Steam Family Sharing lets household members play games from your library on their own accounts, without sharing your password
Steam Family Sharing is a feature that lets you authorize a computer in your home so that other people using that machine can play the games you own. You stay logged into your account on that computer, and anyone else who uses it can launch your games under their own Steam account. You don't hand over your password, and you keep control of which computer has access.
The catch: only one person can play at a time. If you're playing a game from your library, nobody else on that authorized computer can launch one of your games simultaneously. Other people can still play their own games or free-to-play titles while you're using yours.
This is different from simply sharing your login credentials. With Family Sharing, each person maintains their own account, their own save files, and their own playtime tracking. Steam also limits the feature to computers in your household to prevent account abuse.
Key Takeaways
- You authorize one computer per account, and anyone using that computer can play your games under their own Steam account.
- Only one person can play your games at a time on the authorized computer, even if multiple people are logged in.
- The account owner must enable Family Sharing in Settings, then select which computer to authorize.
- Each person keeps their own save files, achievements, and playtime records tied to their own account.
- You can remove authorization at any time, and Steam will sign you out of that computer remotely.
How to set up Family Sharing on your account
Start by opening Steam on the computer you want to authorize. Log in with your own account — the one that owns the games. Click your username in the top right corner and select Settings.
In the Settings window, click Family on the left sidebar. You'll see a section labeled "Family Library Sharing." Check the box next to Enable Family Library Sharing on this device. Steam will ask you to confirm your password.
Once enabled, Steam displays the name of the account that owns the games (yours) and lists any other user accounts on that computer. Anyone with a Steam account on that machine can now launch your games, as long as you're not actively playing one yourself.
You can authorize only one computer per Steam account at a time. If you want to move authorization to a different computer later, go back to Settings > Family on the original computer and uncheck the box. Then repeat the process on the new machine.
What the other person needs to do
The other person doesn't need to do anything special during setup. They just need to have their own Steam account created and be logged into it on the authorized computer.
When they want to play one of your games, they open Steam, look at their library, and the games you own will appear there with a small note indicating they're from a shared library. They click the game and select Play. If you're not currently playing anything, the game launches under their account.
Their progress, achievements, and playtime all save to their own account, not yours. So if they unlock an achievement or reach level 10 in a game, that shows up in their profile, not in yours.
When Family Sharing blocks a game
Some games don't work with Family Sharing. Publishers can opt out, and a small number do — usually games with strong anti-cheat systems or specific licensing restrictions. If a game is blocked, it won't appear in the shared library at all, even though you own it.
You can see which games are blocked by checking your library settings. In your Steam library, look for the gear icon and select Settings. Under "Family Library Sharing," Steam shows a list of games that can't be shared. This list varies by region and by the games you own.
If a game is blocked, the other person can't play it on the authorized computer using your account. They would need to own it themselves or you would need to log into your account on their computer (which defeats the purpose of Family Sharing).
What happens when two people want to play at the same time
If you're playing a game from your library and someone else on the authorized computer tries to launch one of your games, Steam will show them a message: the library is in use. They can either wait for you to finish, or they can play a game they own themselves or a free-to-play title.
This limitation exists to prevent people from sharing one account across multiple computers to play simultaneously — which would violate Steam's terms of service. The one-at-a-time rule keeps the feature legal and prevents account abuse.
If this is a problem in your household, the other person can buy their own copy of the game, or you can look into whether the game is discounted during a Steam sale. Some games also have free-to-play versions or free weekends where you can test them before buying.
Removing authorization and troubleshooting
To stop sharing on a computer, log into your account on that machine, go to Settings > Family, and uncheck Enable Family Library Sharing on this device. Steam will sign you out of that computer remotely, and the shared library will no longer be available there.
You can also manage authorization from any computer by logging into your account, going to Settings > Family, and clicking Manage other computers. This shows all computers you've authorized and lets you deauthorize them without physically accessing the machine.
If someone else is having trouble seeing your games, make sure Family Sharing is actually enabled on that computer (not just turned on in your settings, but confirmed on the machine itself). Also check that they're logged into their own Steam account, not yours. If they're logged into your account, they'll see all your games, but that's not Family Sharing — that's just account sharing, which violates Steam's terms.
Privacy and account security with Family Sharing
Family Sharing is designed so you don't have to give out your password. The other person logs into their own account, and Steam handles the permission behind the scenes. This means you keep control of your account and your payment information stays private.
However, anyone using the authorized computer can see your username and that you own the games. They can also see your profile if they look for it. If privacy is a concern, talk with the people in your household about what they can and can't do with your account information.
You should also know that Steam can detect if you're using Family Sharing to circumvent regional pricing or to share games with people outside your household. If Steam suspects abuse, it may disable Family Sharing on your account or take other action. The feature is meant for people who live together and share a computer, not for distributing games to friends in other cities or countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share games with someone who doesn't live with me?
Technically, you can authorize any computer, but Steam's terms say Family Sharing is for household members only. If Steam detects that you're sharing with people in different locations or using it to bypass regional pricing, it may disable the feature on your account. It's designed for people who physically share a computer.
What if I want to play on a different computer than the authorized one?
You can log into your account on any computer and play your games directly. Family Sharing only works on the one authorized computer. On other machines, you log in with your own credentials and play normally.
Do I lose my games if I remove Family Sharing?
No. Removing authorization just stops other people from accessing your library on that computer. Your games stay in your account forever, and you can re-enable Family Sharing on a different computer anytime.
Can multiple people use Family Sharing on different computers?
No. You can authorize only one computer per account at a time. If you want to move authorization to a new computer, you have to disable it on the old one first.
Will the other person's saves be deleted if I remove authorization?
Their save files stay in their Steam account. If they own the game themselves later, they can pick up where they left off. If they don't own it, they lose access to play, but the save data remains tied to their account in case they buy it in the future.