceleration in your web browser. This is a crucial step to bypass the black screen issue. The process varies slightly depending on which browser you use:

For Google Chrome:

Step 1: Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select “Settings”.

Step 2: In the left sidebar, click on “System”.

Step 3: Toggle off the “Use hardware acceleration when available” option.

Step 4: Click the “Relaunch” button to restart Chrome and apply the changes.

For Microsoft Edge:

Step 1: Click the three-dot menu and select “Settings”.

Step 2: Navigate to the “System and performance” tab.

Step 3: Toggle off “Use hardware acceleration when available”.

Step 4: Restart Edge to apply the changes.

For Mozilla Firefox:

Step 1: Click the hamburger menu (three lines) and select “Settings”.

Step 2: Scroll down to the “Performance” section.

Step 3: Uncheck “Use recommended performance settings”.

Step 4: Uncheck “Use hardware acceleration when available”.

Step 5: Restart Firefox to apply the changes.

For other browsers, search for “hardware acceleration” in the settings and disable the option if available.

Setting Up Discord for Netflix Streaming

Step 1: Open the Discord desktop app and click the gear icon next to your username to access User Settings.

Step 2: In the left sidebar, click on “Voice & Video” under App Settings.

Step 3: Scroll down and disable “Use hardware acceleration when available” if it’s enabled.

Step 4: Next, click on “Registered Games” under Activity Settings in the left sidebar.

Step 5: Click the “Add it!” button, then select your web browser from the dropdown menu and click “Add Game”.

Streaming Netflix on Discord

Step 1: Open Netflix in your web browser and log in to your account.

Step 2: In the Discord app, join the voice channel where you want to stream.

Step 3: Look for the “Screen” button near the voice controls. Click it to open the streaming options.

Step 4: Select your web browser from the list of applications.

Step 5: Choose your desired stream quality and frame rate. Higher quality streams may require a Discord Nitro subscription.

Step 6: Click “Go Live” to start streaming your browser window with Netflix to the Discord channel.

Your friends in the Discord channel should now be able to see and hear your Netflix stream without a black screen.


With these adjustments, you can now enjoy Netflix watch parties with your Discord community. Remember to respect copyright laws and only share content within your rights. Happy streaming!