2 Easy Ways to Change Characters in GTA 5

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Easily switch to the three main characters in Story Mode or any character in Director Mode

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: November 6, 2023 Fact Checked

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Using Story Mode

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Using Director Mode

Do you want to know how to switch characters in Grand Theft Auto 5? One of the many innovations that GTA 5 brought to the series is the ability to play as three main protagonists instead of just one. You can also use the Player Switcher menu to switch to Grand Theft Auto Online. Additionally, you can free-play as a variety of non-playable characters from the game using Director Mode. This wikiHow article teaches you how to switch characters in Grand Theft Auto 5 on Xbox, PlayStation 4 and 5, or PC.

Things You Should Know

Press and hold the Down arrow on game consoles or the Alt key on PC. Select your character from the wheel and release the Down button or Alt key.
The three main characters are not all available at every part of the game and some missions are limited to certain characters.
You can also use Director Mode to play as a variety of non-playable characters you encounter in the game.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Story Mode

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1
Unlock all three characters. In order to switch between characters, you need to have all characters unlocked. There are parts of the game and certain missions where some characters may not be available. You will need to play through Story Mode to unlock all three characters. You also need to make sure you are not on a mission where certain characters are not available. ^{[1]
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- During the prologue, you will be able to switch between Michael and Trevor. After the prologue, Franklin will be the only character available for a while. After completing the prologue, you will gain access to GTA Online.
- After completing Mission 4: Complications, Michael will be available and you will be able to switch between Michael and Franklin.
- After completing Mission 16: Mr Philips, you will unlock Trevor. However, you will lose the ability to switch to Michael and Franklin for several missions.
- Complete Mission 20: Friends United to gain access to all three main characters.
- During Mission 51: Bury the Hatchet, Michael is captured and will be unavailable for a couple of missions. ^{[3]
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- Complete Mission 53: Fresh Meat to regain the ability to play as Michael again.
To open the character switcher on PlayStation and Xbox, press and hold the Down arrow on the directional pad. To open the Character Switcher on PC, press and hold the Alt key. A wheel with all your character options will appear in the lower-right corner.

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Highlight the character you want to switch to. On PlayStation and Xbox, use the right analog stick to highlight the character you want to switch to. On PC, press the arrow keys to highlight a character. Michael is to the left. Trevor is to the right, Franklin is on top, and your GTA Online character is at the bottom.
- Switching to your GTA Online character will switch you from GTA 5 Story Mode to GTA Online . You must create a GTA Online account and create a GTA Online character for this option to be available.
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Release the Down button or Alt key. With the character you want to switch to highlighted, release the Down arrow on PlayStation or Xbox, or the Alt key on PC. The game will switch to that character, wherever they are on the game map.
- Loading the game with the new character may take a minute or two. Especially if you are switching to GTA Online.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Director Mode

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1
Understand what Director Mode is. Director Mode is a free-roam/experimental mode in GTA that allows you to set up random scenarios as well as play as a variety of characters from the game, including animals, pedestrians, and non-playable characters you encounter in GTA 5 Story Mode.
- Some characters from Story Mode may not be available in Director Mode until you unlock them by playing through certain missions in Story Mode . You will receive a prompt in the game when a character has been unlocked in Director Mode.
- Director Mode is not available if you have a wanted level, are in a vehicle , or are on an active mission.
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Switch to Director Mode. Director Mode can be accessed through the Interaction menu, or through your character's phone. Use one of the following options to switch to Director Mode:
- Press the Touchpad on PlayStation, the View button on Xbox, or M on PC to open the Interaction menu. Then select Director Mode. ^{[4]
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- Press the Up arrow on the directional pad or arrow keys to pull out your phone. Select the Contacts option. Then select Los Santos Talent or Acting Up .
The Director Mode menu is to the left when you start Director Mode. Select Actors at the top of the list. ^{[5]
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Select a character category. There are 17 categories to choose from. They are as follows:
- Animals
- Beach Bums
- Costumes
- Downtown
- Emergency Services
- Gangs
- Heist Characters
- Laborers
- Military
- Online Characters
- Professionals
- Special Characters
- Sports
- Story Characters
- Transport
- Uptown
- Vagrants
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Select the character you want to play as. Scroll through the list of available characters. When you find the character you want to play as, press "X" on PlayStation, "A" on Xbox, or left-click on PC to select that character. You will instantly start playing as that character.
- Alternatively, you can change the clothing of the character by pressing the button next to "Appearance" in the lower-right corner.
- The Director Mode menu also has many other settings you can tweak. You can choose a location, time of day, weather, wanted status, invincibility, pedestrian or vehicle density, and more. ^{[6]
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