Mods and custom content are a big part of what keeps The Sims 4 interesting years after launch, but they’re also the first thing worth removing when something starts crashing, a save won’t load properly, or you just want to go back to a clean game. Here’s how to remove them completely on both Windows and Mac, along with the cache cleanup step most guides skip.
Where mods actually live
Both Windows and Mac use the same folder structure, since it’s stored under Documents rather than anywhere platform-specific:
Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods
Everything in here falls into one of two file types. Script mods use the .ts4script extension and generally add new gameplay systems or behaviors. Everything else, hairstyles, objects, most gameplay tweaks, uses the .package format. Knowing which type a mod is doesn’t change how you delete it, but it does matter later if you’re troubleshooting which one is causing a specific problem.
Turn mods off in-game before deleting anything
Disabling mods through the game’s own settings first, rather than jumping straight to deleting files, avoids error messages on your next launch and gives you a clean baseline to compare against.
- Open The Sims 4.
- Go to Options, then Game Options, then Other.
- Uncheck Enable Custom Content and Mods, and Script Mods Allowed if it’s checked.
- Apply the change and close the game.
Removing the mod files
For a full removal: open the Mods folder from the location above, select everything inside it, and delete it. Empty the Recycle Bin or Trash afterward if you want the space back immediately rather than waiting for Windows or macOS to clear it on their own schedule.
For removing specific mods: open the same folder and delete only the files you’ve identified as causing a problem, based on filename or the folder a mod was organized into. If you’re not sure which mod is actually the source of an issue, a quick way to narrow it down is to move half your mods out of the folder, test the game, and repeat with whichever half still has the problem. This cuts down a folder of forty mods to a single suspect in a handful of passes, rather than testing one file at a time.
Keep a separate backup folder outside the Mods directory for anything you might reinstall later, since deleting straight to Recycle Bin isn’t a reliable long-term backup if you empty it out of habit.
Clearing cache files
Sims 4 keeps a cache that can hold onto references to mods you’ve already removed, which sometimes shows up as leftover graphical glitches or a mod that seems to still be partially active after deletion.
In the main Sims 4 folder, delete localthumbcache.package if it’s present. It rebuilds automatically the next time you launch the game, so there’s no risk in removing it. If a Caches folder exists in the same directory, its contents can be cleared the same way. Don’t touch your save files during this step. They live in a separate folder and have nothing to do with mod or cache cleanup.
Restarting and re-enabling mods
Launch the game after finishing the deletion and cache steps to confirm everything still runs correctly. If something still seems off at this point and you own the game through Steam, verifying your game files through Steam Support rules out a corrupted install before you go looking for another mod to blame. If you want to use mods again going forward, head back into Options, Game Options, Other, and check Enable Custom Content and Mods once more, since this setting resets to off both after a fresh mod cleanup and, separately, after most major game patches. That second part catches people off guard regularly: a patch can silently flip this setting back off even if you never touched your Mods folder, which looks identical to a mod-related problem but isn’t one.
Quick reference
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Full mod removal | Delete everything in the Mods folder |
| One problem mod, unknown which | Remove half the folder, test, repeat until isolated |
| Graphical glitches after changes | Delete localthumbcache.package |
| Mods disabled after a patch | Re-check Enable Custom Content and Mods in Game Options |
Conclusion
A clean Sims 4 mod removal really comes down to three separate things: the mod files themselves, the cache that can reference them even after they’re gone, and the in-game setting that controls whether any of it loads at all. Deleting the Mods folder contents handles the first part, clearing localthumbcache.package handles the second, and remembering that patches reset the third one saves a lot of confused troubleshooting later. If crashes continue after all of this, checking whether the base game itself needs repairing is the next step rather than assuming another mod is to blame.