What Steam Family Library Sharing Does

Steam Family Library Sharing lets you share your purchased games with other people on your computer and with people in other households through Steam's account system. When you set it up, anyone with a login on your PC can play your games, and you can authorize one other household to access your library remotely. The person in the other household logs into their own Steam account on their own computer and can launch your games as if they owned them — but only one person can play at a time.

This is different from simply letting someone borrow your login. You keep your own account, they keep theirs, and Steam tracks who is playing what. You can turn off sharing at any time, and games stop working for the other person immediately.

Key Takeaways

  • Steam Family Library Sharing has two separate features: local sharing (anyone logged into your computer) and remote sharing (one other household).
  • Only one person can play a shared game at the same time, whether they are on the same computer or in different households.
  • The person sharing the library keeps full control and can revoke access or stop sharing whenever they want.
  • You set up sharing through Steam settings on your computer, and the other person needs their own Steam account to use it.

Local Sharing: Other People on Your Computer

If you have multiple user accounts on the same Windows or Mac computer, anyone with a login can play your games without needing their own Steam account. They simply select their user account when they start the computer, open Steam, and your library appears in their game list.

To set this up, go to Steam settings on your computer, select "Family" in the left menu, and turn on "Steam Guard" if you have not already. Then check the box next to "Authorize computers in this household". This tells Steam that multiple people will be using games from your library on this machine. You do not need to do anything else — once it is on, anyone who logs into Windows or Mac on that computer can launch your games.

The catch is that only one person can play at a time. If you are playing a game and someone else tries to launch a different game from your library, Steam will ask you to either stop playing or let them take over. If you let them take over, your game closes.

Remote Sharing: One Other Household

Remote sharing works differently. You can authorize one other household — meaning one other person in a different location — to access your library on their own computer. That person logs into their own Steam account on their own machine, and your games show up in their library.

To set this up, go to Steam settings, select "Family", and scroll to "Authorize Library Sharing on Other Devices". Enter the Steam username or email of the person you want to share with, and they will see a notification in Steam asking them to accept. Once they accept, they can download and play your games on their computer using their own account.

Like local sharing, only one person can play a shared game at a time across both households. If the person in the other household is playing one of your games, you cannot play any of your games until they stop. Steam will notify you if someone tries to play while you are already playing.

Who Can Play and Who Cannot

The person whose account owns the games (you) can always play them on any computer where you are logged in. The people you share with can only play when you are not playing the same game, and only on the computers or accounts you have authorized.

If you set up local sharing, anyone with a user account on your computer can play. If you set up remote sharing, only the one person you authorized in the other household can play on their computer. You cannot share with multiple households at once — it is one household per library.

The person you share with does not need to own the games or pay for them. They do not need a subscription or a special account type. They just need a regular Steam account and access to the computer or household you authorized.

What Happens to Achievements, Saves, and Progress

Game saves and achievements are tied to the account that earned them. If you play a game and earn an achievement, it shows on your account. If someone else plays the same game on your computer or in the other household, their progress and achievements are separate — they show on their account, not yours.

This means if your friend plays one of your games on their computer in another household, their save files stay on their computer. If they come to your house and play on your computer, they can access their own saves if they log into their own account on your machine. But they cannot access your save files, and you cannot access theirs.

Stopping Sharing and Revoking Access

You can turn off sharing at any time through Steam settings. If you turn off local sharing, other people on your computer can no longer play your games. If you turn off remote sharing, the person in the other household loses access immediately — their games stop working, and they cannot launch anything from your library.

You can also revoke access for a specific person without turning off sharing entirely. In the Family settings, you can see who you have authorized and remove them individually. Once removed, they cannot play your games anymore, but you can authorize someone else later if you want.

If you change your Steam password or enable Steam Guard with a new authentication method, you may need to re-authorize your devices. Steam will prompt you to do this, and sharing will pause until you complete the process.

Limitations and Things That Do Not Work

Some games cannot be shared, even though they are in your library. Valve and other publishers can mark games as non-shareable, usually because of licensing restrictions or how the game's multiplayer works. When you try to authorize sharing, Steam shows you which games are off-limits. You still own them and can play them yourself, but the people you share with cannot.

Multiplayer games can be shared, but both of you cannot play online at the same time. If you are playing a multiplayer game and the person you share with tries to launch the same game, one of you has to stop. This is different from single-player games, where you can at least play different games at the same time.

You cannot share your library with more than one household remotely. If you want to share with a different person, you have to remove the current authorization first. You can share locally with as many people as have user accounts on your computer, but only one of them can play at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share my library with a friend in another country?

Yes. Steam does not restrict sharing by location, so you can authorize someone in another country to access your library. However, some games have regional restrictions or licensing rules that may prevent them from being played in certain countries, even through sharing. Steam will tell you which games cannot be shared when you set it up.

What happens if I share with someone and then they buy the game themselves?

They can own and play the game on their own account without any issues. Sharing does not prevent them from purchasing games. If they buy a game you also own, they can play their copy anytime, and you can still play yours — you just cannot play at the same time.

Can the person I share with share my games with someone else?

No. Sharing is one level only. If you authorize someone to access your library, they cannot turn around and authorize a third person. Only you can set up sharing, and only with the people you choose.

Do I need to stay logged into Steam for sharing to work?

For local sharing on your computer, you do not need to stay logged in — other people on your computer can play your games even if you are not using Steam. For remote sharing, the person in the other household can play whether you are logged in or not, but only one person can play at a time across both locations.

What if someone I shared with is playing a game and I want to play?

Steam will notify you that the game is in use and ask if you want to take over. If you choose to take over, their game closes and they are logged out. If you do not take over, you cannot play until they stop. You can see who is playing what in your Steam settings under Family.