FAQ

Quick answers to things people ask a lot. For step-by-step walkthroughs, follow the links to the relevant pages.

Do I need an account to use SimSweep?#

No SimSweep account is required for Free. Install it, point it at your Mods folder, and scan without creating a SimSweep login or providing an email address.

Paid Decrypt features unlock by connecting Patreon inside the app (Settings > Access). That's it.

How does paid access work?#

Two ways to unlock Decrypt:

1. Patreon. Subscribe on Patreon, then go to Settings > Access in SimSweep and press Connect Patreon. SimSweep unlocks Decrypt after verifying your tier.
2. Giveaway or trial key. If you received a key from SYVR, enter it under Settings > Access > Giveaway or trial key. Keys work locally with no Patreon connection required.

Connecting Patreon requires internet access. After verification, SimSweep caches your access status locally so Decrypt can continue working offline between periodic checks. Giveaway and trial keys are also cached on the machine after activation.

What does Decrypt actually unlock?#

Decrypt is the paid tier. It adds:

• Profiles
• Advanced Save Health features
• Auto-scan on launch and file watching
• Automatic save backups (on change, on game launch, or scheduled)
• CrashGuard hook
• Bulk tag editing
• Detailed CC metadata
• Manifest export, import, and comparison
• All 23 photo themes

Free access covers the core scanner, My CC, basic Diagnostics, the guided 50/50 method, Check CC, manual unused CC backups, mod-list export, Game Link Control, Live, and basic Guardian panels, Creator Shelf, and the Light and Dark themes.

Manual unused CC backups move selected CC only when you start the backup action. They are separate from Decrypt's automatic backups, which copy Sims 4 save files based on your chosen trigger or schedule.

Can I safely delete everything marked unused?#

Not blindly, no. Here is what the scan can and can't tell you:

• CAS CC (clothes, hair, accessories): marked as used only when found in a save file. Including save files gives SimSweep stronger usage evidence, but you should still review the item before removing it.
• Build/Buy, Presets, and Animations: SimSweep handles these cautiously. No save usage found doesn't mean the file is safe to delete, so these are not automatically flagged as reclaimable.

The safest workflow is to quarantine files instead of deleting them. Quarantine moves them out of your Mods folder so the game ignores them, but you can restore them any time. See Troubleshooting if quarantine looks empty unexpectedly.

What does Check CC do?#

Check CC is a pre-install analysis tool. Drop a file into it before adding it to your Mods folder and SimSweep will report one of:

• Safe to install
• Conflicts found
• Missing mesh
• Missing dependency
• Already installed
• Scan needed
• Unreadable

It doesn't modify your Mods folder. It's just a read-only check before you commit to installing something.

Where does Creator Shelf install official mods?#

Mods installed through Creator Shelf go into Mods/SYVR inside your Sims 4 directory. SimSweep manages version checks and updates for them automatically.

What happened to features I used to see?#

SimSweep has changed a lot over time. A few things that come up:

• Something about a CC catalog or community database: not a current feature.
• A browser integration or download helper: not a current feature.
• Community sharing or anonymous upload: not a current feature.

What SimSweep does today is local scanning, management, and analysis. No community data, no uploads, no external catalog.

Does SimSweep work on Mac?#

Yes. Mac builds are available at simsweep.com/download. Current builds are Developer ID signed and notarized. If Gatekeeper reports that the app cannot be verified, download the latest build before trying again.

Is SimSweep safe? Will it break my game?#

SimSweep reads your files. It never modifies the contents of .package or .ts4script files during a scan. The only operations that change files are ones you explicitly start: quarantine (moves files), tag editing (modifies CAS metadata with a .bak backup first), and enable/disable (renames files).

Scanning does not edit your game installation files. Actions that move or rename mods can affect files that other mods depend on, so review SimSweep's warnings and test the game after making changes.

Still have questions?#

Join the SimSweep Discord for community help, or submit a bug report from inside the app (header > Bug Report).