Is Discord blocked in Russia? Yes — what to do when even zapret doesn't help
Discord won't start, hangs on checking for updates, can't join voice channels or stopped working with zapret. Causes and fixes for both chat and voice.
Discord has been blocked in Russia since October 2024, yet millions still use it via zapret, VPNs and proxies.
Quick fix. For Discord with voice on computer and phone without tuning strategies, use Surok: it carries both chat and voice, local sites go direct. Free for the first days.
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Stuck on "Checking for updates" | Discord's update servers are blocked |
| Chat works, voice says "No route" | UDP to voice servers doesn't pass |
| Worked with zapret, then stopped | your ISP updated its filters |
With zapret
Try the other strategies in the build, update the build from the official GitHub page, run as administrator, turn off VPNs and proxies, and check that the antivirus didn't remove the driver. See zapret for Discord and YouTube from GitHub.
Voice
Voice uses UDP. With zapret you need a strategy that handles UDP; with a VPN it must carry UDP, and in system-proxy mode Discord may bypass it — switch to TUN mode. A browser proxy extension won't fix voice.
Stuck on updates
Close Discord completely (tray too), turn on the VPN or zapret, start it again. If that fails, delete %AppData%\Discord and %LocalAppData%\Discord and reinstall with the bypass on.
On phones zapret doesn't work without root — use a VPN. Comparison: zapret or a VPN.