Steam Family Sharing lets household members play games from your library without buying their own copies

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. When you turn it on, anyone with a user account on that computer can launch and play your games — they do not need to own them or log in as you. The person playing does not need to own a Steam account at all, though they will need one if they want to earn achievements or use online features.

The catch is that only one person can play at a time across all shared libraries on that computer. If you are playing a game from your library, nobody else can play anything from any shared library until you stop. If someone else is playing, you cannot launch a game from your library or anyone else's. This matters most in households with multiple gamers who want to play simultaneously.

Steam Family Sharing works only on computers, not on the Steam Deck or mobile devices, though you can still play your own games on those platforms by logging in as yourself.

Key Takeaways

  • You authorize one computer per account, and anyone with a user account on that computer can play your entire game library from their own profile.
  • Only one person can play games from shared libraries at a time on that computer, even if they are playing different games.
  • The person playing does not need to own a Steam account unless they want achievements, cloud saves, or online multiplayer.
  • You can still play your games on other computers by logging in as yourself, and you can turn off sharing at any time.
  • Games with third-party DRM or subscription requirements may not work under Family Sharing, so check the store page before assuming a game is shareable.

How to set up Family Sharing on your computer

Open Steam on the computer where you want to set up sharing. Go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), then select Family from the left menu. You will see a section called Steam Family Library Sharing. Click the toggle to turn it on.

Steam will ask you to authorize this computer. You will see a list of user accounts on this computer. Select the account (or accounts) that you want to give access to your games. You can authorize multiple accounts on the same machine. Once you confirm, anyone logged into those accounts on that computer can see and play your games.

That is the entire setup. You do not need to do anything on the other person's account — they just log in to their own user account on that computer, open Steam, and your games will appear in their library under "Games" with a small icon showing they are shared.

What happens when two people want to play at the same time

If you are playing a game from your library and someone else tries to launch a game from a shared library on the same computer, Steam will show them a message saying the library is in use. They can request to take over, which sends you a notification. You can let them play by stopping your game, or you can deny the request and keep playing.

This one-at-a-time rule applies even if you are playing different games. If you are playing a single-player game and they want to play a different single-player game, only one of you can do it. If you both want to play online multiplayer games at the same time, you will need separate computers or separate Steam accounts with separate game purchases.

Games that do not work with Family Sharing

Most games work fine with Family Sharing, but some do not. Games that use third-party anti-cheat software or digital rights management (DRM) systems often block sharing. Some games require a subscription or license tied to your account specifically. A few games simply do not support it by the developer's choice.

Before you buy a game expecting to share it, check the store page. Scroll down to the "Legal" section at the bottom and look for text about Family Sharing. If it says the game is not supported, it will not appear in the shared library. You can also test it after purchase — if a game does not show up in the shared library, that is why.

Playing your games on other computers

Family Sharing does not stop you from playing your own games on other computers. You can log into your Steam account on a different machine and play anything from your library normally. The only restriction is that you cannot play on two computers at the same time — if you are logged in and playing on Computer A, you cannot launch a game on Computer B until you stop.

If someone else is using the authorized computer and playing a shared game, you can still log in on a different computer and play your own games. The one-at-a-time rule only applies to that specific authorized computer.

Turning off Family Sharing or removing access

Go back to Settings > Family > Steam Family Library Sharing and toggle it off. This immediately removes access for everyone else on that computer. You can also deauthorize the computer entirely by clicking Deauthorize in the same menu, which logs you out and removes all shared access.

If you want to keep sharing on but remove access for one specific user account on that computer, uncheck their name in the list of authorized accounts. They will no longer see your games, but other authorized accounts will still have access.

Setting up Family Sharing on a different computer

You can authorize only one computer per Steam account at a time. If you want to move sharing to a different computer, turn it off on the old one first, then turn it on on the new one. Steam will let you know if you already have another computer authorized.

If you forget which computer you authorized, go to Settings > Family and you will see the name of the authorized computer listed. You can deauthorize it from there even if you do not have access to that machine anymore, though Steam may ask you to wait a few months before authorizing a new one if you deauthorize too frequently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to stay logged in for someone else to play my games?

No. Once you authorize the computer and turn on Family Sharing, anyone with an account on that machine can play your games whether you are logged in or not. You can log out, shut down Steam, or even be playing on a different computer.

Can someone play my games on their own computer?

No. Family Sharing only works on the one computer you authorize. They would need to be using that specific machine. If you want them to play on their own computer, they would need to buy the games themselves or you would need to authorize their computer instead.

Will achievements and progress save to their account?

Achievements and progress save to their Steam account, not yours. If they earn an achievement in a shared game, it shows on their profile. Cloud saves work the same way — their progress is tied to their account. When you play the same game, you have separate progress and achievements.

What if I buy a new game after setting up sharing?

New games you purchase automatically appear in the shared library. You do not need to do anything. They will see it the next time they open Steam or refresh their library.

Can I share games with someone who does not have a Steam account?

Yes. They can create a user account on the computer and play without a Steam account, but they will not be able to earn achievements, use cloud saves, or play online multiplayer. For those features, they need a free Steam account.