Steam Family Sharing lets household members play games from your library on their own accounts, without needing to share passwords
Steam Family Sharing is a built-in feature that lets you authorize a computer in your home so that other people using that machine can play the games you own. When you turn it on, anyone with an account on that computer can launch your games — they play under their own Steam profile, earn their own achievements, and keep their own save files. You stay logged into your own account; they use theirs. No password sharing required.
The catch is that only one person can play at a time across all shared libraries on that computer. If you're playing a game you own, nobody else on that machine can play anything from any shared library until you stop. If someone else is playing a shared game, you can't play either. This is Steam's way of preventing one game license from being used by multiple people simultaneously.
Family Sharing works across Windows, macOS, and Linux. The person whose library is being shared doesn't need to be home or logged in — once you authorize the computer, the sharing stays active until you turn it off.
Key Takeaways
- You authorize a specific computer, not specific people, so anyone with an account on that machine can play your games.
- Only one person can play games from shared libraries on that computer at any given time, whether they're playing your games or someone else's.
- The account owner doesn't need to be logged in or present for sharing to work, but they can't play their own games while someone else is using the shared library.
- Each person keeps their own save files, achievements, and playtime statistics when playing shared games.
- You can turn off sharing at any time, and you can authorize up to 10 computers total (though only one can have sharing active at a time).
How to turn on Family Sharing in Steam settings
Open Steam on the computer where you want sharing to happen. Click your account name in the top right corner and select Settings. In the left sidebar, click Family. You'll see a section labeled Steam Family Sharing with a toggle switch. Click it to turn sharing on.
Steam will ask you to confirm that you understand the sharing rules — specifically, that only one person can play at a time. Read through the notice and click the checkbox to agree. After that, Family Sharing is active on that computer. Anyone with an account on that machine can now see and play your games.
If you've never used Family Sharing before, Steam may ask you to verify your account by email. Check your inbox for a message from Steam Support, click the link, and return to complete the setup.
Who can see and play your games
Once you turn on Family Sharing, every account that has ever logged into that computer can see your entire game library in their own Steam client. They don't need permission from you each time — they just launch the game and play. This includes guest accounts and accounts you may have created for testing.
This is why Family Sharing is designed for household members you trust. Anyone with access to that computer's user accounts can access your games. If you share a computer with roommates or family members you don't want playing your library, don't turn on Family Sharing on that machine.
The person playing your games will see them in their own library marked as "Family Library" or "Shared by [Your Name]". Their achievements, playtime, and saves are completely separate from yours, even though they're playing the same game.
The one-person-at-a-time rule and how it works
Steam enforces a strict rule: only one person can play games from any shared library on a computer at the same time. This applies across all shared libraries on that machine, not just yours. If you have three friends who've each authorized the computer for sharing, and one of them is playing a game, nobody else can play anything from any of those three libraries until they stop.
If someone tries to launch a game while another person is already playing, Steam will show a message saying the shared library is in use and ask them to wait. They can't force the other person off or queue up to play next — they simply have to wait until the other person closes the game.
This limitation exists because Steam licenses are tied to individual accounts, not to computers. Allowing multiple simultaneous players would mean one game license could serve multiple people at once, which violates the terms of most game publishers.
Authorizing multiple computers and switching which one has sharing active
You can authorize up to 10 computers total for your Steam account. To authorize a new computer, log into Steam on that machine with your account, go to Settings > Family, and turn on Family Sharing. That computer is now authorized.
However, you can only have Family Sharing active on one computer at a time. If you turn it on at home and then try to turn it on at a friend's house, Steam will automatically turn it off at home. This prevents your library from being shared across multiple locations simultaneously.
If you want to move sharing to a different computer, go to Settings > Family on the computer where sharing is currently active and toggle it off. Then go to the new computer and toggle it on. The switch takes effect immediately.
What happens to your own games when someone else is playing
When another person is playing a game from your library, you cannot play any of your own games on that computer — even games they're not playing. If they're playing a shared game, your entire library is locked for you until they finish. This applies whether you're trying to play a game you own or a game someone else is sharing with you.
You can still play your games on a different computer. If you have a laptop, you can keep playing while someone else uses the shared library on your desktop. But on the same machine, only one person at a time has access to any shared library.
This is one reason some households set up Family Sharing on a secondary computer rather than the main one — it prevents conflicts when multiple people want to play at the same time.
Turning off Family Sharing and removing access
To stop sharing your games, go to Settings > Family and toggle off Steam Family Sharing. The change takes effect immediately. Anyone currently playing a game will be disconnected, and nobody on that computer will be able to see or play your games anymore.
If you want to remove a specific computer from your authorized list entirely, go to Settings > Devices and click Deauthorize all other devices or select individual computers to remove. Deauthorizing a computer also turns off sharing on that machine.
You can also remotely deauthorize a computer from any other device. Log into your Steam account on a different computer or through the Steam mobile app, go to your account settings, and deauthorize the machine you want to remove. This is useful if you've sold a computer or want to cut off access immediately without being physically present.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play my games while someone else is using my shared library?
No. Only one person can play games from shared libraries on that computer at any time. If someone else is playing, you'll have to wait until they finish, even if you want to play a different game. You can play on a different computer simultaneously, but not on the same machine.
Do I need to stay logged in for Family Sharing to work?
No. Once you turn on Family Sharing in your settings, it stays active even if you log out or shut down Steam. The other people on that computer can play your games without you being logged in or present. Sharing only stops if you manually turn it off or deauthorize the computer.
What if I want to share games with someone who doesn't live with me?
Family Sharing is designed for people who share the same computer. If someone doesn't have access to your authorized computer, they can't use Family Sharing. Steam's terms of service require that the people using shared libraries live in the same household. For friends in other locations, the traditional option is to gift them games directly through Steam.
Can I see what games other people are playing from my library?
Yes. In Settings > Family, you can see which accounts are currently using your shared library and what game they're playing. This view updates in real time, so you can check whether someone is still playing before you try to launch a game yourself.
What if someone else in my household also has Steam games — can we both share?
Yes. If multiple people in your household have Steam accounts and games, you can each authorize the same computer for sharing. Everyone's libraries will be available to everyone else on that machine. The one-person-at-a-time rule still applies across all shared libraries combined, so only one person can play at once regardless of whose games they're playing.