How to Share Your Steam Library with Family and Friends

Enabling Steam Family Sharing on Your Account

Enabling Steam Family Sharing allows you to share your Steam game library with up to five other Steam accounts on up to 10 different devices. To enable Steam Family Sharing on your account, follow these steps:

1. Open the Steam client on your computer and log in to your account.
2. Click on the “Steam” menu in the upper left-hand corner of the screen and select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
3. In the “Settings” window, click on the “Family” tab.
4. Check the box next to “Authorize Library Sharing on this computer” and click “OK.”
5. Next, you’ll need to select which devices you want to share your library with. Click on the “Manage Other Computers” button and then click “Authorize Library Sharing” for each device you want to share your library with.
6. Finally, log out of your Steam account and have the person you want to share your library with log in to their Steam account on the device you authorized. They should be able to see your library in their Steam client and can start playing your shared games.

Note that some games may not be available for sharing due to licensing restrictions, and certain features such as online multiplayer may not be available to shared accounts. Additionally, you cannot play games from your own library while someone else is using your shared library.

Understanding Steam Family Sharing

Steam Family Sharing is a feature provided by Valve, the company behind the Steam platform, that allows you to share your Steam game library with family and friends. This feature is particularly useful for households or groups of friends who share a single gaming computer, or for gamers who want to access their games on different devices.

When you enable Steam Family Sharing, you can share your game library with up to five other Steam accounts on up to 10 different devices. However, only one person can use your shared library at a time, which means that you cannot play games from your own library while someone else is using your shared library.

It’s important to note that not all games can be shared through Steam Family Sharing due to licensing restrictions. Additionally, some games may have additional restrictions, such as limiting access to online multiplayer features.

To use Steam Family Sharing, you’ll need to have a Steam account and be running the Steam client on your computer. You’ll also need to authorize each device that you want to share your library with. Once you’ve enabled sharing and authorized devices, the person you want to share your library with will need to log in to their own Steam account on the authorized device to access your shared games.

Authorizing Other Users to Access Your Library

To allow someone else to access your Steam game library through Family Sharing, you’ll need to authorize their Steam account on your computer or device. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Steam client on your computer and log in to your account.
2. Click on the “Steam” menu in the upper left-hand corner of the screen and select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
3. In the “Settings” window, click on the “Family” tab.
4. Click on the “Authorize Library Sharing on this computer” checkbox if you haven’t already done so.
5. Click on the “Manage other computers” button.
6. Check the box next to the Steam account you want to authorize and click “Authorize Library Sharing.”

Once you’ve authorized the account, the person you’re sharing with will receive an email with instructions on how to access your shared library. They’ll need to log in to their own Steam account on your authorized device to access your shared games.

It’s worth noting that when you authorize another user, they’ll have access to your entire game library by default. However, you can customize which games they can access by going to your Steam library, right-clicking on a game, selecting “Properties,” and then clicking on the “Family Sharing” tab. From there, you can choose which users have access to that particular game.

Using a Shared Library on Another Device

To use a shared library on another device, the person you’re sharing with will need to log in to their own Steam account on the authorized device. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Open the Steam client on the device you want to use the shared library on.
2. Log in to your own Steam account.
3. Click on the “Steam” menu in the upper left-hand corner of the screen and select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
4. In the “Settings” window, click on the “Family” tab.
5. Make sure that “Authorize Library Sharing on this computer” is checked.
6. If you haven’t already done so, click on the “Manage other computers” button and authorize the computer you want to use the shared library on.
7. Go to your Steam library and look for the “Family” category on the left-hand side of the screen. Your shared library should appear there.
8. Select the game you want to play and click “Play.”

Note that you can only use a shared library on one device at a time. If someone else is using the shared library, you’ll need to wait until they’re finished before you can access it.

Additionally, some games may have additional restrictions, such as limiting access to online multiplayer features. Be sure to check the game’s properties in your Steam library to see if there are any limitations.

Troubleshooting Common Issues with Steam Family Sharing

While Steam Family Sharing is a useful feature, there are some common issues that users may encounter. Here are some troubleshooting tips to help resolve these issues:

1. Shared library not appearing: If the shared library isn’t appearing on the authorized device, make sure that the authorized account is logged in and that the shared library is enabled on the host account.

2. Unable to access certain games: If you’re unable to access certain games in the shared library, check the game’s properties to see if there are any limitations. Some games may have restrictions on sharing due to licensing agreements.

3. Game not launching: If a game isn’t launching from the shared library, make sure that the authorized account has the necessary system requirements to run the game.

4. Library access revoked: If you’ve been sharing a library with someone and their access is suddenly revoked, it may be due to a change in the host account’s settings or a violation of the Steam Subscriber Agreement.

5. Cannot connect to the Steam network: If you’re having trouble connecting to the Steam network, try restarting your computer and router, and make sure that your firewall and antivirus software are not blocking the Steam client.

If you’re still experiencing issues with Steam Family Sharing after troubleshooting, you may want to contact Steam support for further assistance.