How to Edit a Sim in Sims 4: A Complete Guide to Customization

Whether you're fixing a Sim you rushed through during setup or completely reinventing a character mid-game, The Sims 4 gives you several ways to edit your Sims — each with different levels of access depending on when and how you do it.

Here's exactly how each method works, what you can and can't change, and what affects your experience.

The Two Main Ways to Edit a Sim

1. Editing Before You Start Playing (Create-A-Sim)

When you first create a household, you're working inside Create-A-Sim (CAS) — the full character editor. This is where you have the most control. You can change:

• Physical appearance: body shape, facial features, skin tone, age, gender settings
• Style: clothing, hair, accessories, makeup, tattoos
• Personality: traits (you get 3 for adults), aspirations, and walk style
• Voice and pronouns: available in the base game with updated settings

CAS is the most unrestricted editing environment in the game. Nothing is locked here.

2. Editing an Existing Sim Mid-Game

Once you're actively playing a household, you can still edit your Sims — but the method determines what you can change.

How to Access Edit Mode for an Existing Sim 🎮

Using the Mirror or Dresser (No Cheats Required)

The simplest in-game method is using a mirror or dresser:

• Click on a mirror → select "Change Appearance"
• Click on a dresser → select "Plan Outfit"

This opens a limited version of CAS that only lets you change clothing and style — not physical appearance or personality traits.

Using the Full CAS Cheat (Most Popular Method)

To access the full Create-A-Sim editor mid-game, you'll need to use a cheat code. Here's how:

1. Open the cheat console — press Ctrl + Shift + C on PC/Mac, or hold all four shoulder buttons simultaneously on console
2. Type testingcheats true and press Enter
3. Type cas.fulleditmode and press Enter
4. Close the console
5. Hold Shift and click on the Sim you want to edit
6. Select "Edit in CAS" from the menu

This unlocks the complete CAS editor for that Sim, including physical features, traits, and aspirations — the same access you had when creating them originally.

⚠️ On console (PlayStation or Xbox), the cheat input method is slightly different — you use the on-screen keyboard after the cheat bar appears.

What You Can Change (And What You Can't)

*Changing age in CAS via cheat doesn't automatically trigger age-up events or skill resets — it changes the visual/category only.

Editing Sims You Don't Control

If you want to edit a Sim from another household (a neighbor, a townsperson), you need an additional step:

• Open the Manage Households menu (the icon in the top-right UI)
• Find the household containing the Sim
• Move them into your active household temporarily, or select "Edit in CAS" directly from the household management screen (this requires cas.fulleditmode to already be active if you want full editing access)

Some players use the "Modify in CAS" option that appears when shift-clicking on townsfolk directly in the world, which also requires testingcheats true to be enabled first.

Editing Multiple Outfits and Categories

Each Sim has five outfit categories — Everyday, Formal, Athletic, Sleep, and Party — plus a swimwear slot. Inside CAS, you can navigate between these using the outfit category tabs at the top. You can assign multiple outfit options per category (up to 5 per slot), and your Sim will rotate through them.

This is especially useful if you want variety without fully redesigning a Sim — you can keep their look consistent but add seasonal or situational clothing options.

Factors That Affect Your Editing Experience

Not everyone gets identical results from the same steps, and a few variables explain why:

• Platform: PC/Mac users have keyboard shortcuts; console players navigate with controller inputs, which can feel slower
• Expansion packs and stuff packs: These add significant CAS content — hairstyles, clothing, traits, and body details. A player with Get Famous or Cottage Living installed has a noticeably larger catalog than base game only
• Mods: Many players use custom content (CC) — fan-made hair, skin overlays, clothing — which adds thousands of options but requires manual installation and periodic updates
• Game version: EA periodically updates The Sims 4's base game; some cheat behaviors or menu layouts may shift slightly after major patches

The Spectrum of Customization 🎨

For some players, a quick outfit change via mirror is all they need. For others, the goal is a complete physical rebuild using cas.fulleditmode, possibly combined with custom content, to get a Sim that looks exactly right. There's a meaningful difference between editing a Sim's hairstyle before a party and rebuilding facial geometry from scratch on a legacy household character.

How far you need to go — and which tools fit your comfort level with cheats, mods, or in-game menus — depends entirely on what you're trying to achieve and how your game is currently set up.