What Steam Family Share Does
Steam Family Share is a feature that lets you share games you own with other people on your computer or on computers they own. When you set it up, people you choose can launch and play your games on their own accounts, without needing to buy those games themselves. The person whose account owns the games stays the owner — they can remove access at any time, and they control which games are shared.
The catch is that only one person can play a shared game at the same time. If you're playing a game from your library, nobody else can play that same game until you stop. Other games in your library that aren't being played can be used by other people at the same time, but each specific game has a one-player-at-a-time limit.
Key Takeaways
- Steam Family Share works on computers where you've logged in, and also on other people's computers if you set up their account as an authorized device.
- Only one person can play any single game at the same time, even if multiple people have access to your library.
- The account that owns the games stays in control and can remove access or block specific games from being shared at any time.
- You set up Family Share through Steam settings on each computer, and it takes effect when ready once configured.
- If someone is playing a shared game and you want to play it, Steam will ask them to save and quit, or it will force them to quit after a short wait.
Setting Up Family Share on Your Own Computer
If you want people who use your computer to play your games, you authorize their account on your machine. Open Steam, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), then select Family on the left side. You'll see an option to enable Family Library Sharing. Turn it on, then add the accounts of people who live with you or use your computer regularly.
Once you add an account, that person can log into Steam on your computer with their own username and password. When they do, they'll see your games in their library alongside any games they own. They can launch and play any of your games just like they own them. You stay logged out during this time — only one account can be actively using Steam on a single computer at once.
This setup works when ready. You don't need to restart Steam or your computer. If you change your mind about sharing with someone, go back to the same Settings > Family menu and remove their account from the list.
Sharing Games With Someone on a Different Computer
If someone you want to share with uses a different computer, the process is slightly different. You log into Steam on their computer using your own account, then go to Settings > Family and authorize that computer as a device where your games can be played. This is called setting it as an authorized device.
Once you've done that, log out of your account on their computer. They can now log into their own account on that same computer, and they'll see your entire game library available to them. You don't need to stay logged in — the authorization is tied to the computer itself, not to you being online.
You can authorize up to 10 computers this way. If you want to stop sharing with a specific computer, go back to Settings > Family on your own computer and remove that device from your authorized list. The person on that computer will lose access to your games when ready.
What Happens When Two People Want to Play the Same Game
Steam only allows one person to play any single game at the same time. If you own a game and someone else is playing it from your shared library, you can't start that game until they stop. If you try to launch it anyway, Steam will show you a message saying the game is in use and ask if you want to ask the other person to quit.
If you send that request, the other person gets a notification that you want to play. They have a few minutes to save their progress and exit the game. If they don't quit on their own, Steam will force them to quit so you can play. This can feel harsh, but it's Steam's way of making sure the person who owns the games gets priority.
Other games in your library that aren't being played have no restrictions. Two people can play two different games from your library at the same time without any problem.
Games That Don't Work With Family Share
Most games work fine with Family Share, but some don't. Games that use certain types of anti-cheat software, or games that require a separate account login (like some online multiplayer games), may block shared access. When you look at a game in your Steam library, you can check whether it supports Family Share by opening the game's store page and scrolling down to the Family Library Sharing section.
If a game doesn't support sharing, the person you're sharing with won't see it in their library at all. They'll only see the games that do allow sharing. This is a restriction set by the game's publisher, not by Steam, so you can't work around it by changing settings.
Free-to-play games are usually shareable, but the person playing them will need their own account for that game (like their own Dota 2 or Counter-Strike account). Sharing your library doesn't give them access to your in-game progress or cosmetics in those games — only to the ability to launch them.
Removing Someone From Family Share
You can stop sharing with someone at any time. If they're using your computer, go to Settings > Family and remove their account from the list. If they're on a different computer you authorized, go to Settings > Family and remove that computer from your authorized devices list. The change takes effect when ready.
If the person is currently playing one of your games when you remove them, they'll be able to finish that session, but they won't be able to start any new games. The next time they try to launch a game from your library, Steam will tell them they no longer have access.
You can also block specific games from being shared without removing the person entirely. In your Steam library, right-click any game, select Properties, go to the Family tab, and toggle off Allow family members to play this game. That game will disappear from their library, but they'll still have access to everything else you own.
Security and Account Safety
When you authorize a computer as a Family Share device, you're logging into your account on someone else's machine. Make sure you trust the people who use that computer. Anyone with access to that computer could potentially log into your Steam account if they know your password, or they could see your payment information if they dig through your settings.
For this reason, only authorize computers in your home or computers belonging to people you trust completely. Don't authorize a computer at an internet cafe, a friend's house you don't know well, or a public place. If you ever want to remove access to a computer you authorized, log into your Steam account on your own computer, go to Settings > Family, and deauthorize that device.
Steam also has a feature called Steam Guard that protects your account with two-factor authentication. Turning this on adds an extra layer of security, especially if you're sharing access with multiple people. You can set it up in Settings > Account > Manage Steam Guard Account Security.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play a game while someone else is playing a different game from my library?
Yes. The one-at-a-time rule only applies to the same game. If you own 10 games and someone is playing game A, you can play game B, C, or any other game in your library at the same time. Only game A is locked.
What if I buy a new game after I set up Family Share?
New games you buy are automatically included in the shared library. You don't need to do anything. The people you're sharing with will see the new game in their library the next time they restart Steam.
Can I share my games with someone who lives far away?
Yes, if you authorize their computer as a Family Share device. You log into your account on their computer once, set it as authorized, then log out. They can then play your games on that computer using their own account. The distance doesn't matter — it works the same way as sharing with someone nearby.
What happens to shared games if I change my Steam password?
Changing your password doesn't affect Family Share. The authorization stays active on computers you've already set up. If you're worried about security, you can deauthorize a computer and then re-authorize it if needed, but a straightforward password change won't break the sharing.
Can I share games with more than one person?
Yes. You can add multiple accounts to Family Share on your own computer, and you can authorize up to 10 different computers. Each person can access your full library, but remember that only one person can play any single game at the same time, regardless of how many people have access.