Where to find your Steam gifts

Steam stores gifts you receive in your inventory, separate from games you bought yourself. To see them, open Steam on your computer, click your username in the top right corner, and select Inventory from the dropdown menu. Your inventory opens to the items tab by default — gifts appear here as gift cards or unopened game packages.

If you have many items, gifts are easier to spot because they show a small gift box icon next to their name. Unopened game gifts display the game title and the sender's name. You can also filter your inventory by clicking the dropdown that says "All Items" and selecting Gifts to show only what you've received.

The inventory page works the same way on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Mobile apps do not show your inventory, so you will need to use a computer or the Steam website to view gifts.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Steam gifts live in your Inventory, which you reach through your username menu in the top right corner of the Steam client.
  • Unopened game gifts show the game name and who sent them, and you can identify them by the small gift box icon next to their name.
  • You can filter your inventory to show only gifts by using the dropdown menu that normally says "All Items".
  • Once you accept a gift, it becomes a game in your library and no longer appears in your inventory as a separate item.

How to accept a gift into your library

When you find a gift in your inventory, click on it to open a details panel. The panel shows the game name, who sent it, and when it arrived. Below that information is a button that says Accept Gift. Click this button to add the game to your library permanently.

After you accept, the gift disappears from your inventory and the game appears in your library under the category where it belongs — usually under "All Games" or a genre folder if you organize your library. You can then read and play it whenever you want. Accepting a gift is permanent; you cannot undo it or send it back to the sender.

What to do if you cannot see a gift

If someone tells you they sent you a gift but you do not see it in your inventory, the gift may still be pending. Steam sometimes takes a few hours to deliver gifts, especially if the sender and receiver are in different regions or time zones. Check back in a few hours before assuming something went wrong.

Another reason a gift might not appear is if your inventory is set to private. Open your profile by clicking your username, select Profile, then look for the privacy settings. Make sure your inventory is set to Public or Friends Only, not Private. If it was private, change it and wait a few minutes for the gift to show up.

If the gift still does not appear after several hours and your inventory is public, ask the sender to check their purchase history. They can verify whether Steam actually processed the gift or if there was a payment issue on their end.

Gifts that expire or cannot be accepted

Steam gifts do not expire in the sense that they disappear after a certain date. However, if a game leaves Steam entirely — which happens rarely — any unopened gifts for that game become worthless and cannot be accepted. This is uncommon, but it can happen if a publisher removes a game from the platform.

You also cannot accept a gift if you already own the game. Steam will show you a message saying you already have this game in your library and will not let you add it again. In this case, you can ask the sender if they want to send a different game instead, or you can leave the gift in your inventory without accepting it.

Sending gifts to other people

To send a game as a gift, you purchase it through Steam but choose to send it to someone else instead of adding it to your own library. During checkout, select Send as a gift instead of Add to my library. You then enter the recipient's Steam username or email address and an optional message.

The recipient receives a notification that they have a pending gift and can see it in their inventory. They have 30 days to accept it. If they do not accept within 30 days, the gift is refunded to your Steam wallet as store credit, not as real money. You can then use that credit to buy something else or send another gift.

Gifts from the Steam store versus gifts from other sources

Gifts purchased through the Steam store work exactly as described above — they appear in inventory and you accept them into your library. However, some games are given away free through other websites or promotions, and these do not go through your inventory. Instead, you receive a Steam key (a code) that you redeem directly into your library through the set up a Product on Steam option in the client.

To redeem a key, open Steam, go to the menu, and select set up a Product on Steam. Paste the key into the box and follow the prompts. The game is added to your library when ready. Keys from third-party sellers, bundle sites, or giveaways work this way, not through the gift system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see who sent me a gift?

Yes. When you click on an unopened gift in your inventory, the details panel shows the sender's name and the date they sent it. Once you accept the gift, you can still see the sender's name by right-clicking the game in your library and selecting View in Store, then looking at the purchase history or gift information if available.

What happens if I decline a gift?

Steam does not have a "decline" button for gifts. If you do not want a gift, you straightforward leave it in your inventory without accepting it. The sender can see whether you have accepted it or not. After 30 days, if you have not accepted it, Steam refunds the gift to the sender as store credit.

Can I gift a game I already own to someone else?

No. You can only send gifts by purchasing them new through Steam and choosing to send them at checkout. You cannot gift a game that is already in your library. If you want to give someone a game you own, you would need to purchase it again as a gift.

Why does my gift show a different price than what the sender paid?

Steam prices vary by region and change during sales. The price shown in your gift details reflects the current store price in your region, not what the sender actually paid. The sender may have bought it during a sale, in a different region, or at a different time when the price was lower.