How to Enable Cheats in The Sims 4

To enable cheats in The Sims 4, open the cheat console with Ctrl + Shift + C on PC/Mac, or by holding all four shoulder buttons simultaneously on Xbox or PlayStation. Then type testingcheats on (or testingcheats true) and press Enter. That’s it — cheats are now active and any cheat code you enter will work.

The process is the same across all platforms, but the shortcut to open the console differs. Here’s exactly what to do on each, plus how to access the pie menu cheats that skip code entry entirely.

How to Open the Cheat Console on Every Platform

The cheat console is a small text box that appears at the top of the screen. Nothing works without opening it first — not testingcheats, not money codes, nothing.

On consoles, all four triggers need to be held at the same time — not pressed in sequence. If the white text box doesn’t appear after a second or two, release and try again. It’s a common stumbling point.

Once the console is open, you’ll see a cursor waiting for input. The box accepts typed text on PC/Mac; on console, a virtual keyboard appears automatically.

How to Enable Cheats in The Sims 4

With the console open, type testingcheats on and hit Enter. You’ll see a confirmation message: “Cheats are enabled.” Some players type testingcheats true instead — both work identically.

This step is mandatory before entering any other cheat code. Skipping it means codes either do nothing or return an error. The game doesn’t automatically activate cheat mode just because the console is open.

A few things worth knowing:

• Cheats must be re-enabled every time you load a save. They don’t persist between sessions.
• Enabling cheats disables achievements and trophies for that save slot. On PC, mods can restore achievements, but on console there’s no workaround.
• To turn cheats off mid-session, type testingcheats off (or testingcheats false) and press Enter. Achievements remain locked for that session regardless.

Once testingcheats is active, the full range of cheat codes becomes available — money cheats, skill cheats, relationship cheats, build mode cheats, and more. The console accepts one code at a time; re-open it for each new entry.

Quick Reference: The Enable/Disable Commands

Pie Menu Cheats: The No-Code Alternative

Here’s something a lot of players miss entirely: once testingcheats is on, you get access to a hidden pie menu packed with useful shortcuts — and none of them require memorizing codes.

After enabling cheats, Shift+Click on a Sim (PC/Mac) to open it. On console, hover over a Sim and press B + A on Xbox or Circle + X on PlayStation, holding both buttons together.

What you get in that menu is genuinely handy for everyday play:

• Cheat Need → Make Happy — instantly fills all needs bars. No more waiting out hunger or energy. Probably the most-used option in the whole menu.
• Cheat Need → Enable/Disable Need Decay — freezes needs entirely so they never drop. Good for build sessions where you don’t want interruptions.
• Modify in CAS — opens Create-a-Sim directly from the menu, letting you edit a Sim’s appearance mid-game without triggers or mirrors.
• Reset Object (Debug) — fixes stuck or broken Sims and objects. If your Sim is standing frozen or an interaction is looping, this is the fix.
• Add/Remove from Family — moves Sims between households on the fly.
• Marriage — clears a Sim’s marriage record, which can also unstick certain relationship bugs.
• Pack Cheats — shows expansion-specific options if you own relevant packs. Island Living owners get tan modification, for example.
• Give Bucks — available with Eco Lifestyle installed; adds Bits and Pieces to inventory.

You can also Shift+Click on the ground, mailbox, or objects for additional options — not just Sims. The mailbox in particular has a useful “Give All Sims” option that fills needs for the entire household at once.

Real talk: for casual play, the pie menu covers most of what people actually need without ever touching the cheat console again after the initial testingcheats on. No typos, no lookup required.

Common Cheat Categories and What to Try Next

With cheats enabled, the most commonly used code is money [amount] — for example, money 50000 sets your household funds to exactly 50,000 Simoleons. Note that this sets the total, it doesn’t add to it. If you want a simple boost without specifying an amount, kaching adds §1,000 and motherlode adds §50,000.

Beyond money, here’s a quick breakdown of what’s available once cheats are active:

Build mode cheats are especially worth knowing. bb.moveobjects removes placement restrictions so you can overlap and stack furniture freely — standard practice for serious builders. bb.showhiddenobjects unlocks debug objects not visible in the regular catalog, including plants, clutter, and set pieces used in pre-built lots.

Skills use a consistent naming pattern once you learn it: stats.set_skill_level [SkillName] [1-10]. Cooking is Major_HomestyleC, programming is Major_Programming, fitness is Skill_Fitness. The naming isn’t always obvious, but a quick lookup per skill gets you there fast.

One edge case worth flagging: bb.enablefreebuild is a separate cheat that lets you edit lots normally locked for editing, like the hospital or police station. It requires testingcheats on first, same as everything else, but it’s easy to forget about and saves a lot of frustration when you want to customize those venues.

As of January 2026, all commands listed here are confirmed working in the current base game patch. Expansion-specific cheats follow the same activation process — testingcheats on first, then the code.