How do you use cheats in The Sims 4?
How to use cheats in The Sims 4 on PC and Mac
In live mode, press Ctrl + Shift + C on PC or Cmd + Shift + C on Mac. A text box opens at the top of the screen: type the cheat and press Enter. 56 of the 84 cheats on our list, like money and stats.set_skill_level, do nothing until you type testingcheats true; motherlode, rosebud and kaching work without it. We typed the main cheats in the game on November 7, 2026.
Cheats in The Sims 4 are commands you type into a text box while you play. The commands are the same on PC and Mac; only the keys that open the box differ. On PlayStation and Xbox you open it with the four shoulder buttons.
Most cheats that change your Sims, like the money, skill, career and relationship cheats, wait for testingcheats true. A few, like motherlode, work as soon as you type them. Build mode cheats such as bb.moveobjects run in the game engine instead.
How to open the cheat console
| Platform | Keys, in live mode |
|---|---|
| PC (Windows) | Ctrl + Shift + C |
| Mac | Cmd + Shift + C |
| PS4 and PS5 | L1 + L2 + R1 + R2, all four at once |
| Xbox One and Series X|S | LB + LT + RB + RT, all four at once |
- Press the keys above. A text box opens at the top of the screen.
- Type
testingcheats trueand press Enter. The game answers "Cheats are enabled." On PlayStation and Xbox it asks you to confirm the first time. - Type the cheat and press Enter. Cheats marked "needs testingcheats" do nothing until step 2.
Which cheats need testingcheats
| testingcheats | Cheats | For example |
|---|---|---|
| Needs testingcheats true first | 56 | money, households.autopay_bills, stats.set_skill_level, careers.promote, careers.add_career |
| Works without it on PC and Mac | 16 | motherlode, rosebud, sims.remove_buff_from_all, resetsim, traits.equip_trait |
| Engine cheat: the scripts don't mark it | 11 | freerealestate, bb.enablefreebuild, bb.ignoregameplayunlocksentitlement, bb.moveobjects, bb.showhiddenobjects |
If a cheat doesn't work
- Type
testingcheats trueagain after you load a save. The money, skill, career, relationship and need cheats did nothing without it in our check. - Check the dots and the underscores. Capitals don't matter, so
major_logicworks, but a missing dot or underscore is another command. - Use the internal name. Skill, career and trait cheats take the game's internal name, or a part of it that fits only one name:
Major_HomestyleCookingworks, butCookingalone fits several skills and fails. - Select the right Sim. Skill, career, trait and aspiration cheats change the active Sim, the one you control.
- Check that the command is real. Old lists still print test commands like
sims.age_upandpregnancy.force_offspring_count, which the game never runs: see the cheats that don't work.
Cheats by category
Turn testingcheats on and off
Type testingcheats true and press Enter; the game answers that cheats are enabled. testingcheats false turns them off again.
With testingcheats on you can also shift-click a Sim or an object for extra options, like moving a Sim into your household.
Cheats with on and off
Some cheats change a setting until you change it back, and take on or off at the end: bb.moveobjects on and bb.moveobjects off, freerealestate on and freerealestate off, headlineeffects off and headlineeffects on.
Questions
Is the cheat console the same on PC and Mac?
Yes. The cheats are the same commands; only the keys differ: Ctrl + Shift + C on PC and Cmd + Shift + C on Mac.
Do I need testingcheats for motherlode?
Not on PC and Mac: motherlode, rosebud and kaching worked with testingcheats off in our check. On PlayStation and Xbox the game's code counts them as cheats, so type testingcheats true first there.
Why won't the cheat box open?
Press the three keys at the same time, in live mode, while the game window is active. On a Mac, use Cmd, not Ctrl.
How do you turn cheats off in The Sims 4?
Type testingcheats false. Cheats that change a setting have their own off, like bb.moveobjects off or freerealestate off.
What is the cheat bar in The Sims 4?
It is the text box that opens at the top of the screen with Ctrl + Shift + C on PC or Cmd + Shift + C on Mac. Players also call it the cheat console or the cheat menu.
Other cheat guides
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