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Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online utilize autosave features, automatically recording your progress. However, knowing the exact autosave frequency can be tricky. To prevent potential loss, manually saving or triggering autosaves provides extra security. This guide details how to save in both Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online.
A rotating orange circle in the bottom-right corner signifies an active autosave. While easily missed, its appearance confirms progress has been saved.
GTA 5: How to Save
Sleeping at a Safehouse
Manual saving in GTA 5's Story Mode is achieved by sleeping in a Safehouse bed. Safehouses, the protagonists' residences, are marked with a white house icon on the map.
Once inside, approach the bed and press:
- Keyboard: E
- Controller: Right on D-Pad
This initiates sleep and opens the Save Game menu.
Using the Cell Phone
For a quicker save, bypass the Safehouse and use your in-game cell phone:
- Access the cell phone (Keyboard: Up arrow; Controller: Up on D-pad).
- Select the cloud icon to open the Save Game menu.
- Confirm the save.
GTA Online: How to Save
Unlike GTA 5's Story Mode, GTA Online lacks a dedicated manual save menu. However, these methods force autosaves:
Changing Outfits/Accessories
Altering your outfit or even a single accessory triggers an autosave. Look for the spinning orange circle in the bottom-right corner to confirm. Repeat if necessary.
- Open the Interaction Menu (Keyboard: M; Controller: Touchpad).
- Select Appearance, then Accessories, and change an accessory or Outfit.
- Exit the Interaction Menu.
Using the Swap Character Menu
Navigating to the Swap Character menu, even without changing characters, also forces an autosave:
- Open the Pause Menu (Keyboard: Esc; Controller: Start).
- Go to the Online tab.
- Select Swap Character.
