Unreal Engine 5 · Blueprint → C++
Set Actor Tick Enabled in Unreal Engine 5 C++UE Docs
The Set Actor Tick Enabled Blueprint node is AActor::SetActorTickEnabled in C++. Calling SetActorTickEnabled(false) stops Tick() from being called on the actor each frame.
Blueprint node & C++ equivalent
SetActorTickEnabled(false);What does the Set Actor Tick Enabled node do?
Set Actor Tick Enabled turns the actor's per-frame Tick() callback on or off at runtime. Disabling tick on actors that do not need per-frame updates is a common optimization, since every ticking actor adds CPU cost each frame.
It controls the actor's primary tick function, not its components — each component has its own tick that can be toggled separately.
The C++ equivalent
Call SetActorTickEnabled(false); to stop ticking and SetActorTickEnabled(true); to resume. For tick to work at all, the actor must first have ticking allowed via PrimaryActorTick.bCanEverTick = true;, usually set in the constructor.
If bCanEverTick is false, SetActorTickEnabled(true) has no effect because the tick function was never registered.
When to use it in C++
Use this to gate expensive per-frame logic — for example, disabling tick on an enemy until the player gets close, then re-enabling it. To permanently disable ticking and avoid the registration overhead entirely, leave PrimaryActorTick.bCanEverTick = false; instead of toggling it at runtime.
Frequently asked questions
Why does SetActorTickEnabled(true) not work?+
Tick must be allowed first. Set PrimaryActorTick.bCanEverTick = true in the constructor; otherwise the tick function is never registered and enabling it does nothing.
Does SetActorTickEnabled also disable component ticks?+
No. It only controls the actor's primary tick. Each component has its own tick that you toggle with its own SetComponentTickEnabled.