How to Save Game in GTA 5 (Story Mode & GTA Online)

Save Game in GTA 5 sounds simple until you lose all your progress. Many players, especially new ones, do something extraordinary. They finish their mission, buy items, or travel across the map, and then boom, next time they join, everything is gone. It feels frustrating. But now there is good news for you. GTA 5 gives you a few easy ways to save your progress, both in Story Mode and in GTA Online. Once you understand these methods on how to save games in GTA 5, you’ll never lose your upgrades, money, outfits, or location again.

Saving your game is very important because you can lose all the progress that can be upsetting. So learning how to save this game properly is essential because GTA 5 is a huge open world, and you can do the following things with this game:

To save a game in GTA is quite easy. You can do so by following the given methods.

How to Save a Game in GTA 5 Story Mode? 

Story Mode makes saving your progress very easy. You can Save Game in GTA 5 in two ways: either by sleeping in a bed or by using your in-game phone.

1. Save by Sleeping at a Safehouse

This is the most traditional way to save your progress. Each main character, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, has their own Safehouse where you can rest and save the game. You just need to follow these steps:

1. Go to your Safehouse (marked with a white house icon on the map).
2. Walk into the bedroom.
3. Stand next to the bed.
4. Press:
   • E on PC
   • Right D-Pad on the controller
5. A Save Game menu will pop up.
6. Confirm your save.

2. Quick Save Using Your Cell Phone

If you’re away from your Safehouse or need to save quickly, this method works perfectly. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Press Up Arrow (PC) or Up on D-Pad (console) to open the phone.
2. Look for the cloud icon.
3. Select Save Game.
4. Confirm the slot

How to Save a Game in GTA Online?

There is no manual save button in Online Mode. Instead, the game uses autosave. But sometimes autosave doesn’t trigger unless you do something specific. So here are the best ways to force the game to save so you don’t lose anything.

1. Change Your Clothes or Accessories

This is the easiest and most common method; every player uses it. Here are the steps to follow to change clothes and accessories:

1. Open the Interaction Menu
   • M on PC
   • Touchpad on PlayStation
   • View Button on Xbox
2. Select Appearance (or Style on some versions).
3. Go to Accessories or Outfits.
4. Change anything, helmet, hat, glasses, gloves, or switch the outfit.
5. Exit the menu.
6. Now look at the bottom-right corner of your screen.
7. You should see a spinning orange circle. That circle means your game is saving right now. If you don’t see the orange circle, just change to another accessory.

Pro Tip: Do it twice with a 3–5 minute gap if you want to be extra sure your progress is saved. Moreover, now you can also Earn Money in GTA 5 with it’s ultimate missions.

2. Use the Character Swap Menu

Here’s another simple way to activate the autosave feature:

1. Press Pause Menu (ESC / Start).
2. Go to the Online tab.
3. Select Swap Character.
4. You don’t actually have to switch characters.
5. Just opening the menu is enough to trigger a save.
6. You’ll again see that small orange circle spinning.

3. Properly Leave GTA Online

If you don’t exit the game properly, you may lose your progress. So make sure to follow this method instead:

1. Open Pause Menu.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Select Online.
4. Choose Leave GTA Online.

You will see the spinning orange circle in the bottom-right corner. If you see it, the save worked. Sometimes it’s yellow and white, but it means the same thing: progress saved.

Saving in GTA 5 becomes super easy once you understand how it works. In Story Mode, sleep in a bed or quick save through your phone. There are two methods to cause autosave in GTA Online: changing outfits or using the Swap Character menu. In this manner, your completed missions, your new clothes you acquired, and your trips all over the map will remain in their places. By following the guide on how to save game in GTA 5, you will never lose the progress again, and you will enjoy GTA 5 in a state of absolute peace.