Steam Family Share lets you share your game library with people in your household

Steam Family Share is a feature built into Steam (Valve's gaming platform) that lets you share the games you own with other people who use computers in your home. When you set it up, anyone with a Steam account can log into a shared computer and play the games attached to your account — they do not need to own those games themselves.

The process takes about 10 minutes and requires you to designate one computer as the "library computer" where sharing happens. You stay logged in on that machine, and other household members log in on the same computer or different computers to play your games. Steam handles the permissions automatically once you turn the feature on.

Key Takeaways

  • Steam Family Share works by letting you stay logged into one computer while others log in and play your games on that same machine or their own.
  • You need to enable the feature in Steam settings under Family, then add the other person's Steam account and mark their computer as a library computer.
  • Only one person can play a game from your library at a time, even if multiple people are logged in on different computers.
  • The person playing your game does not need to own it, but they do need their own Steam account and an internet connection.
  • You can turn off sharing for specific games or remove someone's access entirely at any time through your Steam settings.

What you need before you start

Each person who will use Family Share needs their own Steam account. If someone in your household does not have one, they can create it for free at steampowered.com — they just need an email address and a password. Steam accounts are separate from the games themselves, so creating an account does not cost anything.

You also need at least one computer where you will stay logged into your Steam account. This is the "library computer" where the actual game files live. Other household members can play those games either by logging into that same computer or by logging into their own computer, as long as you have set up Family Share correctly.

Make sure you have the latest version of the Steam client installed on any computer you plan to use. You can check for updates by opening Steam and looking for a notification, or by going to Steam menu > Settings > Account and scrolling down to see if an update is available.

How to turn on Family Share in your Steam settings

Step 1: Open Steam and go to Settings. Click the "Steam" menu in the top left corner of the Steam window, then select "Settings" from the dropdown.

Step 2: Find the Family section. In the Settings window, look for "Family" in the left sidebar. Click it. You will see a section called "Steam Family Library Sharing" with a toggle switch.

Step 3: Turn on Family Library Sharing. Click the toggle next to "Enable Steam Family Library Sharing" to turn it on. Steam will ask you to confirm — click "Enable" in the popup that appears.

Step 4: Add the other person's account. After you enable the feature, you will see a section that says "Authorize Library Computers and Accounts." Click the button to add a new account. Type in the Steam username or email address of the person you want to share with, then click "Authorize."

Steam will send that person a notification that you have authorized their account. They do not need to do anything to accept it — the authorization is automatic. Once they see the notification, they can start playing your games.

How the other person plays your games

The person you shared with can play your games in two ways. The first way is to log into the same computer where you stay logged in. They click "Switch User" on the Steam login screen, enter their own Steam username and password, and then they can see and play all your games in their library.

The second way is to log into a different computer. They install Steam on their own computer, log in with their own account, and your games will appear in their library automatically. However, they can only play one of your games at a time — if you are playing one of your games on your computer, they cannot play a different one of your games on theirs at the same moment. Steam locks the library to prevent this.

If they try to start a game while you are already playing one, Steam will show them a message saying the library is in use and ask if they want to take over. If they click yes, your game will close and theirs will start. This is why Family Share works best when household members coordinate or play at different times.

Games you can and cannot share

Most games in your Steam library can be shared through Family Share. However, some games have restrictions set by the publisher or developer. These games will not appear in the other person's library, even though they are in yours.

Games with restrictions are usually ones that use third-party anti-cheat software, require a separate account login (like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV), or have licensing agreements that prevent sharing. You will not know which games have restrictions until you try to share them — Steam does not publish a list. If a game does not show up in the other person's library after you have set up Family Share, that game is one with restrictions.

You can also manually prevent sharing for specific games if you want to keep them private. Go to your Steam library, right-click a game, select "Properties," then go to the "Family" tab and uncheck "Allow this game to be shared." That game will no longer appear in the other person's library.

Turning off Family Share or removing someone's access

If you want to stop sharing with someone, go back to Steam Settings > Family > Steam Family Library Sharing. Find their name in the "Authorize Library Computers and Accounts" section and click the X button next to it. Their access will stop immediately, and they will no longer see your games in their library.

If you want to turn off Family Share completely, go to the same settings page and click the toggle to disable "Enable Steam Family Library Sharing." This will remove access for everyone you have shared with. You can turn it back on at any time.

Keep in mind that if someone is currently playing one of your games when you remove their access, their game will close. They will not lose progress if the game has cloud saves enabled, but unsaved progress in the game itself will be lost.

Troubleshooting common problems

The other person cannot see your games. First, make sure you have actually enabled Family Library Sharing in your settings — the toggle should be on. Second, make sure you have authorized their account. Third, have them restart Steam completely (close it and open it again). Sometimes Steam needs a restart to show newly shared games. If they are logging in on a different computer, make sure that computer has the latest version of Steam installed.

You see an error message when you try to enable Family Share. This usually means you are trying to share with someone who is not in your household or who has already shared with too many people. Steam limits each account to sharing with a maximum of five accounts on up to 10 different computers. If you have hit that limit, you will need to remove access for someone else before adding a new person.

One of you can play a game, but the other cannot. This is the one-game-at-a-time rule. Only one person can play a game from your shared library at the same moment. If the other person wants to play, you need to stop playing first. If they try to start a game while you are playing, they can click "Take Over" to close your game and start theirs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share my games with someone who does not live with me?

Steam's terms of service say Family Share is only for people in your household. Steam does not actively police this, but if you share with someone far away and both of you are playing at the same time from different locations, Steam may flag the account and ask you to verify that you are sharing within your household. It is designed for people who share a physical home.

What happens to my games if the other person changes their password?

Changing their password does not affect Family Share. They can log in with their new password and still play your games. The authorization is tied to their account, not their password.

Can I share my games with multiple people at once?

Yes, you can authorize up to five different Steam accounts for Family Share. However, only one person can play a game from your library at any given moment, no matter how many people you have shared with. If two people try to play different games from your library at the same time, the second person will see a message that the library is in use.

Do I have to stay logged in for the other person to play my games?

If they are playing on a different computer than yours, you do not need to stay logged in. Your games will still be available to them. If they are playing on the same computer where you are logged in, you both cannot play at the same time — only one of you can be logged in on that computer at once.

What if I buy a new game after setting up Family Share?

New games you buy will automatically be available to share. You do not need to change any settings. The other person will see the new game in their library the next time they restart Steam.