What Steam Family Library Sharing Does

Steam Family Library Sharing lets you share your game library with other people on your computer or network, so they can play your games on their own accounts without buying them again. When you set it up, anyone with an account on your PC can launch and play the games you own, and you can also authorize your account on someone else's computer so they can play your library there.

The system works by letting Steam recognize trusted devices and accounts. You authorize your account on another person's computer, and they authorize theirs on yours. Each person plays on their own account, but both libraries become available on the shared devices. This is different from simply giving someone your password — it's a built-in Steam feature designed for households and close friends who share computers.

Key Takeaways

  • Steam Family Library Sharing requires you to authorize your account on another person's computer and have them authorize theirs on yours.
  • Only one person can play a game from a shared library at a time, even if multiple accounts are on the same computer.
  • The person whose account owns the game can play it anytime, but the other person can only play when the owner is not using Steam.
  • You can set up sharing with up to five other accounts on the same computer, and authorize your account on up to ten different computers.

How to Authorize Your Account on Another Computer

Start by signing into Steam on the other person's computer using your own account. Open Steam, click your username in the top right corner, and select Settings. Go to the Family tab on the left side. You will see an option that says Authorize Library Sharing on This Computer — click the checkbox next to it.

Steam will ask you to confirm. Click Authorize when the popup appears. You can now sign out of your account on that computer. The other person can log into their own account, and your entire game library will be available to them on that machine. They do not need your password or to stay logged in as you.

If you do not see the Family tab, your Steam client may be out of date. Close Steam completely, wait a few seconds, and open it again. If the tab still does not appear, restart your computer.

How to Let Someone Else's Account Use Your Computer

Ask the other person to sign into Steam on your computer using their own account and repeat the same steps: Settings > Family > Authorize Library Sharing on This Computer. They should check the box and confirm. Once they sign out, their library will be available when you log into your account on that same computer.

Both of you can now see each other's games in your respective libraries. You will see their games listed alongside yours. When you want to play one of their games, click it and select Play — Steam will launch it under your account.

The One-Game-at-a-Time Rule and What It Means

Only one person can play a game from a shared library at the same time, even if you are on the same computer or different computers. If you own a game and the other person is playing it, you cannot start playing it until they stop. The person whose account actually owns the game always has priority — if the owner tries to play, the other person will be kicked out with a warning message.

This limit applies per game, not per library. If you own Game A and they own Game B, you can both play at the same time — you on Game A and them on Game B. But you cannot both play Game A simultaneously, even on different computers.

The owner of the game can play anytime. The other person can only play when the owner is not currently using Steam on any device. If the owner launches Steam but plays a different game, the other person still cannot play the owner's game.

How Many Computers and Accounts You Can Share With

You can authorize your Steam account on up to ten different computers. Each computer can have up to five other accounts authorized to use your library. This means if you have a household of six people and one computer, you can set up sharing with all five others on that machine. If you have two computers, you can authorize your account on both and let different people use your library on each one.

Keep track of which computers you have authorized. If you authorize a computer and then sell it or give it away, you should remove that authorization. Go to Settings > Family and look for Manage Other Computers — you can deauthorize devices from there. If you have hit your limit of ten computers, you must deauthorize one before you can authorize a new one.

What Happens If Someone Moves Out or You Stop Sharing

If you want to stop sharing with someone, you have two options. You can deauthorize their account on your computer by going to Settings > Family > Manage Other Computers and unchecking their account. Or you can ask them to deauthorize your account on their computer the same way. Either action will remove access to your library on that device.

If someone moves out and takes a computer with them, deauthorize your account on that machine remotely. Go to your Steam account settings on the Steam website, click Devices, and deauthorize the computer from there. This prevents them from continuing to play your games after they leave.

Deauthorizing takes effect immediately. The person will no longer see your games in their library, and any game of yours they are currently playing will stop.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

If the other person's games do not show up in your library after authorization, restart Steam on both computers. Close Steam completely, wait ten seconds, and reopen it. Sometimes the library takes a moment to sync across devices.

If you see a message saying you cannot play a game because the owner is using Steam, but the owner is not actually playing anything, ask them to fully close Steam and reopen it. Steam sometimes thinks an account is active when it is not. If that does not work, restart both computers.

If you cannot find the Family tab in Settings, make sure you are running the latest version of Steam. Open Steam, go to Steam (top left) > Check for Steam Client Updates, and let it install if an update is available. Then restart Steam and check again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share games with someone who does not live with me?

Technically yes, but Steam's terms of service state that Family Library Sharing is intended for household members. If you authorize your account on someone else's computer and they are not in your household, you are using the feature outside its intended purpose. Steam can disable sharing on accounts it detects doing this.

What if I forget which computer I authorized my account on?

Go to the Steam website, sign into your account, and click your username in the top right. Select Account Details, then Devices. You will see a list of every computer your account is authorized on. You can deauthorize any device from that page.

Does the other person need to be online for me to play their games?

No. Once their account is authorized on your computer, their games stay in your library. They do not need to be logged in or online for you to play them. However, if you are playing on a computer where their account is authorized but they are not the owner, they cannot play your games at the same time.

Can I play a game on two different computers at the same time?

Only if you own the game and are playing it on both computers under your own account. If you are playing someone else's game, only one person can play it across all computers. The restriction is per game, not per device.

What happens to shared games if I change my Steam password?

Changing your password does not affect sharing. The authorization stays active on the other person's computer. However, if someone else knows your password and you change it, they will be signed out of Steam and will need to sign back in with the new password.