To delete or reinstall a Sims 4 mod, close the game, manage its files in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods, clear the game’s thumbnail cache after changing files, and reinstall only a version the creator says is compatible with your current game. Then enable mods in the game options and restart.
Where The Sims 4 stores mods
On PC and Mac, the standard location is the game’s user-data folder: Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods. This is separate from the folder where the game application is installed. If you cannot find it, locate the active Sims 4 user folder rather than assuming the game’s installation directory is the right one. EA’s installation guide covers the standard folder and supported platforms. Mods are not available on PlayStation or Xbox, according to EA.
How to delete a mod
- Exit The Sims 4. Do not change mod files while the game is running.
- Open
Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods. - Delete the files that belong to the mod you want to remove. If you are unsure which files are part of it, check the creator’s instructions before deleting anything. Some mods include configuration files, dependencies, or content that needs special handling.
- In
Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4, deletelocalthumbcache.package. The game will create a fresh cache. This cache-clearing step comes from EA Forums community guidance, not EA’s formal installation article.
For mods that add or alter persistent in-game content—such as custom careers or food and cookbook content—follow the creator’s uninstall instructions. Removing files alone may not undo every change or resolve every in-game state.
How to reinstall a mod
- Check compatibility first. Read the creator’s current installation notes, supported game version, dependencies, and update status. EA explains that game patches can break mods and that creators may need time to update them; some mods require a full reinstall to work with a new patch. See EA’s guidance on mods, updates, and errors.
- Download from a trusted creator or source. EA advises players to be careful about where they download mods; a familiar hosting site alone does not establish that a particular file is safe or compatible. EA’s installation article gives its download advice.
- Extract the archive. If the download is a
.zipor.rar, extract it first. Put the extracted mod files—not the compressed archive—into theModsfolder. Keep any included settings or configuration files unless the creator instructs otherwise. - Remove an older copy. If the creator renamed the files in a newer release, deleting only the old filename may leave an outdated copy installed. Check the folder and remove the old version to avoid duplicates.
- Enable mods and restart. In the game, open
Game Options > Other, checkEnable Custom Content and Mods, apply the change if prompted, and restart The Sims 4.
If a game update has disabled mods, first launch with mods off and check that the game works correctly. Then enable only mods confirmed compatible with the current patch. EA warns that turning on outdated mods can cause problems.
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How to find a mod causing problems
If the game crashes, behaves unexpectedly, or shows errors after installing mods, test without them before assuming the game itself is damaged. EA recommends disabling mods and using batch testing to isolate the cause; gameplay mods are a sensible first category to check because EA says they are more likely to cause issues than custom content.
- Move the entire
Modsfolder out of the Sims 4 user-data folder, or disable mods through the game options, then launch the game. If the problem goes away, a mod or custom-content file is likely involved. - Close the game. Put back or test a portion of the files, then launch again. If the problem returns, the suspect is in that portion; if not, test the other portion.
- Repeat the split on the suspect group until you identify the file or files involved. This is the “50/50 method”: it reduces the number of files to inspect each round, but takes repeated launches.
- Check the creator’s page for an update or dependency, remove or replace the affected file, clear
localthumbcache.package, and test again before restoring the rest of your mods.
EA’s current troubleshooting recommendations are in Mods, game updates, and error codes. If the game still has the same problem with mods disabled, the evidence does not point to a mod as the cause.
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File placement details to check
- Individual
.packagefiles can be placed inModsor a subfolder, according to EA Forums community guidance. - Script mods ending in
.ts4scriptshould be no more than one folder deep insideMods. - Do not leave both an old and updated copy installed, even if their filenames differ.
- Keep creator-provided configuration files unless the creator’s own instructions say to remove them.
Folder-depth and cache advice above comes from EA Forums community instructions, which are useful but are not the same as formal EA Help policy.
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