What Steam Family Share does and who can use it
Steam Family Share lets you share your game library with up to five other people on your account. When you set it up, anyone using a shared computer can launch and play the games you own — they don't need to buy them separately. The person playing doesn't need to own the games, and they don't need to be a family member, though Steam calls it "family" sharing.
The trade-off is that only one person can play at a time across all shared libraries. If you're playing a game from your library, nobody else can play anything from any shared library on that computer. This matters if multiple people want to play simultaneously on the same machine.
Steam Family Share works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. You need a Steam account with games in your library, and the people you're sharing with need their own Steam accounts. You don't need to give them your password — you set everything up through Steam's settings.
Key Takeaways
- Steam Family Share requires you to authorize a computer through your account settings, then have the other person log in on that same computer.
- Only one person can play games from shared libraries at the same time, even if they're playing different games.
- The person playing doesn't need to own the games or be a family member, and they keep their own save files and achievements.
- You can remove someone from Family Share at any time by deauthorizing the computer or removing them from your account settings.
- Games with restrictions (like some multiplayer titles) may not work on shared accounts, and you should check the game's page if sharing fails.
Step-by-step setup on the computer you want to share from
Start on the computer where you want people to play your games. Open Steam and log in with your own account. Click your username in the top right corner and select Settings.
In the Settings window, click Family on the left sidebar. You'll see a section called "Authorize Library Sharing on Other Devices." Check the box next to Enable Steam Family Library Sharing. Steam will ask you to confirm — click OK. This tells Steam that this computer is allowed to share your library.
You don't log out yet. Leave your account logged in on this computer. This is the key step many people miss — Steam Family Share only works when your account is logged in on the shared computer, even if you're not actively using it. The other person will log in with their own account on the same machine, and they'll see your games available to play.
How the other person logs in and plays
The person who wants to play your games should sit down at the shared computer. If your account is still logged in, they can click their own username in the top right and select Switch User. They'll log in with their own Steam account.
Once they're logged in, they'll see your games in their library under a section labeled with your account name. They can click any game and launch it. Their own save files, achievements, and playtime will be tracked under their account, not yours. If they play a game you also own, you'll each have separate progress.
If your account gets logged out, the shared games disappear from their library immediately. This is why you need to stay logged in on the shared computer — it's the authorization that makes sharing work. You can be doing something else on another device; your account just needs to be active on that machine.
Managing who has access and removing people
You can see everyone who has access to your shared library by going back to Settings > Family. Under "Authorize Library Sharing on Other Devices," you'll see a list of computers and the accounts that can access your library from each one.
To remove someone, click the X next to their name. They'll lose access to your games immediately. You can also deauthorize an entire computer by clicking the trash icon next to the computer name — this removes everyone's access from that machine and logs your account out of it.
If someone moves away or you want to stop sharing, deauthorizing the computer is the cleanest approach. You can re-authorize it later if needed. There's no limit to how many times you can authorize and deauthorize computers.
Games that don't work with Family Share
Most games work fine with Family Share, but some publishers restrict sharing on their titles. Games with always-online multiplayer components or games that require a specific account to play sometimes block shared access. If someone tries to launch a game and gets an error, the game's store page usually explains the restriction.
Check the game's page on Steam and scroll down to the "Legal" section. If it says something like "This game is not supported for Family Library Sharing," that's the reason. You can't work around this — it's a publisher restriction, not a Steam setting.
Most single-player games, story-driven games, and games with optional multiplayer work without problems. If you're unsure about a specific title, try launching it on the shared account. If it fails, you'll get a clear error message explaining why.
Troubleshooting when shared games don't appear
If the other person logs in and doesn't see your games, the most common reason is that your account is logged out. Check that your account is still logged in on that computer. If it's not, log back in and stay logged in.
The second most common issue is that Family Share isn't turned on. Go back to Settings > Family and confirm that "Enable Steam Family Library Sharing" is checked. If it's unchecked, check it again and confirm.
If both of those are correct and games still don't appear, restart Steam on both accounts. Have your account log out completely, then log back in. Have the other person do the same. Sometimes Steam needs a restart to sync the shared library properly. If that doesn't work, restart the entire computer.
One more thing to check: make sure the other person is using a different Steam account than yours. Family Share doesn't work if you're both using the same account — that's just normal login sharing, not Family Share. Each person needs their own account.
What happens when you're playing and someone else wants to play
If you're playing a game from your library and someone else tries to launch a game from a shared library, Steam will show them a message saying the library is in use. They can't play until you stop playing and close the game.
This applies even if you're playing a different game than the one they want to play. The restriction is on the entire shared library, not individual games. If you're playing anything, nobody else can play anything from any shared library on that computer.
If this is a problem for your household, the only solution is a second computer. You can authorize your account on multiple computers, and then multiple people can play simultaneously — one person per computer. Family Share is designed for households where people take turns, not for simultaneous play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Family Share on my own computer if I have multiple user accounts?
Yes. You can authorize your account on your own computer, then switch to a different Windows or Mac user account on the same machine. Log in with another Steam account, and they'll see your games. This works the same way as sharing with someone else.
What if I want to play on a different computer than the shared one?
You can play on any computer where you're logged in with your own account. Family Share only restricts simultaneous play from the same shared library on the same computer. If you're playing on a different machine, someone else can play your shared games on the authorized computer at the same time.
Do I need to give the other person my password?
No. You set up Family Share through your own account settings. The other person logs in with their own Steam account on the shared computer. You never share your password. If someone asks for your password to use Family Share, they're doing it wrong.
Can I share my games with someone who lives far away?
Not with Family Share. Family Share only works on computers you physically authorize. If you want someone far away to play your games, you'd need to give them your account login, which violates Steam's terms of service. Family Share is designed for people sharing the same computer or household computers.
What if I buy a new computer — do I need to set up Family Share again?
Yes. You'll need to authorize the new computer through your account settings. You can keep the old computer authorized too if you want, or deauthorize it. Each computer needs to be individually authorized through your settings.