How to Boost a Discord Server: Desktop and Mobile Steps

To boost a Discord server, open the server, click or tap its name in the top-left corner, choose Server Boost from the menu and select Boost This Server. If you already have an unused Boost, for example one of the two included with Nitro, Discord applies it after a confirmation pop-up; if not, a pop-up lets you buy one. The rest of this walkthrough covers mobile differences, moving a Boost later, keeping your booster badge and cancelling cleanly, all checked as of November 2026.

We checked each step against Discord's Server Boosting FAQ and its help articles on Buy-a-Level, cancelling Boost subscriptions, Nitro, Nitro Credits, Nitro Squad and refunds, plus the US App Store listing for Boost pricing, in November 2026.

What You Need Before You Boost

A Boost is a subscription slot you assign to one server. You can get one in two ways: as part of full Nitro, which includes 2 Boosts you can apply to any server you belong to, or by buying Boosts on their own. Discord's Nitro page adds that the included Boosts do not stack over time and are not permanent; they last only as long as the Nitro subscription does.

Price depends on your plan and your region. The US App Store listing shows a single Server Boost at $4.99 a month, and bundles such as Nitro plus 1 Boost at $13.49 a month. Nitro subscribers get 30% off any Boosts they buy beyond the included two, members still on Nitro Classic keep the same 30% discount, and Nitro Basic includes neither Boosts nor the discount. A Discord gift card balance can also pay for Boosts.

A few situations block buying new Boosts, and it saves frustration to know them up front:

• Active Nitro credits. Discord's Nitro Credits FAQ says you cannot buy new Server Boosts while credits are active, and credits also leave out the 2 included Boosts and the discount.
• Nitro Squad membership. In this beta plan, members cannot buy Boosts at all, though the plan owner can buy them at the discounted rate.
• Not being in the server. You can only boost, or transfer a Boost to, a server you are a member of.

Boosting on Desktop or in a Browser

The desktop flow is short, and the same menu also shows how many Boosts the server already has, which helps you see how close it is to the next level:

1. Open the server you want to support.
2. Click the server name in the top-left corner and choose Server Boost from the dropdown menu.
3. Select Boost This Server.
4. If you have an unused Boost, a pop-up asks you to confirm applying it. If you do not, Discord shows a pop-up to purchase one.
5. Follow the prompts until the final pop-up confirms your Boost has been activated.

If the server is a few Boosts short of a level, the Buy-a-Level button saves the arithmetic. In the same Server Boost menu, hover over the next level and click the pink plus button; Discord calculates exactly how many Boosts are missing and what they cost, and it uses any unused Boosts you already own before charging for the rest. To see what each threshold unlocks before you commit, check our breakdown of server boost levels.

Your new Boost counts toward the server's level automatically whenever there are enough for the next level. If the admins wanted your Boost for an add-on such as Server Tags instead, they can reassign it from the Server Boosts tab on desktop, which only owners and admins can see.

Boosting From the Mobile App

On iPhone, iPad and Android the path is the same idea: open the server, tap its name at the top, tap Server Boost and then Boost This Server, and follow the prompts. Where mobile differs is in billing and management, and those rules matter more than the button placement.

• Manage where you bought. Discord's cancellation article says subscriptions must be cancelled on the same type of device used to purchase them, so a Boost bought on a phone can only be cancelled from a phone, and one bought on desktop only from desktop or a browser.
• Apple purchases go through Apple. If you boosted through the App Store, Discord support cannot manage that subscription, and refunds are requested through Apple.
• Switching platforms has a deadline. The Server Boosting FAQ says that if you move your purchase from desktop to mobile or the reverse, you have 72 hours to reactivate your Boosts manually to keep your streak.
• Add-ons are desktop only. Additional perks like Server Tags and Enhanced Role Styles can only be enabled and configured in the desktop app, so admins who want your Boost for one of those will finish the job on a computer.

Choosing Where Your Boosts Go

Discord's own advice for anyone undecided is to choose carefully, because a Boost can move later but only after the 7-day cooldown. A little homework first means your Boost lands where it does the most good:

• Look at the server's progress. The Server Boost menu shows how many Boosts are already applied, so you can tell whether yours completes a level or just adds to a long climb.
• Ask the admins what they are saving for. A server chasing Server Tags or gradient role colors needs 3 unallocated Boosts, and a Boost that tips the server into a new level gets counted there first.
• Split or stack Nitro's pair. Discord's Nitro help article describes the included Boosts as a way to power up 2 servers of your choice, so you can support two communities with one each or put both on the same server.
• Think about who benefits. Level perks such as higher audio quality and bigger uploads apply to every member, so a Boost on an active server with frequent voice chats delivers more than one on a quiet archive.

Moving a Boost to Another Server

Boosts are not locked to the first server you choose. If you boosted the wrong community or your group moved, you can transfer it, with one condition: after using a Boost you must wait out a 7-day cooldown before moving it.

1. Open User Settings with the cogwheel next to your username.
2. Go to the Server Boost tab to see every server your Boosts are applied to.
3. Click the three dots next to the Boost you want to move and choose Transfer Boost.
4. Search for the destination server or pick it from the list; it only appears if you are a member.
5. Confirm with Yes, Transfer Boost and wait for the success message.

Moving a Boost can cost the old server a level or an add-on if your Boost was holding it up, so a quick heads-up to its admins is good manners. If you are removed from a server you were boosting, the same 7-day cooldown applies before that Boost can be used again.

Keeping Your Booster Badge and Streak

Boosting adds a pink Server Boosting badge to your profile, and it evolves as your boosting streak grows. Discord measures the streak from your oldest applied Boost, regardless of how many servers you support, and you can check its length by hovering over the badge on your profile. Our Discord badges guide covers how it sits alongside the other profile badges.

The streak breaks if you cancel your Boosts, if the Nitro or Boost subscription behind them ends, if the server you boosted is deleted, or if an admin or moderator removes you from it. In every one of those cases you get 72 hours to apply a Boost to another server. Miss that window and the streak resets, and Discord's FAQ is explicit that its support team cannot restore it. If you are about to let Nitro lapse, our guide to cancelling Nitro explains what happens to its included Boosts.

Cancelling a Boost Cleanly

You can cancel a Boost subscription at any time, and it stays active until the end of the current billing period. On desktop, open User Settings, go to the Server Boost tab, click the three dots beside the Boost and choose Cancel Boost Subscription, then confirm with Next. On mobile, tap your avatar, then the cogwheel, scroll to Billing Settings and tap Manage Nitro (or Get Nitro if you have no Nitro), then tap Cancel next to the Boost.

Changed your mind? Go to the Subscriptions tab in User Settings and press Re-Subscribe before the billing period ends; after that, you would need to buy a new Boost. Refunds are narrow: Discord's refund policy requires a request within 5 days of the initial purchase through its billing support form, refunds are one-time per purchase category, and anything bought through iOS goes to Apple. One more wrinkle from the free trial FAQ: if you buy extra Boosts during a Nitro trial and then cancel Nitro, those Boosts stay active but lose the 30% discount and renew at full price. For the bigger picture on what Nitro costs with and without Boosts, see our Nitro price guide, and if your server wants a member tag next, our Server Tags explainer shows how 3 Boosts unlock one.

Need More Boosts Than Your Members Can Cover?

Some communities are one or two Boosts away from the perk they want and simply run out of willing members. Because full Nitro comes with two Boosts, one more Nitro account can close that kind of gap: the store's Discord page lists full-access accounts with Nitro already active, and many listings spell out the two Server Boosts included with it.

Once you are signed in on that account, you apply the Boosts with exactly the steps covered above, starting from the server name menu.

Frequently Asked Questions