Adding someone to Steam Family requires you to send them an invite through Steam's Family Library feature, and they must accept it before they can access your games
Steam Family Library (formerly called Family Sharing) lets you share your game library with people you live with. To add someone, you send them an invite through Steam, they accept it on their account, and then they can download and play most of your games on their own device. The person you invite needs their own Steam account — you cannot share with someone who doesn't have one.
The process takes about five minutes and works the same way whether you're on Windows, Mac, or Linux. The person you add doesn't need to be in the same room, but Steam's rules assume you live together, so you should only invite people in your household.
Key Takeaways
- You send the invite from your Steam account through Settings, and the other person accepts it on their own Steam account.
- The person you invite must have their own Steam account before you can add them.
- Once they accept, they can download and play your games on their device, but you cannot both play the same game at the same time.
- You can remove someone from your Family Library at any time, and they will lose access to your games immediately.
- Some games are restricted from sharing due to licensing agreements, so not every game in your library will be available to them.
How to send a Family Library invite
Open Steam on your computer and log into your account. Click your username in the top right corner, then select Settings. On the left side, click Family. You will see a section that says "Invite a new member" or "Manage family members" depending on whether you have already set up Family Library.
Click the button to invite someone. Steam will ask for their email address or Steam account name. Enter the information for the person you want to add. Steam will send them an invite notification. They can accept it by logging into their own Steam account, going to Settings > Family, and clicking Accept. Once they accept, they are part of your Family Library.
If the person you are inviting does not have a Steam account yet, they will need to create one before they can accept your invite. They can do this at steampowered.com by clicking "Join Steam" and following the setup steps. It takes about five minutes and requires only an email address and a password.
What games they can and cannot play
Most games in your library will be available to the people you add, but not all of them. Some publishers restrict their games from being shared because of licensing or subscription agreements. If a game cannot be shared, it will show a lock icon next to it in your library, and the person you invited will not be able to download it.
Games you own permanently are usually shareable. Games you own through a subscription service (like games from Xbox Game Pass for PC) are not shareable. Games with anti-cheat systems sometimes have restrictions, though many now allow sharing. If you are unsure whether a specific game can be shared, check the game's store page on Steam — it will say "Cannot be shared" under the purchase options if there is a restriction.
The rule about playing at the same time
You and the person you added cannot play the same game simultaneously, even if you own it. If they start playing a game from your library, you cannot launch that same game until they stop. If you try to start it anyway, Steam will give you a warning and ask whether you want to stop their session.
This rule applies only to the same game. You can play different games at the same time — for example, you could play Game A while they play Game B. The restriction exists because most game licenses allow only one person to use them at once.
Removing someone from your Family Library
Go to Settings > Family on your Steam account. You will see a list of people in your Family Library. Click the name of the person you want to remove, then click Remove from family. They will lose access to your games immediately, and any games they were downloading will stop.
Removing someone does not delete their Steam account or affect their own game library — it only cuts off their access to your shared games. You can add them back later if you change your mind.
Troubleshooting common problems
If someone does not receive your invite, check that you entered their email address or account name correctly. Ask them to check their email spam folder, as Steam invites sometimes end up there. If they still do not see it after 24 hours, you can send another invite — there is no limit to how many you can send.
If they accept the invite but cannot see your games, have them restart Steam completely. Close Steam entirely (not just minimize it), wait 10 seconds, and open it again. If games still do not appear, check that they are logged into the correct Steam account — people sometimes have multiple accounts and log into the wrong one.
If you see an error message when trying to send an invite, make sure you have set up Family Library at least once. Go to Settings > Family and look for any setup prompts. If you still cannot send invites after that, restart Steam and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add someone who doesn't live with me?
Steam's terms say Family Library is for people in your household. Technically, Steam does not verify where people live, but the feature is designed for sharing within a home. Using it to share with people in different locations goes against Steam's rules.
What happens if I add too many people?
You can add up to five people to your Family Library, and up to five people can add you to theirs. If you reach five members, you cannot add anyone else until you remove someone.
Do they need to pay for the games they download?
No. Once they accept your invite, they can download and play any shareable game from your library at no cost. They are using your license to play the game.
Can they buy games and add them to the shared library?
No. Games they purchase on their own account stay on their account only. Only games you buy can be shared with them through Family Library.
What if someone removes themselves from my Family Library?
They can leave your Family Library at any time by going to Settings > Family and clicking "Leave family". Once they do, they lose access to your games immediately. You can invite them again later if you want.