What Family Sharing does and who can use it
Steam Family Sharing lets you share your game library with up to five other people on your account, and them with you. When you turn it on, anyone in your family group can download and play your games on their own computer or account — they don't need to buy those games separately. The person whose account owns the game stays the owner; the others are borrowers.
You need a Steam account to set up Family Sharing, and so does everyone you want to share with. Each person needs their own computer or their own user account on a shared computer. Steam doesn't charge extra for Family Sharing — it's built into the free version of Steam.
One important limit: only one person can play a shared game at the same time. If you're playing a game from your library, nobody else in your family group can play that same game until you stop. Other games in the library stay available to everyone else.
Key Takeaways
- Family Sharing requires you to authorize a computer as a shared device, then add family members through Steam settings — you don't need to share your password.
- The person whose account owns a game can play it anytime, but only one person total can play that game at once across the whole family group.
- You can remove someone from Family Sharing at any time, and their access to your games stops immediately.
- Each person in the family group needs their own Steam account and their own computer or user account on a shared computer.
How to authorize a computer for Family Sharing
Start on the computer where you want to share games. Open Steam and log in with your account. Click your username in the top right corner, then select Settings.
In the Settings window, click Family on the left sidebar. You'll see a section called "Authorize Library Sharing on this Device." Click the checkbox next to "Authorize Library Sharing on this Device" to turn it on. Steam will ask you to confirm — click Authorize again.
That's the only step on your account. You've now told Steam that this computer is allowed to share your library. You don't need to give anyone your password or log into your account on their computer.
How to add family members to your group
Go back to Settings and click Family again. This time, look for the section that says "Family Group Members" or "Manage Family Group." You'll see a button to add a new member — it might say Invite Family Member or Add Member depending on your version of Steam.
Click that button. Steam will show you a list of Steam accounts you've recently played with or communicated with, or you can type in the exact Steam username or account name of the person you want to add. Select their account and click Send Invite.
That person will see an invitation in their Steam notifications. They need to accept it from their own account. Once they do, they're part of your family group and can see your authorized computer in their own Steam library.
How to download and play shared games
After someone accepts your family invitation, they log into their own Steam account on the authorized computer (or on their own computer if you've authorized multiple devices). They open their Steam library and look for your games — shared games show a small icon or label indicating they're from a family member's library.
They click the game and select Install just like they would with a game they own. The game downloads to that computer. Once it's installed, they can launch it and play.
The only rule is that only one person can play that game at the same time. If you start playing a game you own, anyone else in the family group who tries to play that same game will get a message saying the game is in use. They can either wait for you to finish or play a different game.
What happens when you remove someone from Family Sharing
You can remove a family member at any time from the Family settings page. Click their name and select Remove from Family or a similar option. Once you do, they lose access to all your games immediately — any game they're currently playing will close.
Removing someone doesn't delete the games from their computer, but they can't launch them anymore. If they want to keep playing those games, they'll need to buy them on their own account.
Troubleshooting common Family Sharing problems
If someone can't see your games in their library, check that you authorized the right computer. Go back to your Family settings and confirm that "Authorize Library Sharing on this Device" is turned on. If you authorized a different computer, they need to log into Steam on that specific computer to see your games.
If a game won't launch and says it's in use, someone else in your family group is playing it. Only one person can play a shared game at a time. They need to close the game first, or you can wait for them to finish.
If someone accepted your family invitation but still can't see your games, try logging out of Steam completely on the authorized computer, then logging back in. Sometimes Steam needs to refresh the connection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to share my Steam password to set up Family Sharing?
No. You authorize a computer in your settings, and family members log in with their own accounts on that computer. You never need to share your password. If someone asks for your password to use Family Sharing, that's not how it works.
Can I share games with someone who lives far away?
Yes. They don't need to be on the same network or in the same house. They just need their own Steam account and a computer where they can log in. You authorize the computer, they add their account to it, and they can download your games.
What if someone in my family group buys a game — can I play it?
Yes, if they add you to their family group too. Family Sharing works both ways. If you're in each other's family groups, you can both play each other's games, with the same rule: only one person plays a shared game at a time.
Can I use Family Sharing on more than one computer?
Yes. You can authorize multiple computers for Family Sharing. Each authorized computer can share your library with anyone in your family group who logs in on that computer.
What games can't be shared through Family Sharing?
Most games can be shared, but some publishers restrict it. If a game can't be shared, it won't appear in your family member's library even though you own it. This is rare, but it happens with some games that have special licensing agreements.