Mohamed Hassan 
Stardew Valley update 1.6 has arrived and shaken up the entire modding world, leaving SMAPI users wondering how to install, update, or even uninstall the API.
Update 1.6 brought tons of new content and features such as new festivals, events, farm types, NPC dialog, and more. However, ConcernedApe gave a PSA on social media for people who use mods. He stated that while many mods have already been made compatible with update 1.6, not everything will work after the patch is downloaded.
To enjoy Stardew Valley 1.6, PC players who have mods have a bit of work to do, including updating SMAPI and their preferred mods to keep things running smoothly. Here’s everything players need to know about installing, updating, or uninstalling SMAPI for Stardew Valley.
What is SMAPI?
SMAPI is an API that is utilized for modding Stardew Valley. It’s an integral component for almost all Stardew Valley mods on Linux, Mac, and Windows.
As with any API, SMAPI is used to combine programs. In the case of Stardew Valley, the game effectively launches through SMAPI in order to run mods. On PCs, this can be established through Steam’s launch options but the process is different when running SMAPI on Android.
How to install and use SMAPI for Stardew Valley on Steam
Players can install SMAPI after getting the installer from its official website or through a mod distribution website.
While Nexus Mods is a hub for mods, players can also look to SMAPI.io to download it. The SMAPI installer also offers the opportunity to uninstall the program, though players will need to add it to their PC first.
To install SMAPI on Windows, follow these steps:
- Install Stardew Valley through Steam
- Complete the initial setup
- Download the latest version of SMAPI
- Launch the installer and follow the instructions
- Choose where to install it. For Steam users, the default install path is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley
- Complete installation
- Open Steam, then right-click on Stardew Valley in the Steam Library
- Select Properties
- Find the Launch Options text box on the General page and enter the path to the modding executable in quotes with a space and %command% after. For those who used the default install path, this will look like:
“C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley\StardewModdingAPI.exe” %command%
The quotes must be included. This is important for achievements to work while the game is running
After completing these steps, SMAPI is fully installed and Stardew Valley will boot through it on Steam. This will leave players seeing two separate icons for the game on their taskbar when they play.
Is SMAPI safe to use?
SMAPI is safe to use for those looking to add mods to Stardew Valley. It doesn’t serve a purpose for anyone else, however.
While SMAPI has a no-nonsense interface that might look suspicious, players don’t have to worry about installing it. SMAPI is not malware and has been utilized by millions of Stardew Valley players on both PC and mobile devices.
Mods for any game can create stability issues with games that can result in crashing and issues with their platform, but these are rare when it comes to Stardew Valley. As such, there’s nothing to fear with SMAPI.
How to update SMAPI for Stardew Valley 1.6
To update SMAPI, players need to re-download the program and open the launcher as though they are reinstalling it. This will overwrite the existing version and bring it up to date.
While this is extremely simple, it’s actually overly simple in some ways. Many players will update SMAPI and then not even realize it because the launcher is so quick and there’s no “accept” or button to press to confirm that it’s complete. Regardless, updating truly is that simple.
Those who are having trouble launching after updating to version Stardew Valley 1.6 can resolve it by re-installing SMAPI or updating their SMAPI to the latest version. Players will likely have to also update their individual mods in order use them after downloading the latest version of Stardew Valley.
How to uninstall SMAPI for Stardew Valley 1.6
Uninstalling SMAPI can be done through the installer.
Players can uninstall it by opening the installer and choosing the uninstall option. From there, the game’s launch options on Steam need to be reconfigured to account for SMAPI no longer being installed. Here’s the step-by-step process:
- Open the SMAPI installer
- Select uninstall from the options
- Open Steam Library
- Right-click Stardew Valley
- Select Properties then go to Launch Options
- Find the Launch Options text box in the General page
- Delete the command line for launching with SMAPI
Alternatively, players can simply do steps six and seven. This will not uninstall SMAPI, but it will make it so Stardew Valley boots without any mods, allowing players to enjoy the vanilla version of the game. This can also be done to disable mods for a time, and then reenable them in the future.
To get rid of any specific mods, players can delete them from the mods folder in Stardew Valley’s directory. Disabling or uninstalling SMAPI will not get rid of mods, so those who want to free up hard drive space will need to do so manually.
Can I use SMAPI to mod Stardew Valley on PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch?
SMAPI cannot be used on any video game consoles and is exclusively usable on PCs and Android devices. This means that SMAPI cannot be installed on PlayStation or Xbox consoles, or the Nintendo Switch.
Players cannot mod the PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch versions of Stardew Valley, and it’s extremely unlikely that this changes. While Bethesda has paid modding support built into Skyrim and Fallout 4, few other games have adopted this sort of feature. Though Stardew Valley players would certainly benefit from having access to mods, there’s effectively no chance that this ends up happening.
