What does 'BRB' mean in online chat?

“What does 'BRB' mean in online chat?” — BRB stands for “Be Right Back.” It tells other people that a person is temporarily leaving a conversation but expects to return shortly.

The abbreviation became common in early internet chatrooms, bulletin-board communities, instant messaging, and online gaming. Like many chat initialisms, BRB saves typing time while still communicating a clear social cue: the conversation is paused, not necessarily ended.

BRB is often confused with “AFK,” which means “Away From Keyboard.” The two overlap, but BRB specifically emphasizes an expected return, while AFK can simply describe someone who is unavailable. “Be right back” also does not promise an exact time; in casual use, the return could take a few minutes or longer.

BRB is normally written in uppercase, lowercase, or mixed case without changing its meaning. It remains widely understood in text messages, chats, multiplayer games, and online communities.