Open the server in the Discord app, tap the server name, go to Settings, then Members, tap the person you want to make owner and choose Transfer Ownership. Confirm the acknowledgment, enter your two-factor code if Discord asks for one, and the crown moves to them. Only the current owner can do this, and the new owner must already be a member of the server.
The same steps work on iPhone and Android. Group DMs have their own, simpler ownership setting, covered further down.
Before you start
Check these four things first. Most failed transfers come from one of them.
- You are the current owner. Admins, even with every permission, cannot transfer ownership. Look for the crown next to your name in the member list.
- The new owner is in the server. You can only pick from current members. If they left, invite them back first.
- Your app is up to date. Older versions put menus in different places. Update from the App Store or Google Play.
- You have your 2FA code ready. If your account uses two-factor authentication, Discord may ask for a code to confirm.
How to transfer server ownership on Discord mobile
- Open the Discord app and tap the server's icon in the left sidebar.
- Tap the server name at the top of the channel list. A menu slides up.
- Tap Settings (the gear icon).
- Scroll down and tap Members.
- Find the person who will become owner. Use the search box at the top if the server is large.
- Tap their name to open their options, then tap Transfer Ownership.
- Read the warning, turn on the acknowledgment toggle, and tap to confirm. Enter your two-factor code if prompted.
That is it. The crown appears next to the new owner's name, and you become a regular member who keeps whatever roles you already had.
If you do not see the option in step 6, scroll the member's options sheet all the way down. On some app versions it sits at the bottom, below moderation actions like kick and ban.
How to transfer group DM ownership on mobile
Group DMs are not servers, so there is no Settings page. Ownership is managed from the member list of the chat.
- Open the group DM in the Discord app.
- Tap the group name or the members icon at the top of the chat.
- Find the person you want to make owner in the member list.
- Tap or long-press their name.
- Choose the option to make them the group owner, and confirm.
The group owner can rename the group, change its icon and remove members. If the owner simply leaves a group DM, Discord hands ownership to another member automatically, but transferring it yourself lets you choose who.
Why the Transfer Ownership option is missing
If you cannot find the button, work through this list:
- You are not the owner. Only the account with the crown sees it.
- You opened your own entry. You cannot transfer to yourself, so the option does not appear on your own name.
- You are in a group DM, not a server. The server steps above will not match. Use the group DM steps instead.
- The app is out of date. Update it and try again.
- You are using Discord in a phone browser. The mobile web version can lay things out differently from the app. Install the app, or use the desktop site, where the path is Server Settings, then Members, then the three dots next to the member, then Transfer Ownership.
What changes after the transfer
Know these before you tap confirm, because you cannot reverse it on your own.
- The new owner has full control. They can delete the server, remove your roles, or kick you.
- Only they can give it back. Undoing a transfer means the new owner transfers ownership back to you.
- Your roles stay, your owner powers go. If you had an Admin role, you still have it until someone removes it. Anything that relied on being owner is gone.
- Bots and integrations keep running. Bots are tied to the server, not to the owner, so they do not stop when the crown moves. Their settings are still worth reviewing, as below.
- You can now leave the server. Discord does not let an owner leave without transferring ownership or deleting the server, so a transfer is the usual first step if you are stepping away.
A short handover checklist
Ownership changes are a good moment to tidy up permissions. Before or right after the transfer:
- Review the Administrator role. Decide who should keep it under the new owner.
- Check who can manage your bots. Anyone with Manage Server can usually configure bots on their dashboards.
- Hand over billing. Server subscriptions you pay for, including bot premium plans, are usually tied to the account that bought them, not to the server owner. Sort out who pays going forward.
- Share the server's rules and routines. Moderation norms, scheduled announcements and anything only you knew about.
How PeakBot fits into a handover
We make PeakBot. To be clear up front: PeakBot cannot transfer server ownership. Bots cannot do it at all. Only the owner's own account can, using the steps above.
What PeakBot can do is make the handover safer if it already runs in your server:
- Take a backup first. On the PeakBot dashboard, pick your server and open Backups in the sidebar. Backups are snapshots of your server's structure, so if a change after the transfer goes wrong, it is not permanent. The Free plan keeps one daily backup; paid plans keep more.
- Review the Security whitelist. Open Security in the sidebar. Anti-nuke watches for mass bans, kicks, channel deletes and role deletes, and the whitelist decides who is trusted. Make sure it matches who should be trusted under the new owner.
- Keep logging on. Logging, set on the Auto Moderation page, records message edits and deletes, joins and leaves, and every manual mod action. That gives the new owner a clear record of what happens during the changeover.
The full setup for each of these is in the PeakBot wiki. All three are available on the free plan, which has no time limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you transfer Discord server ownership on mobile?
Yes. In the Discord app on iPhone or Android, open the server, tap the server name, go to Settings, then Members, tap the member and choose Transfer Ownership. You do not need a computer.
Why can't I transfer ownership of my Discord server?
The usual reasons are that you are not the actual owner, the person has left the server, your app is out of date, or you are looking at a group DM instead of a server. Only the account with the crown can transfer a server.
Can I undo a server ownership transfer?
Not by yourself. Once you confirm, the new owner has full control, and only they can transfer it back to you. Make sure you trust the person before you confirm.
Do I need two-factor authentication to transfer ownership?
You do not need 2FA turned on to transfer. If your account does use it, Discord may ask for a code during the transfer, so keep your authenticator app or backup codes nearby.
How do I transfer group DM ownership on Discord mobile?
Open the group DM, tap the group name or members icon at the top, then tap or long-press the person and choose the option to make them owner. If the owner leaves without doing this, Discord picks a new owner from the remaining members.
What if the server owner is gone and nobody can transfer it?
Discord support generally does not move server ownership on behalf of an absent owner. If the owner cannot be reached, the practical options are to keep running the server with the permissions you have, or to start a new server and move the community over.
