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 works without any account at all. Install it, point it at your Mods folder, and scan. No sign-in, no email, nothing.

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 hit Connect Patreon. SimSweep verifies your tier and unlocks features on the spot.
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.

Both methods are local. SimSweep verifies once and caches the result, so features stay unlocked even offline (with periodic re-checks when you're connected).

What does Decrypt actually unlock?#

Decrypt is the paid tier. It adds:

• Game Link (real-time game connection via the companion mod)
• Profiles
• Advanced Save Health features
• Auto-scan on launch and file watching
• Save backups (on change, on game launch, or scheduled)
• CrashGuard hook
• Bulk tag editing
• Detailed CC metadata
• Folder organization controls
• All 23 photo themes

Free access covers scanning, My CC, Diagnostics (basic), Tools, the 50/50 tool, Check CC, Creator Shelf, and the Light and Dark themes.

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. If you have save files in your scan (recommended), this is reliable.
• 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.

Why is folder sorting unavailable?#

The Organize Folder feature (sorting your Mods folder by category, creator, or custom rules) is temporarily disabled while it is being reworked. The app says so directly when you open that section. It will be back in a future update.

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. Because the Mac build is currently unsigned, you will need to right-click the app and choose Open the first time to bypass Gatekeeper. This is a one-time step.

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).

SimSweep never touches your game directory or game files. The only risk is quarantining a mod that something else depends on, which SimSweep warns you about before you do it.

Still have questions?#

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