How To Share Steam Games With Family

You are likely looking for the old 'authorize this computer' option, but Steam has replaced that system with Steam Families. Setting this up correctly allows everyone in your house to use their own account while accessing a shared pool of games.

Why this happens

Steam retired its legacy family sharing system in 2025 to streamline library management. You must now use the Steam Families portal, which ties sharing to household members rather than individual devices.

Important limitations

Every member must be located in the same country and have a matching Steam Store region. Once you join a family, your account is locked to that group for one year.

Steps

1. 01
   Open the Steam desktop application, click the 'Steam' menu in the top left corner, and select 'Settings'.
2. 02
   Navigate to the 'Family' tab in the left-hand sidebar to see your management options.
3. 03
   Click the button labeled 'Create or Join a Steam Family' to start the setup process.
4. 04
   Assign a name to your new family unit and click 'Create' to finalize the group.
5. 05
   Click 'Invite' within the family dashboard and enter the Steam account name or friend code of the person you want to add.
6. 06
   Have the invited person open their own Steam client, view the pending invitation, and select 'Accept' to join your library.

Still not working?

If you cannot see the invite, ensure both accounts are in the same country, as Steam will block the invitation if the regions do not match. If a specific game is missing from the shared library, check the game's individual store page to see if the developer has opted out of the Steam Family Sharing program.

Frequently asked questions

Will my game saves and achievements remain separate?

Yes, every member plays using their own account. Your personal save files and achievements are never overwritten by other family members.

Can we play the same game at the same time?

You can only play the same game simultaneously if your family owns multiple copies of that title. If you only own one copy, only one person can play that specific game at a time.

How many people can join one family?

A Steam Family supports a total of 6 members, consisting of yourself and 5 additional accounts.

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