The quickest way to change relationships in The Sims 4

You can edit relationships in The Sims 4 using the Relationship and Pregnancy Cheats built into the game, or by installing mods that give you a visual interface to adjust friendship and romance levels directly. The cheat method works immediately without downloading anything extra; the mod method gives you more control and lets you see relationship details at a glance.

The cheat route is fastest if you only need to adjust one or two relationships. Open the cheat console by pressing Ctrl + Shift + C on Windows or Cmd + Shift + C on Mac, then type the cheat code for the relationship change you want. The mod route is better if you plan to edit relationships often or want to see exactly what friendship level each Sim has with another.

Key Takeaways

  • The cheat console (Ctrl + Shift + C) lets you change relationships instantly without mods, using commands like modifyrelationship [Sim1] [Sim2] 100 Friendship_Main.
  • The UI Cheats Extension mod adds clickable buttons to the relationship panel so you can adjust friendship and romance without typing codes.
  • Relationship values range from -100 to 100, where positive numbers increase friendship or romance and negative numbers decrease them.
  • You must use the exact Sim names as they appear in the game, and the cheat console will tell you if the name is wrong.

Using the built-in cheat console to modify relationships

Open the cheat console by pressing Ctrl + Shift + C (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + C (Mac). A text box will appear at the top of the screen. Type testingcheats on first and press Enter — this unlocks the relationship cheats. You only need to do this once per game session.

Now type the relationship cheat. The format is: modifyrelationship [FirstSimName] [SecondSimName] [Number] [RelationshipType]. Replace the bracketed parts with the actual Sim names, a number between -100 and 100, and the type of relationship you want to change. For example: modifyrelationship Marcus Chen Riley Harrington 75 Friendship_Main would add 75 friendship points between Marcus and Riley.

The relationship types you can use are Friendship_Main (general friendship), Romance_Main (romantic interest), and Friendship_Family (family bond). Use the exact names as they appear in the game — if a Sim's name is "Marcus Chen" and you type "Marcus" alone, the cheat will not work and the console will say the name is invalid.

Positive numbers increase the relationship; negative numbers decrease it. If you want to set a relationship to a specific level rather than add to it, use setrelationship instead of modifyrelationship. For example: setrelationship Marcus Chen Riley Harrington 50 Friendship_Main would set their friendship to exactly 50, regardless of where it was before.

Installing and using the UI Cheats Extension mod

The UI Cheats Extension mod, created by weerbesu, adds buttons directly to the relationship panel so you can increase or decrease relationships by clicking instead of typing codes. Download it from the Mod The Sims website or from the creator's GitHub page. Extract the .zip file and move the .ts4script file into your Mods folder.

Your Mods folder is located at Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods on Windows, or Library > Application Support > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods on Mac. Create the Mods folder if it does not exist. After you place the file there, restart The Sims 4 completely — do not just reload your save.

Once the mod is installed, open the relationship panel for any Sim (click on them and select "Manage Relationships" or open the Simology panel). You will see plus and minus buttons next to each relationship type. Click the plus button to increase friendship or romance, or the minus button to decrease it. Each click changes the relationship by 1 point, so you can make small adjustments or click multiple times for larger changes.

Understanding relationship values and what they mean

Relationship values in The Sims 4 range from -100 to 100. A value of 0 means the two Sims are neutral toward each other. Positive values (1 to 100) mean they like each other, with higher numbers indicating stronger friendship or romance. Negative values (-1 to -100) mean they dislike each other, with lower numbers indicating stronger dislike or rivalry.

In practice, Sims begin to show friendly interactions around 20 friendship points and romantic interest around 40 romance points. At 75 or higher, they will often want to spend time together and may initiate hugs or flirting on their own. At -50 or lower, they will be hostile, refuse interactions, and may fight. The exact behavior depends on the Sims' traits and the situation, but these ranges give you a sense of where to set relationships to get the outcome you want.

Fixing common cheat console errors

If the cheat does not work, the most common reason is that you typed the Sim's name wrong. The cheat console is case-sensitive and requires the exact name as it appears in the game. If a Sim is named "Riley Harrington" and you type "riley harrington" in lowercase, it will fail. Copy the name directly from the game if you are unsure of the spelling or capitalization.

Another common issue is forgetting to type testingcheats on first. The relationship cheats will not work without it. If you see an error message saying the cheat is not recognized, go back and type testingcheats on, press Enter, and try the relationship cheat again.

If you are trying to change a relationship between a Sim and an NPC (like a maid or a mailman), the cheat may not work because NPCs do not have editable relationships in the same way. Stick to relationships between Sims you control or have in your household.

When to use cheats versus mods for relationship editing

Use the cheat console if you want to make a quick one-time change and do not want to install anything. It is fast, requires no downloads, and works immediately. Use a mod like UI Cheats Extension if you plan to edit relationships often, want a visual interface, or prefer not to type codes every time.

Mods can also do things cheats cannot, like showing you the exact friendship or romance number for each Sim at a glance. Some mods let you edit relationships for multiple Sims at once or add new relationship types. If you are comfortable installing mods and want more control, the extra setup time pays off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit relationships between Sims who are not in my household?

Yes, as long as both Sims exist in the game world. You need to use their exact names in the cheat code. If a Sim is from a different household or a different save file, the cheat will not find them, but any Sim currently in your game world can have their relationships edited.

What happens if I set a relationship to 100 or -100?

Setting a relationship to 100 makes the Sims extremely close — they will want to be around each other constantly and will accept almost any interaction. Setting it to -100 makes them enemies who will refuse to interact and may fight on sight. Both extremes can make gameplay unpredictable, so most players keep relationships between -75 and 75 for more natural behavior.

Do relationship cheats work with mods that add new Sims?

Yes, as long as the mod-added Sim has a proper name in the game. Use the exact name as it appears in the game and the cheat will work. Some mods may have naming conflicts or unusual characters in names, which can cause the cheat to fail — if that happens, try copying the name directly from the game.

Will using cheats disable achievements or save my game as "modded"?

Using the cheat console alone does not disable achievements in The Sims 4. However, if you use mods, your save will be marked as modded and you will not earn achievements in that save. You can still play normally; you just will not see achievement notifications.

Can I undo a relationship change if I change my mind?

Yes. Use the modifyrelationship cheat with a negative number to reverse the change, or use setrelationship to set the relationship back to what it was before. If you do not remember the old value, you can reload a previous save file.