How to go AFK in GTA Online without getting kicked

Hamza Khalid
Michael, Franklin and Dave watching TV in GTA 5

You may automatically get kicked from the server when you take a break from your keyboard or controller in GTA Online. Here’s how you can go AFK in GTA Online without that happening.

There are plenty of fun activities to do in GTA Online, and Rockstar keeps adding new content such as cars, weapons, and missions through weekly updates. However, sometimes you just want to take a break.

Players who go AFK are automatically kicked from the server after fifteen minutes for being inactive. This can be frustrating if you suddenly rush to the bathroom or decide to do other things.

Here’s how you can go AFK in GTA Online without getting kicked.

How to go AFK without getting kicked in GTA Online

Michael watching TV in GTA 5

The reason you get kicked from a GTA Online lobby is that the game senses that you aren’t currently doing any activity. So, the solution is to make sure that your character is busy while you’re gone.

The simplest way to do this is to have the character watch TV in your apartment or house before going AFK. This is considered an activity, so the game won’t kick you for being inactive.

While you can do this anywhere with a television, we recommend trying it in your own apartment so that you don’t get killed by enemy players.

gta online character sitting on a bed with money

It’s important to keep in mind that minimizing your game window while playing on the PC will lead to the game counting you as inactive, and you will get kicked from the lobby after a while.

This will happen even if you’ve left your character watching TV, so make sure that you have the game window open the entire time. That covers all you need to do to go AFK in without getting kicked in GTA Online.

For more GTA, check out our guide on how to mute players in GTA Online, and an alleged GTA 6 voice actor claims the first trailer could be here soon.

Image credits: Rockstar Games