How to Save in GTA 5 and Online

Quick Links

• GTA 5: How to Save

• GTA Online: How to Save

Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online come equipped with autosave features that diligently record your progress as you play. However, it can be tricky to pinpoint exactly when the last autosave occurred, which might worry players concerned about losing their hard-earned progress. This guide is here to help, offering detailed instructions on how to manually save and force autosaves in both Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online, ensuring you never lose your progress.

You'll know an autosave is in progress when you spot an orange circle spinning clockwise in the bottom-right corner of your screen. It's easy to miss, but once you see it, you can rest assured that your progress has been safely saved.

GTA 5: How to Save

Sleep at a Safehouse

In GTA 5's Story Mode, one of the simplest ways to manually save your game is by catching some Z's at a Safehouse. These are the homes of the game's protagonists and are easily identifiable on the in-game map with a white house icon.

Once inside a Safehouse, make your way to the protagonist's bed and press the following key to sleep and access the Save Game menu:

• Keyboard: E
• Controller: Right on D-Pad

Use the Cell Phone

If you're in a rush and can't make it to a Safehouse, your in-game cell phone offers a quick save option. Here’s how you can save using your phone:

- Open your cell phone by pressing the up arrow key on your keyboard or up on your controller's d-pad.

• Navigate to the cloud icon to open the Save Game menu.
• Confirm the save and you're set.

GTA Online: How to Save

GTA Online operates differently from GTA 5's Story Mode, as it doesn't provide a manual Save Game menu. However, you can still force autosaves to safeguard your progress. Here are a few effective strategies to ensure your progress is saved in GTA Online.

Change Outfits/Accessories

A quick way to trigger an autosave in GTA Online is by changing your outfit or just an accessory. Follow these steps and keep an eye out for the spinning orange circle in the bottom-right corner of your screen, which indicates a successful autosave. If the circle doesn't appear, simply try again.

• Open the Interaction Menu by pressing M on a keyboard or the touchpad on a controller.
• Go to Appearance.
• Choose Accessories and swap an item, or opt to change your Outfit entirely.
• Exit the Interaction Menu.

Swap Character Menu

Another method to force an autosave is by visiting the Swap Character menu, even if you don't end up switching characters. Here’s how to get there:

- Access the Pause Menu by pressing Esc on a keyboard or Start on a controller.

• Navigate to the Online tab.
• Select Swap Character.