Steam Family Sharing lets people in your household play games from your library on their own accounts

Steam Family Sharing is a feature that lets you share your game library with other people who use computers in your home. When you set it up, anyone with an account on those computers can launch and play the games you own — they play on their own Steam account, not yours, and their progress saves separately. You stay in control: you can remove access at any time, see who is playing what, and limit how many people can use your library at once.

The feature works across Windows, macOS, and Linux. It does not work across the internet — the person playing your games has to be on a computer physically connected to your home network, or logged into a computer you have designated. This is by design: Valve built it for households, not for sharing with friends across the country.

Key Takeaways

  • Steam Family Sharing requires you to authorize a specific computer, then let other accounts on that computer access your library.
  • The person playing your game uses their own Steam account and their own save files, so your progress is never affected.
  • Only one person can play a game from your library at a time — if you are playing, no one else can, and vice versa.
  • You can remove someone's access or deauthorize a computer instantly from your Steam settings, no matter where you are.
  • Games with third-party DRM or anti-cheat systems sometimes block Family Sharing, so not every game in your library will be available to share.

How to authorize a computer for Family Sharing

Start on the computer where you want to share your games. Open Steam and log in with your own account. Click your username in the top right corner, then select Settings.

In the Settings window, click Family on the left sidebar. You will see a toggle that says "Authorize Library Sharing on Other Devices" — turn it on. Steam will ask you to confirm; click the button to proceed. That computer is now authorized.

You only need to do this once per computer. After you authorize it, anyone with an account on that machine can see your games in their own Steam library and launch them.

How to let someone else play your games

Once you have authorized a computer, the other person needs to log into Steam on that same machine. They can use their own Steam account — it does not have to be a new account. When they open their Steam library, they will see a section called "Library" that includes both games they own and games from your shared library.

They click on any shared game and hit Play. The game launches under their account. Their achievements, playtime, and save files are all separate from yours — you will never see their progress, and they will never see yours.

If you are playing a game from your library at the same time, Steam will stop the other person from launching it. You will see a notification that someone tried to play, and they will get a message saying the game is in use. Only one person can play from your library at a time.

What happens when you are not home or logged in

Family Sharing works even when you are offline or not using Steam. If you authorize a computer and then leave the house, anyone on that computer can still play your games. You do not need to stay logged in or keep Steam running.

The only exception: if you log into Steam on a different computer, Steam will kick anyone playing your games off that authorized machine. This is a safety feature to prevent account sharing across multiple locations. If you log in somewhere else, the people at home will get a warning that they have a few minutes to save their progress before they are disconnected.

How to remove someone's access or deauthorize a computer

You can stop sharing your library at any time without touching the other computer. Open Steam on any machine where you are logged in, go to Settings > Family, and click Manage other devices. You will see a list of every computer you have authorized.

Click the X next to any computer to deauthorize it immediately. Anyone playing a game on that machine will be kicked out within a few minutes. Their save files stay on their account, so they do not lose progress — they just cannot launch any more of your games.

You can also revoke access for a specific person without deauthorizing the whole computer. In the same menu, look for Manage Family Library Sharing and toggle off the person you want to remove. They will lose access to your library but can still use their own account on that computer.

Games that do not work with Family Sharing

Some games cannot be shared because they use anti-cheat software or third-party DRM (digital rights management) systems. These are usually competitive multiplayer games or titles with strict licensing terms. When you look at a game in your library, Steam will tell you if it is not shareable — you will see a message that says "This game has restrictions on sharing."

Common examples include games with Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye, or Denuvo protection. The restriction is set by the game publisher, not by you or Steam, so there is no way around it. If someone tries to play a restricted game on a shared computer, they will see an error message instead of the game launching.

Troubleshooting common problems

If someone cannot see your games in their library, make sure you actually turned on Family Sharing in your Settings. Also check that they are logged into an account on the authorized computer — they cannot access your library from a different machine. If they are on the right computer and still do not see your games, restart Steam on both accounts.

If a game launches but immediately closes, it might be a restricted game, or the other person might not have the right permissions on that computer. Try launching a different game to see if the problem is specific to one title. If no games work, deauthorize the computer and authorize it again.

If you logged into Steam somewhere else and now people at home cannot play, that is working as intended — log out of the other location and they will regain access within a few minutes. If you need to use Steam in two places at once, you will need to set up Family Sharing on a second authorized computer instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share my Steam library with friends who do not live with me?

No. Family Sharing only works on computers in your home or that you have physically set up. Steam blocks access if you log in from a different location, which prevents account sharing across distances. If your friends want to play your games, they need to buy their own copies or you need to gift them the game directly.

Will the other person see my personal information or chat history?

No. They log into their own account and see only their own profile, friends, and chat. Your account information stays private. The only thing they can access is your game library.

What if someone buys a game while using my shared library?

Purchases go to their own account, not yours. They own that game separately and can play it on any computer where they are logged in. You are not charged for anything they buy.

Can I share my library with multiple people at the same time?

Yes, multiple people can have access to your library on the same computer or different authorized computers. However, only one person can play a game from your library at any given moment. If two people try to play different games from your library at the same time, the second person will be blocked.

Do I lose access to my own games when I share my library?

No. You can play any of your games whenever you want. If someone else is playing one of your games, you cannot launch that specific game until they stop, but you can play any other game in your library.