GTA Online Solo Play Guide How to Enter a Private Session and Avoid Other Players

Tired of the chaos and griefers in GTA Online? Discover how to conquer Los Santos on your own terms with our ultimate guide to playing GTA Online solo. From mastering invite-only sessions to cashing in big with the Cayo Perico Heist, learn the secrets to thriving solo on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox without ever needing a crew. Step into the world of GTA where your solo adventure begins-no distractions, just pure, uninterrupted gameplay and profit.

A lot of what we’ll talk about below focuses on things to do to make money playing solo. That’s because GTA Online is all about making money. Money is how you’ll buy new cars, new weapons, and new properties – properties that often open up new ways to make even more money.

Our GTA Online guide will explain your options for playing solo, including starting a closed session and the types of activities you’ll be able to do, all in the interest of conveying how to play GTA Online solo.

Matchmaking works for solo players

Matchmaking in GTA Online accommodates solo players by allowing them to join sessions alone or in invite-only lobbies, providing a gameplay experience free from griefers and interruptions. While most heists require multiple players, the Cayo Perico Heist is a notable exception that can be completed entirely solo, making it a favorite for lone players. Additionally, many missions, business activities, and money-making opportunities are designed to be accessible without a team, enabling solo players to progress effectively. Rockstar’s updates have increasingly supported solo play by enabling Sell Missions and other tasks in private sessions, ensuring that matchmaking works well even when playing alone.

GTA Online has a matchmaking system for any event that requires more than one player. And that means you don’t have to be playing with a set group of eight players to take on most events, heists, or races.

You’ll be dropped into a group of players, but you can just turn off chat and audio and treat it like they’re AI-controlled. The, let’s say, effectiveness of your party will be mixed, but your squad of randos will get the job done (for the most part).

But you’ll also often have to wait in lobbies for others to join and you’ll, frankly, have to rely on some random player to complete your tasks.

How to start a closed session in GTA Online

To start a closed session in GTA Online, first launch the game and enter Story Mode. Then, press the ESC key to open the pause menu and navigate to the Online tab. Select “Play GTA Online” and choose the “Invite Only Session” or “Closed Friend Session” option to create a private session where only invited players or friends can join. Alternatively, you can start a “Solo Session” where you are the only player in the session. This method helps avoid interruptions from other players and is ideal for solo gameplay or managing businesses without interference. Another way to enter a private session while already in GTA Online is by suspending and resuming the GTA5.exe process via the Resource Monitor on PC. Once in a closed session, you can enjoy missions and activities without fear of being targeted by other players.

There are a lot of reasons to want a solo session of GTA Online. Griefing is a big one, though. Getting popped by a stranger while you’re looking at the map is an incredibly frustrating experience, and having other players actively working against you while you’re just trying to run a quick mission to earn some cash is painful.

More pragmatically, there’s a set number of organizations – companies and biker gangs – that any instance of GTA Online can have. If you try to start your own when that limit’s been reached, you won’t be able to. The quick way around this is to go to Online > Find a new session. You’ll have a couple options here. Public Session will find another instance of the game – probably one with at least a couple open slots for new organizations.

For the purposes of purely solo play, though, there’s a better option. Start a Closed Friend Session. Whether or not you actually invite friends is up to you. Now, you’ll have the freedom to start organization, run missions, and even just stand on the sidewalk without getting murdered. There just won’t be any other players in your instance of Los Santos.

How to play heists solo in GTA Online

In GTA Online, most heists require multiple players and cannot be played solo, as they rely heavily on teamwork and coordination. However, there are two notable exceptions that allow solo play: the Cayo Perico Heist and the Cluckin’ Bell Farms Raid. The Cayo Perico Heist is designed to be completed entirely alone, giving players full control over the mission and allowing them to approach it at their own pace, though it can be challenging due to multiple objectives and guards. The Cluckin’ Bell Farms Raid can also be done solo and is a good option for beginners since it requires no prior business ownership and offers a straightforward setup and finale. For other heists, solo players typically must wait for additional players to join, as these missions cannot start with fewer than the required team size.

You won’t be able to play most heists solo in GTA Online. Trying to start one will drop you into matchmaking, and most of them won’t even start without at least two players. There are two exceptions, though: the Cayo Perico Heist and the Cluckin’ Bell Farms Raid.

The Cayo Perico Heist starts when you meet Miguel Madrazo at The Music Locker nightclub. This will start an international heist that involves you buying a submarine. You’ll have to drop about GTA$ 2,000,000 on the sub, but the heist has the best payout in the game.

Raiding Cluckin’ Bell Farms has you tackle a conspiracy of crooked cops (redundant) and a drug ring. There’s no buy in for the raid(s), so it’s a much better investment of your time for a decent payout.

What can you do solo in GTA Online?

In GTA Online, playing solo offers a wide range of activities that allow you to enjoy the game without interference from other players. You can run business missions, such as filling warehouses, selling goods, and managing auto shops or nightclubs in private or invite-only sessions to avoid griefers. The Cayo Perico Heist is a standout solo-friendly heist, letting you undertake a high-reward mission alone. Additionally, you can complete contact missions, Simeon’s vehicle export requests, and operate various criminal enterprises like gunrunning and salvage yard robberies. While some multiplayer heists and freemode events require other players, about 80% of GTA Online’s content is accessible solo, making it a viable and rewarding way to play.

So if you’re not doing heists – the main, story-based events for GTA Online – what will you be doing? There’s actually a lot to choose from. Let’s break it down.

Contact Missions. Choosing one of your contacts from your phone will let you start Contact Missions. Some of them (but not all of them) are playable by one person. Gerald, Lamar, and Martin Madrazo’s Contact Missions are good for this. Watch for Contact Missions to pop up as 2x GTA$ and RP in the weekly updates.
Simeon’s Export Requests. Every week, Simeon (of Simeon’s Premium Deluxe Motorsports) will have a list of vehicles he’d like you to steal. If you happen to spot one and steal it, you can deliver it to him for about GTA$ 20,000.
Salvage Yard. There’s a lot of Criminal Enterprise-related stuff to do – more on this in a second – but the most straightforward of them is a Salvage Yard operation. You’ll have to buy a shop first – the cheapest one starts at GTA$ 1,620,000 – but it opens up a lot of solo options. You can make some quick cash just towing cars, or you can take on three-part mini-heists called Salvage Yard Robberies for a lot more cash.
Gunrunning Business. Similarly, if you can afford to buy a bunker, you can set up a Gunrunning Business. The management is a little more involved, but you’ll have a side hustle that will keep you occupied resupplying the bunker and delivering weapon shipments.
Criminal Enterprises. As the Boss of a criminal organization – a SecuroServ CEO or a Motorcycle Club President – you’ll have options for things to do on your own. Most of them, though, require you to buy businesses, but if you can afford it, they’ll keep you busy. But there’s a caveat.

Should you play as a CEO or Biker in solo play?

When playing GTA Online solo, choosing between CEO and Biker roles depends on your playstyle and goals. CEO is generally more profitable and offers powerful advantages like calling in attack helicopters, making it ideal for grinding money alone through crate missions. However, it can feel repetitive and grind-heavy. On the other hand, Biker businesses are less lucrative but allow you to earn money passively while doing other activities, providing more freedom and a fun atmosphere, especially if you have friends to help with resupplying. Biker roles are better suited for free roaming and casual play, while CEO is the go-to for focused solo grinding and higher earnings.

Your criminal enterprise – either a SecuroServe CEO or a Motorcycle Club President – has plenty to keep you buy while you play solo. As an MC President, you can do things like supply your clubhouse’s bar, growhouse, and counterfeit factories without any help.

The delivery missions, though, are a problem for a solo player. Dropping off drugs and counterfeits almost always involves multiple vehicles. Very rarely, you can get the deliveries done by yourself within the time limit (especially for the aircraft-based runs). But, more often than not, you’re going to run out of time unless you have multiple people in your MC helping you out.

The other Criminal Enterprise track, SecuroServ CEO, is a much better option for solo players. Once you buy an office and a warehouse, you’ll be able to start doing Special and Vehicle Cargo missions. With a little patience, these can be extremely lucrative for a solo player without the time-commitment and hassle of MC missions. And the deliveries are almost always doable for a team of one.

What are the best strategies for earning millions solo in GTA Online

The best strategies for earning millions solo in GTA Online focus on efficient missions, businesses, and heists that can be completed without a crew. Key methods include:

Cayo Perico Heist: The most profitable solo heist, offering over $1 million per run with careful planning and stealth, using the Kosatka submarine to launch the mission.
Bunker Business: Owning and upgrading a bunker allows passive manufacturing and sales of weapons, with sales netting up to $1 million. Resupply manually to save costs and sell in invite-only sessions to avoid griefers.
Auto Shop Contracts: Mini-heists from the Auto Shop pay between $160K and $300K and are quick to complete solo. Focus on high-paying contracts like The Union Depository for maximum returns.
VIP Work: Register as a VIP or CEO to do missions like Headhunter and Sightseer, which pay $20K-$25K each and have short cooldowns, enabling fast consecutive earnings.
Nightclub Passive Income: Owning a nightclub generates steady passive income (up to $50K per in-game day) by linking other businesses, requiring minimal active effort.
Special Cargo and Vehicle Cargo: Investing in warehouses to source and sell goods or high-end vehicles can yield large payouts ($80K+ per vehicle), though it requires upfront investment and patience.
Time Trials and Races: Weekly time trials and RC Bandito races offer quick payouts of $100K each, ideal for fast solo cash with little setup.
Contact Missions and Mini-Heists: Missions such as the Cluckin’ Bell Farm raid and FIB Files mini-heists provide consistent payouts ($200K-$750K) and can be repeated efficiently solo.

Combining these strategies, especially focusing on the Cayo Perico Heist, bunker sales, and VIP work, allows solo players to steadily accumulate millions in GTA Online without relying on others.

How can I maximize profits from auto shop contracts solo

To maximize profits from Auto Shop contracts solo in GTA Online, focus on the following strategies:

Prioritize the Union Depository Contract: This contract consistently offers the highest payout, around $300,000 normally and up to $600,000 during double money events. Always check your contract board and restart it if Union Depository isn’t listed to get this contract as soon as possible.
Cycle Contracts Efficiently: The contract board shows only three contracts at a time. If the desired contract isn’t available, start and then cancel a contract to refresh the board until you get the best-paying ones. Combine Union Depository with two other high-paying contracts like the Bank Contracts and Super Dollar Deal to maximize hourly earnings.
Complete Contracts Quickly: Most contracts have two setup missions and one finale. Efficiently completing these within 20 minutes allows you to do multiple contracts per hour, potentially earning $1.2 million or more solo per hour.
Use Staff for Vehicle Deliveries: For the repair business side, hire staff to deliver vehicles. Staff deliveries now cause minimal damage, saving you time and preserving profits. Driving carefully yourself is also important to avoid damage deductions on payouts.
Play During Double Money Events: Auto Shop contracts often have double money periods. Plan your grinding sessions during these times to effectively double your income from contracts and other Auto Shop activities.
Choose a Central Auto Shop Location: While not critical, a centrally located Auto Shop reduces travel time during missions, helping you complete contracts faster and increase your hourly income.

By focusing on the Union Depository contract, efficiently cycling through contracts, using staff for deliveries, and playing during double money events, you can maximize your solo profits from Auto Shop contracts in GTA Online.