How to install free mods, liveries, and add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator hasn't been out for very long, but new planes, liveries (skins), and other free mods are already beginning to appear. While there will be an in-game marketplace for buying mods, there will also be plenty of free ones you can use to spice up your game.
Here's how to install free Microsoft Flight Simulator mods, like the Air Force One livery you see above, and take note—it'll be slightly different depending on how you installed the game.
Find the "Community" folder
You're looking for a folder named "Community," and you'll find it in one of two places. It depends on whether you installed Microsoft Flight Simulator in the default location suggested by the client, or if you specified a different installation location. There's also a slight difference depending on if you bought MSFS on Steam or the Windows Store.
If you used the default location, look for it here:
Windows Store install:
C:\Users\[Your User Name]\AppData\Local\Packages\ Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\
Steam install:
C:\Users\[Your User Name]\AppData\Local\Packages\
Microsoft.FlightDashboard_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\
Note: On Windows 10, the AppData folder is hidden by default. If you don't see it in Windows Explorer, go to View, and look for the checkbox that says Hidden Items, and click it.
If you used a custom destination for your install, head to that location. For example, the location I chose was E:/Msoft/. Inside the install folder you chose, you'll see two folders: Community and Official. Community is the one you're looking for.
If you can't remember where you installed MFS, there's a way to make the game tell you. With the game launched and showing your Welcome screen:
- Select Options
- Select General
- Select Developers (on the left, at the bottom)
- Turn Developer Mode on
- Look for the new menu in the top left (the text is very small)
- Select Tools
- Select Virtual File System
- Select Watched Bases
- At the bottom of the list, it'll show your Community folder location
Install the mod in the Community folder
Okay, you managed to find the folder you needed and it was only a giant pain in the butt. From here on it's thankfully simple. Download the mod you want, and extract it to that community folder.
It's still very early for Flight Sim mods, so we don't have our own suggestions for what to install just yet. But to start trying some of the first mods, you can check out MSFSaddons.org where you'll find some planes, liveries, scenery, and other items—some you'll need to pay for but there are plenty of free ones, too.
Nexus Mods is also collecting free mods for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Make sure you always read the page for each mod completely, in case there are any special instructions you need to follow to install them and get them running.