Where Are The Sims 4 Save Files Located?
The Sims 4 save folder on Windows and Mac, plus what to do when OneDrive or iCloud moves your Electronic Arts folder somewhere else.
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The Sims 4 writes all of its user data, saves, tray library, mods and settings, to one place: Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4. The game's install folder under Program Files has nothing to do with it. The saves folder inside is the one you copy for a backup.
The catch is that Documents is exactly the folder Windows and macOS like to push into the cloud. OneDrive on Windows and iCloud Drive on Mac can quietly relocate the whole Electronic Arts folder, after which the game finds nothing and builds a fresh empty one. Your saves are usually still on the machine, just in a different Documents.
Where The Sims 4 stores this, by platform
C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves
Saves are files named Slot_00000001.save and similar. If OneDrive backs up your Documents folder, the real path may be C:\Users\[username]\OneDrive\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves instead, and the game will read whichever Documents Windows points at. Quickest check: in the Load Game screen, hover the folder icon under a save and the game prints its own path.
~/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/saves
Not in Library or Application Support. With iCloud Drive set to store Desktop & Documents, the folder can end up at ~/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4, and with Optimize Mac Storage the local copy can be evicted. Turn both off in iCloud settings and move the folder back to local Documents if saves stop loading.
Frequently asked questions
why did all my sims 4 saves disappear
Almost always a cloud redirection. Windows moved Documents into OneDrive, or iCloud moved it on a Mac, and the game created a brand new empty Sims 4 folder in the location it expects. Look for your old Electronic Arts folder under OneDrive\Documents or in iCloud Drive and move it back.
how do i find where my sims 4 is actually reading saves from
Open Load Game and hover the folder icon under a save slot: the game shows the full path it used. You can also paste Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4 into the File Explorer address bar and compare that with your OneDrive copy.
can i move my sims 4 saves to another computer
Copy the whole saves folder, or individual Slot_ files, to the same path on the other machine. Bring the tray folder too if you want the households and lots from your library. Mods live in the Mods folder of the same directory.
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