There are two ways to enter cheats in GTA 5‘s story mode: a button combination entered quickly during play, or a phone number dialled on your character’s in-game phone. Both do the same thing. The restriction that catches everyone is that cheats do not persist: they switch off when you reload, so a cheat is something you apply for the next few minutes, not a setting you turn on.
Button Combinations
On console and PC controller, cheats are directional and face-button sequences entered in quick succession while you are playing. There is no menu and no confirmation prompt beyond a brief on-screen notification when one takes.
They have to be entered fast. A sequence typed slowly will not register, which is the most common reason a correctly remembered cheat appears not to work.
The Phone Method
Every cheat also has a phone number. Open your character’s phone, go to the dial pad, enter the number and call it.
This is the more forgiving method because there is no timing element, and it is the one to use if button combinations keep failing for you. On PC there is a third option, a console command entered into a text box.
Cheats Do Not Save
This is the limitation worth knowing before you plan around any of them. Cheats are active for the current session only. Reload the game and everything is back to normal, and you have to re-enter anything you want.
Weapons and vehicles you spawned are not permanent either. A cheat-spawned car is not a car you own, so it will not survive being stored the way a purchased one would. Our guide on how to sell cars covers what does and does not count as yours.
What Cheats Disable
Using cheats blocks achievements and trophies while they are active. If you are working toward completion, that matters.
They also do not function in GTA Online at all. Online is a separate environment with its own rules, and attempting to use cheats there is a different matter entirely, with consequences for your account rather than a cheat that simply does not fire.
A Note on Cheat Lists
Long lists of GTA 5 cheat codes circulate on aggregator sites, and the quality varies. Some entries are stale, some are for other games in the series, and some are simply invented. We would treat any code promising something the game does not otherwise contain with suspicion.
If you want the effect without the trade-off, our guides on making money fast and losing a wanted level cover the legitimate routes to the two things cheats are most often used for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do cheats save between sessions? No. They clear when you reload and must be re-entered.
Do cheats disable achievements? Yes, while they are in use.
Can you use cheats in GTA Online? No. Story mode only.
Why is my button cheat not working? Almost always because it is being entered too slowly. Try the phone number instead.