GTA 5 tips and tricks
Beginner and advanced Story Mode tips for GTA 5: switching characters, map icons, special abilities, stats, the phone, cheats and moving your save.
Key facts
- Mode
- Story Mode
- Playable characters
- Michael, Franklin, Trevor
- Switch character
- Hold down on the d-pad (Alt on PC)
- Money cheat
- None in the game
- Cheats and achievements
- Achievements are disabled while a cheat is on
GTA 5’s Story Mode gives you three criminals, a huge map and very little hand holding. These tips come from guides by Kotaku, IGN, GamesRadar, PC Gamer and TechRadar.
The basics
Switch characters often
Michael, Franklin and Trevor each have their own story missions, side quests and friends. Kotaku notes that most major missions can only be started by one of the three, so you will switch a lot, and the switch scenes add a little color to each lead. To switch, hold down on the d-pad and pick a character with the right stick. On PC, hold Alt, choose with the arrow keys and let go. IGN’s advice is simple: if the story seems to stall, switch characters, because the next mission is probably waiting for someone else.
Read the map icons
Story missions show as a letter in each lead’s color, according to IGN: a green F for Franklin, a light blue M for Michael and an orange T for Trevor. A letter with a question mark is a Strangers and Freaks side mission. Kotaku adds a tip that also helps color blind players: large icons can be started by the character you are playing, small icons belong to the other two. Kotaku says most Strangers and Freaks missions are well worth doing.
Watch for blue dots
When the mini map flashes and a blue dot appears, a random event is nearby: a mugging, a hitchhiker, a crash and so on. Some appear in set places, others anywhere. Kotaku points out they can pay off later, for example by adding a new crew member for a heist or handing you a stock tip. It also warns that at least one, at a construction site, cannot be retried if you fail it.
Play in any order
Kotaku notes that doing one mission never locks you out of another, heists can be replayed with a different approach, and everything you skipped is still there after the story ends.
Characters and abilities
Special abilities
Each lead has a special ability tied to the yellow meter by the mini map. IGN explains how each works:
- Michael slows time in gunfights so you can line up precise shots.
- Franklin slows time while driving and gets tighter control of the car. Kotaku says you press both thumbsticks to turn it on and press them again to turn it off, so you do not waste the whole meter.
- Trevor goes into a rampage that boosts his damage for a short time.
The meter refills in different ways. IGN lists headshots and stealth takedowns for Michael, driving fast and against traffic for Franklin, and taking damage and getting kills for Trevor. Save it for the hardest part of a mission.
Stats improve as you play
IGN lists eight stats for each lead: special, stamina, shooting, strength, stealth, flying, driving and lung capacity. Each one rises by doing the matching activity, and each lead starts strong in one area: Franklin in driving, Trevor in flying and Michael in combat. Kotaku’s advice is not to grind them. Most rise on their own, and no mission is blocked because your shooting is too low. The one Kotaku says is worth working on is driving, which improves simply by driving. IGN adds that stunt jumps and wheelies raise it faster.
Your phone is your menu
Emails, texts and the internet
The in game phone does much more than make calls. Kotaku recommends replying to emails when a reply option appears, since that starts short message chains with side characters. The phone’s internet browser holds the in game websites, including the stock market.
Use the stock market
PC Gamer explains the route: Internet, then Money and Services, then the LCN or BAWSAQ exchange. Kotaku explains that the LCN is driven by the game itself, while the BAWSAQ was tied to how players everywhere behaved, through the Rockstar Social Club. Radio news, people you meet in random events and Lester’s assassination missions all hint at which companies will rise or fall. Our money guide covers this in detail.
Missed a message?
Pause the game and open the Brief tab to reread recent dialogue, help text and notifications. Kotaku also suggests turning on subtitles, since the dialogue log cuts some lines.
Money
Kotaku’s advice is that mission payouts cover taxis, guns, armor and car upgrades for most of the story, but not the most expensive properties and vehicles. PC Gamer confirms there is no money cheat in GTA 5, even in Story Mode, so the stock market and heists are the way to get rich.
Saving and time
- Sleep to skip time. GamesRadar’s guides use sleeping at a safehouse to push the clock forward, for example while waiting for a stock to move or for a mission that needs days to pass.
- Back up before one off events. GamesRadar suggests a backup save before eating a peyote plant, and PC Gamer suggests a manual save before you try cheats, then reloading when you are done.
Moving to a new console or PC version
- PS4 or Xbox One to PS5 or Xbox Series X|S: GamesRadar explains that you choose Upload Save Game in the Game tab of the pause menu on the old console. Only your latest upload is kept, for 90 days. On the new console you download it once from the Story tab, and that option then disappears for good.
- PC Legacy to GTA 5 Enhanced: PC Gamer describes the same upload from the Game tab in Legacy, then Download Save Game in Enhanced. You can only import once, and the import overwrites any Enhanced saves you already made, so do it before you start playing. If the upload is blocked, PC Gamer says you may first need to accept Rockstar’s online policies by launching GTA Online from Legacy.
Advanced tips
- Cheats have a cost. PC Gamer says achievements are disabled once a cheat is active, and missions cannot earn more than a bronze rating. TechRadar also warns that some cheats block achievements. Cheats only work in Story Mode, never in GTA Online.
- Do the optional Lester hits late. GamesRadar and PC Gamer agree that the optional assassination missions pay off far more once you have heist money to invest.
- Listen to people. Kotaku points out that many characters have far more lines than you would expect, so hang back when someone is talking.
- Plan heists carefully. Crew choices change how much you take home. See our heists guide.
- Chase the side content. Strangers and Freaks missions, collectibles and hobbies feed into 100% completion, which unlocks extra secrets covered in our easter eggs guide.
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