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Sims 4 cheats not working
Updated 5-step diagnostic
Two causes cover most of it: the cheat needed testingcheats true, or you typed a space where the game expects none.
Work through it in this order
Stop as soon as something works. The likeliest causes come first.
Confirm the console actually opened
A text bar has to be visible in the top-left corner. On a controller, hold all four shoulder buttons together.
Enter testingcheats true again
This is the most common cause by a long way. Money and Build mode cheats are the ones that run without it.
Match your script mods to your game version
A script mod built for an older patch breaks the interface. Update it, or move the Mods folder aside and test.
Remove duplicate copies of a mod
Two copies of the same mod count as a conflict on their own, and that includes renamed backups.
Delete localthumbcache.package
It sits in Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\ and rebuilds itself. Do this after any mod change.
Right mode, right place, right spelling
FreeRealEstate only takes effect from the world or neighbourhood map, not from inside a lot. cas.fulleditmode goes in from Live mode and prints no confirmation, so it looks like a failure even when it worked: shift-click a Sim and choose Modify in CAS to see the result.
Retype the command by hand and watch the spaces. A space ends an argument, so an internal name copied from a guide that printed it with a space in the middle cannot work. In a modifyrelationship command, both Sims' first and last names have to match what the game has for them.
Windows players with Documents synced to OneDrive have a second problem. The sync can put old mod files back after you delete them, so keep The Sims 4 folder out of OneDrive.
The console will not open
Nothing you type registers until the text bar is on screen.
| Platform | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Ctrl + Shift + C | A text bar appears in the top-left corner. Esc closes it. |
| Mac | Ctrl + Shift + C, or Command + Shift + C | EA's cheats FAQ gives Ctrl for both platforms. SnootySims and Sims Community give Command. Try one, then the other. |
| PlayStation | R1 + R2 + L1 + L2 | Hold all four together. Pressing them one after another does nothing. |
| Xbox | RB + RT + LB + LT | Hold all four together. Pressing them one after another does nothing. |
Once the bar is there, the problem is the command, not the console. Full walkthrough: how to enable cheats in The Sims 4.
Commands people commonly type wrong
Most of these circulate in published guides and cannot work as printed.
| What people type | What works | Why |
|---|---|---|
Major_Rocket Science | Major_RocketScience | A space ends the argument, so the game never sees the second word. |
Major_Video Gaming | Major_VideoGaming | Same problem. The same goes for DJ Mixing and Rock Climbing. |
Major_Fitness | Skill_Fitness | Fitness is the one base-game skill that uses the Skill_ prefix. |
major_Swordmanship | major_Swordsmanship | EA's own skill guide keeps both s letters. PC Gamer drops one. Start with EA's spelling and only try the shorter one if the console rejects it. |
careers.remove | careers.remove_career | The short form is one site's abbreviation. EA documents the full name. |
sims.remove_all_buffs pregnancy_in labor | sims.remove_all_buffs | EA's pregnancy guide prints that argument with a space inside it, which looks like a typographic error on their page. The plain command is the safe one. |
stats.fill_commodities_household | Either spelling, depending on the build | EA's FAQ writes stats.fill_all_commodities_household; the community uses the shorter name. Try the short one, then EA's. |
Commands that were never real
- sims.Set_Age. No source checked here documents it working in the current game. Use cas.fulleditmode and Modify in CAS, or the shift-click Age Up option, both covered on the age and death cheats page.
- aging.toggle, aging on and aging off. These are Sims 3 commands. In The Sims 4 aging lives in Game Options under Gameplay, not in the console.
- careers.promote Degree. Not documented by any source in this set. Career branches have no separate internal names: once a Sim picks a branch, you keep promoting with the original career name.
- Milestone and sentiment cheats for the Royalty & Legacy content. Sims Community states that these need TwistedMexi's AllCheats mod, not the base game.
If a command is not on one of our category pages, it is because it could not be confirmed against two independent sources.
Outdated and conflicting mods
Script mods are tied to the game build they were written for.
- Move the whole Mods folder to the desktop and test in a fresh save.
- If cheats work there, put the mods back a few at a time.
- If the UI Cheats Extension is the culprit, use the UI Cheats troubleshooting page.
Repairing the game, and when it is worth it
Some troubleshooting guides finish by repairing the game files through the launcher. No source used for this page documents a repair fixing a cheat code, so save it for last, after everything above has failed.
Reinstalling the whole game is not worth it for a cheat that will not run. Nothing in the research behind this site supports it, and it costs you hours.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my skill cheat do nothing?
Usually a space in the internal name. Several popular guides print Major_Rocket Science, Major_Video Gaming, Major_DJ Mixing and Major_Rock Climbing with a space in them, and a space ends the argument. Close the gap up. Fitness is the other trap: it is Skill_Fitness, not Major_Fitness.
Why does the money command not add anything?
Because it does not add. EA documents money as setting household funds to exactly the number you type, so money 145897 leaves the household with 145,897 Simoleons, which can be less than they had. Use motherlode, kaching or rosebud to add.
Could a mod be blocking my cheats?
It can. A script mod built for an older patch is the usual suspect. weerbesu says outright that interface problems from the UI Cheats Extension are always a mismatch between the game version and the mod version. Test with the Mods folder moved aside, then update or remove whatever broke.
