GTA Online: How to get into a solo public lobby

❘ Published: 2023-11-29T11:31:44

GTA Online character taking a selfie in the sewers

Rockstar Games

If you want to avoid distractions in GTA Online, using a public lobby could be the best option for you. These are great alternatives to the busier and more chaotic public lobbies and you can increase your productivity in a quieter setting in the game, so here’s exactly how to access solo public lobbeys in GTA Online.

Most players in public GTA Online lobbies are respectful to others and will let you get on with jobs, races, or whatever else you’re doing during the weekly update without bothering you. Due to the public nature of these sessions though, there can still be troll players who will try to intervene with what you’re doing.

There’s nothing more annoying than starting a business delivery, or setting up a race using the array fast cars and bikes available only to have another player attempt to ruin the fun for those involved. Private sessions that are invite-only can solve this issue but unfortunately, you can’t earn as much money from them.

Solo public sessions however also eliminate the problem of bothersome players in the game and don’t have any limit on the amount of cash you can gain through your jobs. Here’s how to get into a solo public lobby in GTA Online.

(PC) How to get into a solo public lobby in GTA Online
(PS4/PS5/Xbox) How to get a solo public session in GTA 5 Online
Alternate solo public lobby in GTA Online

GTA Online MK2 Oppressor that can be used in a solo public session.

GTA Online trolls can really ruin the flow of a public session.

How to get into a solo public session in GTA Online on PC

Before you get started, it’s important that you are inside a building you own. This will prevent the game from sending you to GTA 5’s story mode, making the process take longer.

By using the task manager’s network performance monitor, simply suspend the process of GTA 5 running on your PC, and then resume it again within a few seconds. The game will then put you in your own lobby.

Join a public GTA Online session and head to a building you own.
Alt-tab out of GTA Online and open ‘Task Manager‘.
Select the ‘Performance‘ tab.
At the bottom, click ‘Open Resource Monitor‘.
From there, find GTA5.exe.
Right-click, and select ‘Suspend Process‘.
After waiting a few seconds, right-click once more and select ‘Resume Process‘.
Return to the game, and you’ll now have your own session!

PC players can also try a couple of other methods that also work for console players, though the above steps are generally much quicker:

GTA Online character pointing fingers inside Diamond Casino

Most GTA Online jobs require you to be in a public lobby.

How to get into a solo public lobby in GTA 5 Online (PS4/PS5/Xbox)

The most common method that can be used to get your own solo public session focuses on disrupting your internet connection.

To do this, you can either pull out your router’s cable, or try to follow the same method with a phone hotspot and Airplane Mode instead (though this will likely be tough on your phone’s data plan).

Within a few seconds of removing the cable, or switching to a new internet connection, you then just put everything back to how it was. At this time, the game should kick you out of the lobby you were in and put you in a new one:

Load into GTA 5 Story Mode with an Ethernet cable connected.
Unplug the cable, and connect to a wireless network.
Join a public GTA Online session and head into a building you own.
Reconnect the Ethernet cable to your console, and all players should be kicked from your lobby.
After a few more seconds, you should be in your own public lobby.

It’s worth noting that these methods do not guarantee you to have the lobby on your own for your whole play session.

Alternate GTA Online solo public session method

Another method to get a solo public lobby in GTA 5 Online requires the help of a friend.

There’s one more way that you can ensure a public lobby on all platforms, too. This method does take slightly longer, and you’ll need to have a friend help you out.

Open up the game’s menu while in a public session, and select the ‘Online‘ menu.
Scroll down to ‘Playlists‘ and then choose ‘Create‘.
You’ll see an option that then says ‘Add Race‘ – select that.
To make this method as quick as possible, you need to choose the shortest race available, ‘Criminal Records‘.
Once that’s selected, return to the previous menu and scroll to find ‘Save Playlist‘. A window will pop up asking you to enter a name. Type in whatever you like.
Back under the ‘Playlists’ menu option, select ‘My Playlists‘ and jump into the one you just saved.
Once you load into the race, set the number of laps setting to one.
Start the race, finish it, and a menu will appear that lists your position, RP, and cash earned.
At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see ‘Like‘ next to a button prompt. Hit the corresponding button for that, followed by the button prompt for ‘Restart‘.
As soon as the timer reaches zero, invite your friends to the game.
Once your friend joins the race, ask them to quit, and they will then be in their own solo public session.
Quit the playlist, and then ask your friend to invite you to that session once you’re back in a regular lobby.
That’s it! You should now be in a session with just your friend. If they leave, the session shouldn’t receive any new players.

After a while, it’s possible that another player could find their way into your lobby, but if you repeat the processes listed above, it won’t be long before you’re in a new, empty one again.

That’s everything you need to know about how to get a solo ‘public’ lobby session in GTA 5 Online.

For more tips and tricks, make sure to check out our guides below to improve your experience in Los Santos: