How to Backup SimCity BuildIt City Before Installing a Mod
How to Backup SimCity BuildIt City
Knowing how to backup simcity buildit city progress is the single most important step before installing any mod. A mod install often means uninstalling the current version first, and uninstalling without a backup can delete your city permanently. This guide covers the backup that actually works, and the mistakes that lose cities.
The only backup that counts: account linking
SimCity BuildIt saves progress in two places: locally on your device, and in the cloud when your account is linked. Local progress alone is not a backup — it is deleted when you uninstall. The real backup is linking the game to a Facebook, Google or EA account in Settings. Once linked, your city is tied to that account and can be restored on another device or after a reinstall.
How to confirm the backup worked
Linking is not the same as confirming. After linking, close the game completely, open it again, and check that you are still signed in and your city is intact. If you have a second device, install the official game there, sign in with the same account, and see whether your city loads. That is the only proof the cloud save exists. Do not skip this check — a link that silently failed is the same as no backup at all.
What does not count as a backup
A screenshot of your city is not a backup. Copying files from your phone’s storage is not a reliable backup, because the save format changes between versions and a copied file may not load. A mod’s own “backup” feature, if it has one, is not verified here and should not be trusted with a city you care about. Only the official account link, confirmed by loading the city on the official game, counts.
The order that saves cities
First, open the official game and link your account. Second, confirm the link by reloading the game. Third, only then uninstall or replace the app. If you are installing a mod, use a different account for it — never the account that holds your real city. If the mod account is ever banned, your real city stays safe.
How do I backup my SimCity BuildIt city?
Link the game to a Facebook, Google or EA account in Settings, then confirm the city loads after closing and reopening the game.
Does uninstalling SimCity BuildIt delete my city?
It deletes local progress. A linked account restores the city from the cloud save.
Can I transfer my city to another phone?
Yes, by signing in with the same linked account on the official game on the new phone.
Should I use my main account on a MOD APK?
No. Use a separate account for any mod, so a ban on the mod account cannot touch your real city.
For the install itself, see How to Install SimCity BuildIt MOD APK on Android — and you can return to the homepage for the full guide list.
