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Sims 4 cheats not working
Updated 3 checks
Usually it's a missing testingcheats true, or a space where the game expects none. Motherlode doesn't need it, so if that's failing, check your mods.
Work through it in this order
Stop as soon as something works.
Confirm the console opened
You should see a text bar in the top-left corner. On a controller, hold all four shoulder buttons together. No bar? See the console section below.
Enter testingcheats true again
Forgetting it is the first thing to check. Money cheats run without it, and EA says most Build mode cheats do too. If it still fails, check the table below.
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. If cheats work then, see the mods section below.
What else stops a command working
FreeRealEstate only takes effect from the world or neighborhood 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. If bb.moveobjects does nothing, enter testingcheats true first, as EA's help article does. On console, cheats that need testingcheats turn Achievements off for that save.
Retype the command by hand and watch the spaces. A space ends that part of the command, so a guide's internal name with a space in it can't work. In a modifyrelationship command, both Sims' first and last names have to match what the game has for them.
With Documents synced to OneDrive on Windows, the sync can put old mod files back after you delete them, so keep The Sims 4 folder out of OneDrive.
The console won't open
You can't type anything until the text bar shows.
Commands people commonly type wrong
Most of these come from published guides and can't work as printed.
| What people type | What works | Why |
|---|---|---|
Major_Rocket Science | Major_RocketScience | The console stops at the space, so the game never sees the second word. |
Major_Video Gaming | Major_VideoGaming | Same problem with 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 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 typo. 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 we can't vouch for
- sims.Set_Age. We couldn't find anything showing it works 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. We couldn't find it documented anywhere. 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 isn't on one of our category pages, it's because we couldn't confirm it against two separate places.
Outdated and conflicting mods
Move the Mods folder to the desktop and test in a fresh save. If cheats still fail, recheck the table. If they work, add mods back a few at a time. If it's the UI Cheats mod, its troubleshooting page covers versions, duplicates and the thumbnail cache.
Repairing the game, and when it's worth it
Some troubleshooting guides finish by repairing the game files through the launcher. We couldn't find anything showing a repair fixes a cheat code, so save it for last.
Reinstalling the whole game isn't worth it for a cheat that won't run. We found nothing to back it up, and it costs you hours.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the money command not add anything?
Because it doesn't 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 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.
