Midjourney FAQ: Public Images, Privacy (Stealth Mode), Copyright, and Account Security

When generating images with Midjourney, many people are less troubled by parameters and more by real-world questions like “Why did my images become public?”, “Can I generate privately?”, and “Could commercial use lead to infringement?” Below, we’ll clearly explain Midjourney’s most common privacy, copyright, and account security questions—and provide steps you can follow immediately.

Why are my images public? How to hide them on the web

By default, Midjourney displays the images you generate on your Midjourney web profile and/or in the community feed. This is a standard platform behavior—not necessarily a sign your account has been hacked. To reduce exposure, first confirm you’re logged into the Midjourney website (it uses the same account system as Discord). Then, in your profile, hide images you don’t want displayed or remove them from showing—one by one.

Also, many people assume that messaging the bot via Discord DM means “only I can see it.” In practice, DMs mainly reduce visibility within Discord channels, but that does not automatically stop Midjourney from displaying the work on its website. If your goal is “not public at all,” you’ll need to check whether you have access to Midjourney’s private generation (Stealth) capability (see the next section).

Want private generations? What Stealth mode requires

Midjourney’s “Stealth/private” mode is a feature offered on higher-tier plans, not a free toggle. In other words, even if you only DM the bot in Discord, your images may still be visible on the Midjourney website; enabling Stealth is what reduces the risk of public display.

If you can’t find the Stealth option, it’s usually because your current plan doesn’t include it, or your account isn’t correctly recognizing your benefits. First, verify on the Midjourney website that you’re logged into the correct account (especially if you’ve changed Discord accounts/emails), then check whether your subscription plan is displayed properly.

Copyright and commercial use: the three easiest mistakes to make

Usage rights for Midjourney images are closely tied to what you input and which styles or materials you rely on. Common mistake #1: using celebrity faces or clearly identifiable brand elements as a commercial “key visual.” Even if the image generates successfully, it may still create likeness-rights or trademark risk.

Mistake #2: assuming that adding a line like “original” or “non-infringing” avoids legal risk—Midjourney does not clear rights for you. Mistake #3: using someone else’s work as an image reference without confirming you have permission. It’s recommended to use only photos you took yourself or images you have licensed as prompts, and to run a compliance check again before commercial use.

Account and security: wrong account linkage, authorization errors, or getting kicked from a server

The most common Midjourney account issues are “I changed Discord accounts and my benefits disappeared” or “I’m logged into a different account on the website.” The fix sequence is fairly consistent: confirm which Discord account you’re currently using, then log into the Midjourney website with that same account to verify your subscription and generation history—so you don’t misdiagnose the issue by bouncing between multiple emails/Discord accounts.

If authorization fails or the bot doesn’t respond, check whether you accidentally left or removed the official Midjourney server, whether DMs are disabled in the server, or whether channel permissions are restricting you. For security, enable Discord two-factor authentication and never share login codes with anyone. For Midjourney-related issues, submit a ticket via the official help entry first, and don’t trust random DMs offering “paid activation” or “account recovery.”