# What does BRB mean? Canonical: https://postmesh.app/glossary/brb By PostMesh team. Published 2026-10-31; updated 2026-10-31. BRB stands for Be right back. BRB stands for be right back. You type it when you need to step away from a chat or a game for a few minutes and plan to return to the same conversation, as in "brb, someone's at the door". ## What BRB means BRB is short for be right back. [Oxford Learner's Dictionaries](https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/brb) labels it informal and explains the situation it was made for: you have to leave your computer, or whatever you're chatting on, for a short time. [Cambridge](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/brb) describes it as what you write when you stop taking part in an online discussion for a little while. The important word is right. BRB promises a short break, not a goodbye. The conversation is paused, and you expect to pick it up where you left off, usually within minutes. That's what separates it from sign-offs like [TTYL](/glossary/ttyl), which end the chat for now. BRB is neutral and friendly. It's a courtesy: it tells the other person why you've gone quiet, so they don't wonder whether you've lost interest or wandered off mid-sentence. Often it comes with a reason, like "brb, charging my phone", though a bare brb is fine too. ## Where BRB comes from BRB is one of the oldest pieces of internet shorthand. The [Oxford English Dictionary](https://www.oed.com/dictionary/brb_v) says its earliest evidence for BRB comes from PC Magazine in 1988. [Know Your Meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/brb) points to an Apple II Development Forum chat log from January 3, 1989, in which at least two people typed brb before stepping away. Through the 1990s, it showed up in the lists people compiled to explain online slang. Know Your Meme cites a January 1994 post on the alt.usage.english newsgroup listing BRB alongside FYI, BTW and IMHO, a Los Angeles Daily News report on internet slang in April 1996, and its inclusion in the Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing in January 1998. Urban Dictionary defined it on April 11, 2003, according to the same entry. Mainstream dictionaries took longer. The OED's entry history says BRB was first published in the dictionary in 2016, and the OED classes it as a verb. Today Merriam-Webster, Cambridge, Collins and Oxford Learner's all define it. - 1988: Earliest evidence in the OED, from PC Magazine - January 1989: Used in an Apple II forum chat log, per Know Your Meme - 1994 to 1998: Appears in newsgroup lists, a newspaper report and a computing dictionary, per Know Your Meme - April 2003: Urban Dictionary defines it, per Know Your Meme - 2016: First published in the Oxford English Dictionary *Sources: Oxford English Dictionary and Know Your Meme.* It even had a moment as a meme. Know Your Meme notes the 2006 LOLcats caption "Going to the moon, BRB", which plays on the gap between a quick errand and a trip to space, and a 2008 T-shirt that paired BRB with a boomerang. ## How people use BRB on social media BRB is for live conversations, where the other person is waiting for your next message: texts, Instagram and Snapchat [DMs](/glossary/dm), WhatsApp, Discord, gaming chat and casual work chats. It makes less sense on public posts, where nobody is waiting in real time. In gaming and voice chat, it's especially common, because stepping away can affect the people you're playing with. On Discord or in a multiplayer game, "brb" warns your team before you go quiet. In public, it occasionally appears as a joke: a reply on X or [TikTok](/platform/tiktok) like "brb, booking a flight" under a travel video means the post inspired you, not that you're actually leaving. Group chats use it less, because the conversation carries on without you and nobody is waiting on your reply in particular. When people do post brb in a group, it's usually because they were in the middle of answering someone, or organizing something, and don't want the others to think they've dropped it. Some example messages, written for this page: - With a reason: "brb, pizza's here" - Mid-conversation: "hold that thought, brb" - In a game: "brb 2 min, don't start without me" - Casual work chat: "brb, grabbing coffee before the call" - Joke reply under a video: "brb, adopting a dog" - Coming back: "back, sorry. so what happened next?" When you come back, it's polite to say so. "back" or "ok I'm here" lets the other person know the pause is over. You'll also see it in caps, as BRB, and occasionally stretched ("brbbb") for a playful tone. ## What BRB means from a friend, a crush or a coworker From a friend, brb means exactly what it says. Something came up, and they'll be back shortly. There's nothing to decode, and no reply is needed unless you want to leave them a message for when they return. From a crush, it's usually the same, and a good sign that they plan to come back to the chat rather than letting it drop. If "right back" turns into hours, don't read too much into it. Errands, dinner and dying phones swallow a lot of brbs. From a coworker, brb means they're stepping away briefly, often before a meeting. If you need something urgently, ask before they go, or leave the question in the chat so it's the first thing they see when they return. ## How to reply to BRB You don't have to reply at all. Brb doesn't ask anything, and many people simply wait. If you do reply, keep it short so they come back to one message, not ten. **What do you want to do while they're gone?** - Just wait → Say nothing, or send "ok" or "np" - Be friendly → A short line: "take your time" - Leave them something → One message they'll see when back: "when you're back, is 7 ok?" - You also need to go → Sign off so they know: "I have to run too, ttyl" Some replies for different situations: - To a friend: "k" or "np" - To a friend mid-story: "hurry, I need to know how this ends" - To a crush: "take your time, I'll be here" - To a teammate in a game: "ok, we'll wait in the lobby" - To a coworker in a work chat: "Sure. When you're back, can you check the slide numbers?" - If you need to leave too: "no worries, I'm heading out anyway. ttyl" Tone shifts with the setting. In Snapchat and Instagram chats, "k" or a like on their message is enough. In gaming chat, a quick "np" keeps things moving. In a work tool, write in your normal voice. If someone keeps saying brb and never returns, it's fine to mention it lightly next time: "you said brb three days ago, are you ok". ## When not to use BRB Don't say brb if you won't be right back. If you're leaving for the evening, [TTYL](/glossary/ttyl) or a plain goodbye is clearer, and the other person won't sit waiting. A brb that turns into silence for hours can feel a bit like being left on read. Keep it out of formal settings. In a client chat, an email or a support conversation, write "I'll be back in a few minutes" or "Give me five minutes to check this". On a video call, say it out loud in full, since abbreviations sound odd spoken. Be careful in sensitive moments. If someone has just told you something important, a sudden brb can feel dismissive, even if you have a good reason. Add a word or two: "sorry, someone's at the door, brb, I want to hear this." And if your apps show when you're online, a brb followed by long activity elsewhere can raise eyebrows. The guides to [Instagram activity status](/blog/how-to-turn-off-active-status-on-instagram) and the [LinkedIn green dot](/blog/linkedin-green-dot-meaning) explain what others can see. **BRB is the right call when** - [ ] You'll be back within a few minutes - [ ] The other person is waiting on you in a live chat - [ ] It isn't a client chat, an email or a support thread - [ ] They aren't in the middle of telling you something important - [ ] You'll say "back" when you return ## BRB compared with AFK, TTYL and other short forms **BRB** - Be right back - Gone a few minutes - Coming back to this chat **AFK** - Away from (the) keyboard - Gone for a while - Common in gaming **TTYL** - Talk to you later - Ending the chat for now - Next time is a new conversation *AFK definition from Oxford Learner's Dictionaries.* AFK is BRB's gaming cousin. [Oxford Learner's](https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/afk) defines it as away from the keyboard and notes its use in messages on gaming websites. It describes a state, while brb announces a short exit. Know Your Meme even records a 2006 forum poll among players of the game MapleStory in which most respondents said they used BRB rather than AFK. [TTYL](/glossary/ttyl) ends the conversation, while brb pauses it. [HMU](/glossary/hmu) hands the next move to the other person. And if you come back from a brb and decide the thing you were about to say wasn't worth it, [NVM](/glossary/nvm) is the graceful way to drop it. ## Questions ### How long is BRB? Usually a few minutes. It promises a short break, so if you'll be gone longer, say ttyl or give a time instead. ### How do you reply to BRB? You don't have to. If you want to, send something short like "np" or "take your time" so they return to one message. ### What's the difference between BRB and AFK? BRB announces that you're stepping away briefly and will return. AFK, away from the keyboard, describes being away and is especially common in gaming. ### How old is BRB? Very old by internet standards. The Oxford English Dictionary's earliest evidence for it is from 1988. ### Is it rude to say BRB? No, it's polite, since it explains why you've gone quiet. It can feel abrupt if the other person was sharing something serious. ### What should I say when I come back after BRB? Something like "back" or "ok I'm here, sorry" so the other person knows the pause is over. ## Related terms - [TTYL](https://postmesh.app/glossary/ttyl) - [NVM](https://postmesh.app/glossary/nvm) - [HMU](https://postmesh.app/glossary/hmu) - [DM](https://postmesh.app/glossary/dm) - [IRL](https://postmesh.app/glossary/irl) ## Sources - [Oxford English Dictionary: BRB, v.](https://www.oed.com/dictionary/brb_v) - [Oxford Learner's Dictionaries: BRB](https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/brb) - [Oxford Learner's Dictionaries: AFK](https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/afk) - [Cambridge Dictionary: brb](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/brb) - [Merriam-Webster: brb](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brb) - [Collins English Dictionary: BRB](https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/brb) - [Know Your Meme: BRB](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/brb)