To save in The Sims 4, click the three dots in the top-right corner of the screen to open the Options menu, then choose Save. It works in Live Mode and Build Mode on PC, Mac, PlayStation and Xbox. Since the July 21, 2026 update the game also has a proper Autosave, which you can tune under Game Options.
Autosave is new enough that a lot of advice online is out of date. Below we cover the manual save, every autosave and save reminder setting, how to roll back to an earlier save point, and how to back up your files on PC and Mac. Everything here is verified against EA’s official help articles on autosave and save reminders and restoring saves.
How to Save Manually
- Open the Options menu with the three dots in the top-right corner. It is available from Live Mode, Build Mode and Create a Sim.
- Select Save. The game pauses briefly while it writes your progress.
- If a Save Reminder notification pops up, its Save Game button makes a manual save too.
Two habits help. First, save before anything risky: a new mod, a big build, a pregnancy you have been waiting for, or a batch of cheats such as the career outfit command in our work outfit guide. Second, EA’s November 2018 patch notes stated that you cannot save or travel while a Sim is mid-way through aging up, so wait for the birthday animation to finish. Players often ask about a keyboard shortcut; EA does not document one, and reports conflict, so the Options menu is the reliable method.
How Autosave Works (July 2026 Update)
The July 21, 2026 update (PC 1.126.58.1030, Mac 1.126.58.1230, console 2.36) added Autosave on every platform. To change it, open the Options menu, choose Game Options, then Save Settings, then Autosave Settings, and click Apply Changes. EA lists these options:
- Autosave on Loading Screen: on by default; it saves when you travel between lots and when you exit the game.
- Autosave on Exiting Build Mode: a checkbox, handy for builders.
- Real Time Options: Off, Every 30 Minutes, Every 1 Hour or Every 2 Hours of play in Live or Build Mode.
- In Game Time Options: Off, Daily Midnight Autosaves or Weekly Sunday Autosaves.
There is only one Autosave slot, and each autosave overwrites it, so an older autosave cannot be recovered. That is the key reason to keep making manual saves too. On PC and Mac you can turn Autosave off completely; on console, EA says Autosave on Loading Screen is always on.
Save Reminders
Save Reminders are off by default. Turn them on in the same Save Settings area, with a frequency of Every 15 Minutes, Every 30 Minutes, Every 1 Hour or Every 2 Hours. Saving manually resets the timer, so the reminder only nags you if you forget.
How to Recover an Earlier Save
If something goes wrong (a Sim dies, a build breaks, a household glitches), EA documents a built-in rollback:
- From the main menu, choose Load Game.
- Select a manual save slot.
- Click Recover Save (the floppy disk icon).
- Choose the save point you want and select Play.
Each manual slot keeps several recent save points, which is another reason manual saves beat relying on the single autosave. If your game froze before you could save, Recover Save is also the first thing to try.
How to Back Up and Delete Save Files
On PC, EA’s backup guide says to copy the whole Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4 folder to your desktop or another drive; on Mac, the same folder is under Documents in Finder. Save files live in the saves subfolder. Community documentation describes them as Slot_ files ending in .save, with numbered .ver backup copies alongside, so back up the whole folder rather than picking files by hand.
To delete a save, players report that the Load Game screen shows a trash icon next to each save on PC, and console players can also clear save data from the system’s storage settings. Always keep a backup before deleting anything, especially before installing mods or reshuffling families with tools like the one in our guide to kicking a Sim out of your household.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does The Sims 4 autosave? Yes, since the July 21, 2026 update, on every platform. Settings live under Game Options, Save Settings, Autosave Settings.
Can I turn autosave off? On PC and Mac, yes. On console, Autosave on Loading Screen always stays on.
Why can’t I save right now? EA’s patch notes say saving is blocked while a Sim is in the middle of aging up. Let the birthday finish, then save; our aging guide explains how to control birthdays.
How do I get back a save I overwrote? Use Load Game, pick the manual slot, and Recover Save to choose an earlier save point.
Where are Sims 4 save files on PC? In Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves. Back up the whole Sims 4 folder before moving or deleting anything. More Sims help is on our Sims guides hub.