You might want to play League of Legends without letting everyone on your friends list know you’re there. If you want to avoid distractions or just want some time alone, this article will show you how to go “invisible” while you’re playing or relaxing in-game.
Why would you want to look like you’re not online?
There are a lot of reasons why gamers want to hide from other players.
For people who play games for fun
You might be working on a group project or at work, and your friends don’t need to know you’re slipping in a brief match. Or maybe there’s that one pair partner you don’t want to queue with right now. You don’t have to say no in a weird way. Some players wish to avoid getting a lot of spam messages or just don’t want to deal with the social pressure of being “on” while they play. And hey, maybe you’re trying to hide that hidden pair with an unconventional support pick. No judgment.
Players with High Elo
If you’re trying to get better at something, especially if you’re just good at one thing, it can be smart to appear offline. It stops other players from snatching your champion picks or banning your favorite picks before the game starts. If you stay out of sight, you can preserve your edge.
Streamers have a unique problem: stream snipers. These people watch live feeds and stand in line to bother or mess up the game. Stream delay can assist, but the friends list changes right away, which makes it simpler for stream snipers to find and join games. If you go offline on the client, your games will be more private and less likely to be hacked.
How to Look Like You’re Not Online in League of Legends
No matter why you want to stay out of sight, here are some useful tips.
1. Change your chat status to “Away”
Riot has a simple “Away” status. Click the green dot next to your summoner name to change it to red. This means you’re not there. It’s not really an offline mode because your friends can still see you playing if they check, but it’s a low-key approach to look like you’re not doing anything while you shop or browse skins.
2. Use the Command Prompt to Block Chat Server (Advanced)
Using Windows Firewall to turn off your access to Riot’s chat servers is part of this method. It works, but it’s a little techy: your game will run normally, but your friends list and chat won’t update, so you’ll look like you’re not online.
How to do it:
- Shut down your LoL client.
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Copy this command and hit the enter key:
pgsql
To add a rule to the netsh advfirewall firewall, use the following: name=”appearoffline” dir=out remoteport=5223 protocol=TCP action=block
If it works, you will receive a notification that says “OK.”
To go back online, type:
pgsql
netsh advfirewall delete rule name=”appearoffline”
Cons: You can’t see who’s online and you can’t check your friends list. But the game itself goes on without any problems.
3. Chat with friends using the Riot Mobile App
Riot’s mobile app lets you stay in touch with friends even when you’re not on PC, as the client restricts conversation in the prior way. But remember that your in-game status will display you as connected to the app, which could lead to messages even if you’re not online on the desktop client.
4. Use the “Deceive” app from a third party
Not sure how to use command lines? Deceive is a third-party tool that hides your online presence without completely disconnecting the chat server. It makes Riot’s system assume you’re not online while keeping your friends list working.
When you start Deceive, the Riot client opens like normal, and a notification tells you that you’re in stealth mode. This is the closest thing to a native offline mode there is.
Is it safe?
Riot says that lying won’t get you banned. Some customers say that the software sometimes has problems, but restarting it typically cures them. Be careful when you install software from other companies; do your homework first!
Use a Smurf Account to Play
If all of this seems like too much work, you may also make a new smurf account. No buddies, no notifications, just being anonymous. And hey, if you’re interested, we have several smurf accounts that you can use. 😏 You can look through our collection.
To sum up, there is a way to get off the League radar if you want to avoid your buddies, keep your pick secrets secure, or avoid stream snipers. Choose the strategy that works best for you, whether it’s simple away toggles, firewall hacks, or sophisticated software, and play in peace.
