How to use Autosave and Save Reminders in The Sims 4

2 min read

Overview

Autosave helps protect your progress in The Sims 4 by automatically saving your game as you play, while Save Reminders help you remember to create manual saves. Learn how Autosave and Save Reminders work, how to customize your save settings, and how to load your saved games.

Table of Contents

How does Autosave work in The Sims 4?

Ever had to rebuild the same room in your Sim’s dream house twice because you forgot to save? Autosave is here to help!
  • Autosave helps protect your progress in The Sims 4 by automatically saving your game while you play. Your game autosaving when entering a loading screen is turned on by default across all platforms.
  • It works alongside manual saves, reducing the risk of losing progress while still giving you the flexibility to manage your own saves.
  • When an Autosave happens, the game briefly pauses in Live Mode, just as it does during a manual save. While your progress is being saved, Autosaving appears on screen. 
  • To make sure your progress saves, avoid closing the game or turning off your device while an Autosave is in progress.
  • You have one Autosave slot, which is updated each time an Autosave is triggered. How often Autosave is triggered depends on your Autosave settings.
  • When an Autosave happens, it replaces the previous one in your Autosave slot.
  • It’s important to backup your saves to help prevent lost progress in The Sims 4. Check out our guide to find out how to back up and reset your game.
  • If your save data is corrupted, or you want to revert to a previous save, learn how to recover a past saved game in The Sims 4.

How do I change my Autosave settings in The Sims 4?

If you’re playing The Sims 4 on PC or Mac, you can turn Autosave off completely. If you do, Save Reminders can help you remember to save your game.If you’re playing The Sims 4 on console, you can’t turn Autosave off completely. The Autosave on Loading Screen setting is always on and can’t be turned off.
You can change your Autosave settings to choose when and how often an Autosave happens.
  1. 1
    From the Main Menu, select the three dots in the top-right corner to open the Options Menu.
    • You can also open the Options Menu in Create a Sim, Live Mode, or Build Mode.
  2. 2
    Select Game Options and choose Save Settings.
  3. 3
    In the Autosave Settings section, choose the settings you want.
    • Check what settings you can change in the table below.
  4. 4
    Select Apply Changes to save your settings.
Note: The Main Menu is the home screen in The Sims 4 where you can resume, load, or start a game.Here’s what each Autosave setting does and the options you can adjust.

Autosave on Loading Screen

  • This is turned on by default.
  • If the checkbox is selected, an Autosave is triggered whenever the game enters a loading screen. This includes when your Sims travels to a different lot, or when you exit the game. 
  • On PC and Mac, use the checkbox to turn this setting on or off.
  • Note: If you’re playing on console, this setting is always on and can’t be turned off.

Autosave on Exiting Build Mode

  • If the checkbox is selected, an Autosave is triggered when you exit Build Mode.
  • Use the checkbox to turn this setting on or off.

Real Time Options

  • Choose when an Autosave is triggered based on how much time has passed in real life while playing in Live Mode or Build Mode.
  • Select one of these options from the dropdown menu: 
    • Off
    • Every 30 Minutes
    • Every 1 Hour
    • Every 2 Hours

In Game Time Options

  • Choose when an Autosave is triggered based on how much time has passed in your Sim’s world.
  • Select one of these options from the dropdown menu: 
    • Off
    • Daily Midnight Autosaves
    • Weekly Sunday Autosaves

What are Save Reminders in The Sims 4?

Saving your game is easy to forget when you’re engrossed in helping your Sims make questionable life choices. Think of Save Reminders as a gentle nudge from your future self.Here’s how they work.
  • Save Reminders help you remember to manually save your game. They can help reduce the risk of losing game progress, especially if you’ve turned off Autosave on PC or Mac.
  • They’re turned off by default, but you can turn them on in your Save Settings. 
  • Save Reminders appear in-game as an on-screen notification. You can choose how often they appear by adjusting the Save Reminder Frequency in your Save Settings. 
  • When a Save Reminder appears, select Save Game to create a manual save. This updates the manual save slot for your current game without replacing your Autosave.
  • If you manually save before a Save Reminder appears, the Save Reminder timer resets. The next Save Reminder will appear based on the reminder frequency you selected.

How do I change my Save Reminder settings in The Sims 4?

  1. 1
    From the Main Menu, select the three dots in the top-right corner to open the Options Menu.
    • You can also open the Options Menu in Create a Sim, Live Mode, or Build Mode.
  2. 2
    Select Game Options and choose Save Settings.
  3. 3
    Go to the Save Reminder Settings section and choose one of the following options from the Save Reminder Frequency dropdown menu:
    • Off
    • Every 15 Minutes
    • Every 30 Minutes
    • Every 1 Hour
    • Every 2 Hours.
  4. 4
    Select Apply Changes to save your settings.
Note: The Main Menu is the home screen in The Sims 4 where you can resume, load, or start a game.

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