Discord plans Rust desktop rebuild to cut memory use
The messaging platform intends to replace its Electron client, while its mobile app will keep its native interface and share Rust code.
Discord is preparing a replacement for its desktop app built with Rust, co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy said, as the messaging platform seeks to address memory consumption. The company plans to offer a beta to users soon but has not announced a specific schedule.
Vishnevskiy posted a Task Manager screenshot showing an app labeled “Discord Phoenix” using around 290 MB of RAM. The existing desktop client uses Electron, a framework that packages Chromium with each application and consumes more memory than native alternatives.
The shift builds on work that began in 2018, according to Vishnevskiy. Discord has introduced Rust across portions of its infrastructure and products, including components of the current client, although replacing the entire app remains a longer undertaking.
Vishnevskiy also confirmed that Discord is moving away from React Native on mobile. He said the mobile app would preserve its existing native interface while sharing the Rust code being adopted for the desktop version.
