You’re texting a friend when they send AFK, and you aren’t sure what it means. AFK is an acronym often used in texting and online messaging.
What does AFK mean?
“AFK” is an acronym for the words “away from keyboard,” and it is often used by gamers and social forum users to let others know they aren’t nearby at the moment or that they won’t respond to messages for a while.
AFK is also common in conversations among gamers. They will tell stories using the acronym AFK in place of the words to keep things short.
How to use AFK
- “I can do that in a few minutes, I’ll be AFK for a bit.”
- “I’m going AFK, back in a bit.”
- “Need to go answer the door AFK.”
- “I’m headed AFK, I’ll reply later.”
- AFK can be used anytime you are putting your phone down or leaving your computer to do something, and you want people to know you aren’t ignoring or avoiding them.
Using AFK the right way
AFK is an easy acronym to use, and you can use it anytime you aren’t going to be near your device for a period of time. Just let someone know you are going AFK or will be AFK and they will understand they may need to wait for your response.
AFK Variations
AFK has several variations, all of which are common in the gamer community. The main ones are Brain AFK, AFK assassination, and Ninja AFK.
“Brain AFK” is used to indicate the person is spacing out or unable to think clearly. “AFK assassination” is when someone is killed in a game while the individual controlling that character is AFK, and it is considered rude. “Ninja AFK” is when someone goes AFK without letting the others in the game know.
Should you worry about your child using AFK?
If your child is using AFK while the play digital games, there is no reason to worry. AFK is a harmless gamer term and does not cause any harm.