Sims 4 Mod – Functional Mobile Phone: Turns Sims' phones into an Independent Item

Image showcasing a mobile phone interface in a simulation game, featuring options for purchasing, picking up, and checking battery level, alongside characters discussing phone functionality.

Independent Phone Object
No Phone No Service
(Optional) Battery System
Snooping System
Child / Teen Phone parental controls
(Optional) Landlines
And more!

CURRENT SYSTEMS of the first Version:

By default, ONLY Sims that you enlist in this phone system have to deal with it (ie, unmodded behavior applies to all Sims except the ones you enroll in the system).

Sims join the phone system when they use the interaction to purchase a mobile phone.

You can change this in a setting so that all played Sims are automatically subject to the system.

— INDEPENDENT CELL PHONE OBJECT —

Cell phone functionalities are linked to an independent object: the cell phone.

A mobile phone interface displaying the owner as Jordan Bowden with a very high battery status and the phone turned on.

Whatever Phone Case Color your Sim sets up in the game’s phone ui interface also applies here.

Yes, Recolors and other Overrides of the BG phone’s appearance work with and apply to this object, as I give it the same mesh for that purpose. There is ONE caveat which you can read about below.

Since several of you asked about that one, here is an example of what it looks like when Arnie’s Plumfruit is installed:

There is ONE caveat: CC phone remodels will NOT be able to display the “screen off” appearance when the phone is not in use (and thus will display “screen on” look at all times) UNLESS the cc has integrated for the “screen off” feature.

Not a huge deal, but something to be aware of!

Are you a CC maker with a phone override? See instructions below if interested.

CC Makers: instructions on integration

If you don’t override the Model and LOD ressources of the game’s phone, but only the images for states – congrats, you’ve nothing to do for integration!

Otherwise:

This mod uses a “Screen Off” image for the phone’s default UseType state (which, unmodded, uses the same image as the “camera” UseType – EA doesn’t use this “Default” state anywhere and didn’t list in the the ObjectState tuning)
If you want your phone re-model to be able to show a “screen off” look when this mod tells it to, it’s simple!

Read the instructions first, then watch the video if confused about any steps.

All you have to do is change the ID of the diffuse image for the “Default” state material variants of the phone model to the ID for your own “screen off” texture, FOR EACH VARIANT:
- Go to the Model
- Then its “Lods”; in the list, find the main LOD
- Then access its “meshes” and find the one that has these listed:

Use filter to make it easier to isolate the “Default” states of each variant:

In the material’s “Edit Item” menu, change the ID where shown. Put there the ID of the image you intend to serve as “screen off” texture. This will be the SAME for the Default states of all variants.

Save everything and that’s it!

Video:

The phone also comes with a “Wireless Charging Pad” object.

Image of a phone charger item in a game interface, displaying its price, description, and attributes.

A mobile phone displayed on top of a white surface with a red circle on the screen.

Any CC maker interested can also make their own add-on chargers (or override of this one) for this mod.

This mod is designed to remain convenient.

You don’t have to keep track of where the phones and the chargers are at all times – interactions such as putting a phone to charge or picking up a phone can be started from EITHER the objects OR your Sim.

Live-dragging is also an option in and out of inventory and in and out of the charger.

— NO PHONE NO SERVICE —

Regarding Sims on Lot:

Sims participating in the system:

cannot use their phones, make or receive calls / texts if they are not currently carrying a charged, turned-on phone.
can use the normal phone UI and phone menu otherwise

A screenshot of a game interface showing a dialogue that states 'Emely can't do this since she is not currently carrying a mobile phone.' Below are two interaction options: 'Chatty Family Call' and 'Ask about College Parties.' To the right, there is a character named Lyla displayed with a progress bar.

If your Sim who is part of the system is receiving a call or text when they DON’T have a functional phone – if the call / text can be rescheduled, it is rescheduled for later. If not, it is missed forever.

Regarding Sims not currently on lot: YOU DECIDE.

by default, for your convenience, sims not currently loaded on lot are reachable (and can make pop-up calls to your active sim), regardless of whether they’re part of the phone system or not, and whether they had a functional phone last time they were played or not
you can change that with a setting:
- With the setting, played Sims who were part of the phone system but are not currently loaded on lot will not be reachable (or able to make pop up calls) if they didn’t have a functional phone the last time they were played

Never-ever-yet-played Sims currently all have access to phones (might add a setting later to let you choose if you want some of them to randomly not have phones! Let me know what you want)

— BATTERY SYSTEM (Optional) —

Turn this off in settings if you don’t want phone batteries to drain.

Phone batteries drain over 2 sim days (or 4, depending on your settings) & Sims need to charge their phones or they’ll turn off.

Your active Sim will be notified if running out of battery. Additionally, Sims in your household who aren’t the currently played one will generally put their phone to charge and pick it up when charged on their own.

— BASIC OBJECT INTERACTIONS —

Click to open for more details on the object interactions

A screenshot showing phone interaction options for Sims in a game interface, including actions like 'Charge Phone,' 'Turn Off,' 'Rename Phone,' and 'Check Battery Level Percentage.'

Turn on / off phone: 3 options
- From clicking phone in inventory
- From clicking sim
- From clicking phone in live mode

Charge phone: 4 options
- From the phone: your sim takes the phone to a charger and places it on there
- From the charger: your sim goes to the charger and places their phone on it
- From the Sim: your sim goes to the charger and places their phone on it
- live-dragging the phone object onto the charger object

Pick Up phone:

Screenshot of a kitchen scene showing a phone interaction interface with options for 'Settings', 'Phone Management', and 'Pick Up Phone'.

Options:
- From the object itself
- From your Sim, if you forgot where the object is. Your Sim will go find it.
- From the “Phone fully charged” notification: to simplify Sims getting back their phone once it’s fully charged, they can directly do so via the notification.

Rename Phone
Set or Remove Screen Lock

Put Down phone
Live Drag & Drop phone
Check exact battery percentage (general battery level is always visible when hovering over the object)
Purchase Phone

Menu interface showing options for 'Settings', 'Phone Management', and 'Purchase Mobile Phone' with a cost of $350, displayed near a staircase in a kitchen setting.

Opt Out of System

Use phone Interactions directly by clicking the object
- Your Sim goes to pick up their phone and then executes the interaction chosen

OBJECT CHEAT INTERACTIONS (under shift + click)

Drain Battery
Fill Battery

A paused gameplay screenshot from a simulation game, showing a Sim in a bedroom setting with a menu displaying various interactions for an object, including options to fill or drain the battery, reset, and destroy the object.

— Sim to Sim: “Ask to BORROW PHONE” —

If your Sim doesn’t have a functional phone at the moment, but needs to use a phone functionality, they can “Ask to Borrow Phone”.
- It can be accepted or refused.

If accepted, Sim has access to phone options for 45 sim minutes.

— Child & Teen: “ASK FOR PHONE” + Parental Controls —

For CHILD and TEEN: “Ask Parents for Phone” – or from the parent, “Gift Phone”

+ parental controls (limit phone to only call / text)
- Teen Sims with good Programming skill can try to hack the phone to disable the parental controls

— SNOOPING SYSTEM —

SNOOPING: Sims are able to try to snoop into others’ phones when the phones are laying around.

They can do this to discover cheating and discover EP15 secrets.

if the phone has a lock screen, it is much more difficult for the Sim to snoop
- High programming skill or high relationship points (ie better knowledge of the other) help them in their attempt at betrayal
- If the attempt fails, the owner of the phone eventually knows that the other Sim tried to do this (the phone ‘captures’ them on detecting tempering).
  - The snooping Sim can also be caught if seen doing this
- If the attempt succeeds, the snooper can discover suspicious relationships and confront the phone’s owner.

The Sim confronted can lie, or admit the truth.
- If admitting:
  - if you have RPO M07 installed, stuff from that mod triggers.
  - If not, BG stuff gets triggered.

— LANDLINES (Optional) —

No cell phone? No problem. Any Sim can use a landline!

Additionally, when near a landline, Sims can receive calls and texts normally.

NOTE: I do NOT make animations. Sims can click the landline phone to directly interact with it but will only route to it and do a vague gesture and then animate phone interactions with the usual ‘mobile phone’ look.
Check out Cezpid’s mod for a landline with modded animations.

SYSTEMS IN DEVELOPMENT for v1:

v1 is finished.

SYSTEMS FOR FUTURE RELEASES:

BREAKABLE: Sims’ phone will have a chance to break when the Sims engage in risky activities (fighting etc)
HACKING: similar to snooping except for profit or sabotage, not for obtaining secrets
QUALITY: Different phone qualities, upgrade possibilities
AGE: A phone’s battery becomes less performance as it becomes old
PHONE PLANS (optional system): Sims can choose a phone plan, be charged for it, have great service or not so great service depending on that.
BETTER GROUNDING: really ain’t going to be using that phone