How to Use Midjourney Privately -

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If you’ve been wondering how to use Midjourney privately, you’re not alone. Maybe you’re:

Freaked out that your prompts and generated images are visible to everyone
Using Midjourney for Etsy print-on-demand designs and don’t want copycats snatching your ideas
Confused as hell about Stealth Mode, private mode, Discord servers, DMs, and plans

I get it. Midjourney is powerful, but it’s also very public by default. And when you’re trying to build a freedom-first business, your designs and prompts are assets, not entertainment for randoms in public channels.

In this guide, I’m breaking down:

How Midjourney’s default public mode actually works
What Stealth Mode really does (and what it doesn’t)
How to use the Midjourney bot in DMs and a private Discord server
Which plan you actually need if you want to keep your images private
A step-by-step workflow I’d use as an Etsy POD seller

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to create in peace without feeling like the whole internet is peeking over your shoulder.

How Midjourney Handles Privacy by Default (Spoiler: It’s Public)

Public by Default on the Midjourney Website

Let’s rip the band-aid off first.

Midjourney is designed to be open by default. Every time you run a prompt, the Midjourney website saves it in your account and, unless you’ve changed your settings, that work is public.

That means:

Your image, your prompt, and your username can show up in the public gallery or Explore page
People can often find your stuff if they know your handle or stumble across your image URL
It does not matter if you created it in a private server or in a direct message – if you’re in public mode, those images are still public-facing on the site

So even if Discord feels private, the Midjourney website is quietly building a public portfolio of your work unless you tell it otherwise.

Alt text: Illustration of a Midjourney-style public gallery showing multiple AI-generated images visible to all users.

Public Channels vs “Feels Private” Spaces

Now let’s talk Discord for a second.

Public channels like the newbie rooms? Everyone in there sees your image, prompt, and variations in real time
A private server or direct message with the Midjourney bot feels safe, because only you (and whoever you invite) sees the chat

But here’s the key:

Private on Discord ≠ private on Midjourney’s website.

If you’re not in Stealth Mode (a form of private mode linked to your Pro plan or higher), those images still exist publicly in your Midjourney profile. People don’t see you generate them, but they can still see them later.

What Stealth Mode Actually Does (and What It Doesn’t)

Stealth Mode = Private on the Midjourney Website

Stealth Mode is Midjourney’s real private mode.

When Stealth Mode is turned on:

New generated images are hidden from the public gallery
Other users can’t search or browse your work on the Midjourney website
Your creations are essentially “unpublished” from the community side

You still see them in your own account, but the rest of the world doesn’t.

Stealth Mode is only available on the Pro plan and Mega plan
If you’re on Basic or Standard, your images will stay public on the website, no matter how private your Discord setup looks

This is why, if you’re serious about using Midjourney for business (like Etsy POD designs), Pro is the minimum plan I recommend.

Stealth Mode Does Not Hide You in Public Channels

Here’s where a lot of people get tripped up.

Even if Stealth Mode is on and your images are private on the website:

If you generate in a public channel, anyone in that channel can still see your prompt and image as they’re created
Stealth Mode doesn’t magically erase your messages from a public Discord room

So if you run /imagine in a crowded newbie channel with Stealth Mode active, all those people can still watch you work and grab your image prompts.

That’s why the best setup is:

Pro plan + Stealth Mode + private server or direct message = maximum privacy.

Turning Stealth Mode On and Off

Switching modes is easy. You can:

Simply type /stealth in Discord to enter Stealth Mode
Use /public to go back to public mode
Or go into your account settings on the Midjourney website and toggle the privacy mode there

A few things to remember:

Stealth only affects new prompts going forward
Older images that were already public stay public unless you manually change their visibility or archive them
If you ever downgrade from a Pro/Mega plan, your existing private images generally stay private – they don’t suddenly blast out into public mode

Private vs Public Spaces on Discord (DMs, Private Servers, and Channels)

Why Public Channels Are the Worst Place for Secret Ideas

If you’re serious about your Etsy shop, testing product concepts in public channels is a hard no.

People can copy your prompts almost word-for-word
They can quickly recreate or tweak your images for their own shop
You lose the advantage of having a fresh look or unique concept

You’re not being paranoid—you’re being a business owner.

Your image prompts are part of your intellectual property. Treat them the same way you’d protect a great product idea or winning keyword.

Midjourney Plans and What They Mean for Your Privacy

Free, Basic, and Standard Plans – What You Can’t Hide

Let’s break it down by plan and what’s possible.

Basic / Standard (paid, lower tiers):

You can use direct messages and your own private server with the Midjourney bot
That means you’re not forced into public channels anymore
But you still do not get Stealth Mode

Result:

Your Discord experience can be private (DMs, private channels)
Your images are still in public mode on the Midjourney site

So these plans give you “private-ish” creation, but not fully images-private from other website users.

Pro Plan – The Minimum You Need for Real Privacy

The Pro plan is where things change.

With Pro (billed per month):

You get Stealth Mode
You can switch between public mode and private mode whenever you want
You can combine Stealth with DMs or a private server for maximum privacy

For most Etsy sellers or people using Midjourney to create sellable assets, this is the sweet spot. You get:

Enough generation time for serious work
Stealth Mode to keep your work off the public gallery
Flexibility to go public if you ever want to share something with the community

If you’re asking, “Do I really need Pro?”—if you care about privacy, yes, you really do.

Mega Plan – Same Privacy, More Generations

The Mega plan is basically Pro’s big sister.

Same Stealth Mode
Same private/public toggle
Just more juice—more generations, higher capacity

I’d only recommend Mega if:

You’re doing heavy daily usage
You’re running a team or agency
Or you know you’re going to generate like it’s your full-time job

Privacy-wise, Pro and Mega are the same. It’s about volume, not secrecy.

A Private Midjourney Workflow for Etsy POD Creators (Step-by-Step)

Let’s turn this into a real workflow you can follow.

Step 1 – Decide How Private You Need to Be

If you’re just playing, learning prompts, or making memes, you might not care.

But if you’re:

Testing niche-specific Etsy designs
Creating artwork for physical products (t-shirts, hoodies, mugs)
Working on client projects

Then you should treat your Midjourney work as pre-launch assets. That means:

Use at least a Pro plan
Plan to work in Stealth Mode as your default

Step 2 – Turn On Stealth Mode

Once you’ve upgraded:

In Discord, simply type /stealth and hit enter
Or go to the Midjourney website, open your settings, and turn on private/Stealth Mode there

Double-check that:

You’re not still in public mode
Any new prompts you create are now in private mode by default

Step 3 – Create a Private Discord Server (or Use DMs Only)

Option A: Direct messages only

Start a DM with the Midjourney bot
Use that as your little private studio

Option B: Private server setup

Create a Discord server just for Midjourney
Add channels like:
- #floral-tshirts
- #hiking-collection
- #holiday-ideas
Invite the Midjourney bot
Set up permissions so no one else can see those channels unless you explicitly invite them

The private server route makes it easier to keep everything organized by niche or product line.

Step 4 – Generate, Refine, and Organize Your Designs

Now you can safely:

Test variations of prompts
Try different aesthetics (retro, minimal, boho, grunge, etc.)
Iterate on designs you already know perform well in your shop

Tips to make this work for your freedom-first business:

Batch your prompts. Sit down and create 10–20 concepts in one session
Use dedicated channels for different collections so your image prompts are easy to find later
Keep notes on which prompts gave you the cleanest images or best results for printing

You’re not just playing with AI. You’re building future revenue streams.

Step 5 – Download, Back Up, and Clean Up

Once you’ve got images you love:

Upscale them
Download them from the Midjourney website
Store them in clearly labeled folders (by niche, product, or season)

If you want extra caution:

Delete the corresponding messages from your Discord DM or private server
Keep in mind this doesn’t fully erase them from Midjourney’s internal systems, but it does reduce exposure in your day-to-day spaces

Then you’re ready to:

Drop those designs into Canva for mockups
Upload to Printify or your chosen POD provider
Create product listings on Etsy with strong titles, tags, and keywords

That’s how you take a random AI image and turn it into part of a freedom-first, Etsy-powered income stream.

When You Shouldn’t Use Midjourney at All

You probably shouldn’t use Midjourney for:

Highly sensitive personal photos
Confidential client material that legally must stay on your own systems
Anything that can’t be stored—even temporarily—on a third-party server

For everything else (like Etsy POD designs, illustrations, aesthetic graphics, and similar work), Midjourney with Stealth Mode plus private Discord is more than enough protection for most sellers.

Final Thoughts: Protect Your Ideas Like the Assets They Are

Here’s the bottom line:

Midjourney is public by default
If you don’t change anything, your designs and prompts are out there
But with the right setup, you can absolutely use Midjourney privately

For a privacy-conscious Etsy seller, the simplest formula is:

Pro plan + Stealth Mode + private Discord (or DMs) = your most private Midjourney workflow.

The Best SEO and Design Tools for an Etsy Shop:

These are the only tools I use for my shop!

Canva: Canva is the most amazing tool. It is user friendly, and always improving! The tools that Canva has have evolved so much since I first started using it in 2022–for the better. I use it almost everyday. I use it to create designs, to edit AI designs, and to create product mockups.

Midjourney: Midjourney is an AI image tool that blows my mind every time I use it. It takes some time to get the prompts down. Once you play with it, you will get better at creating images and art to include on your print on demand products.

E-Hunt: E -Hunt is fantastic for competitor research and some light keyword research. My favorite aspect of E-Hunt is the Chrome extension that allows you to see the sales amount for an individual item on Etsy. Check out this article to see an example.

eRank: eRank is an SEO data tool that also allows you to search the competition and will also give you key words for your Etsy listing. It is also a low cost tool that will help you find low competition and highly searched niches.

Printify: Printify is a print-on-demand (POD) service that allows individuals and businesses to create and sell custom-designed products without needing to manage inventory or handle fulfillment. I put my designs on products offered by Printify. When an item sells, Printify prints and ships to my customer.