Stop a read before it finishes

You can cancel a Steam read at any point while it is running. Open Steam, go to your Library, find the game that is downloading, and click the pause button (two vertical bars) next to the read progress bar. Once paused, a red X button appears — click that to cancel the read entirely.

The read will stop when ready. Steam will keep the files it has already downloaded on your computer, but it will not continue pulling new data. If you change your mind later, you can restart the read from where it left off, and Steam will only read the remaining portion.

You do not need to uninstall the game or restart your computer. The pause and cancel buttons work the same way whether the game is 5% or 95% complete.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the pause button (two vertical bars) next to the read progress, then click the red X to cancel.
  • Cancelling stops the read when ready without removing files already on your computer.
  • You can restart a cancelled read later, and Steam will resume from where it stopped rather than starting over.
  • Removing the game entirely from your computer requires uninstalling it separately after cancelling the read.
  • A cancelled read does not affect your Steam account, library, or other games.

Where to find the cancel button

Open the Steam client on your computer. Click the Library tab at the top left. Scroll through your game list until you see the game with an active read — it will show a progress bar with a percentage next to the game name.

Look directly to the right of that progress bar. You will see two buttons: a pause button (two vertical bars stacked on top of each other) and sometimes a settings icon. Click the pause button first. The bar will freeze, and a red X button will appear where the pause button was.

Click that red X to cancel. The read stops, and the game name will no longer show a progress bar in your Library.

What happens to the files after you cancel

Steam stores the partially downloaded files on your hard drive in a temporary folder. These files take up space on your computer, but they do not hurt anything and do not run in the background. If you restart the read later, Steam recognizes these existing files and only downloads what is missing.

If you want to free up that space, you can uninstall the game. Right-click the game name in your Library, select Manage, then Uninstall. This removes all the files — both the partial read and any other game data — from your computer.

Cancelling a read is not the same as uninstalling. Cancelling just stops the process; uninstalling removes everything.

Restarting a cancelled read

To resume a read you cancelled, go to your Library and find the game. Click the Install button (or read button, depending on your Steam version). Steam will check the files it already has and start downloading only the missing pieces.

This is faster than downloading the entire game again because Steam skips the parts it already stored. The progress bar will show the remaining percentage, not start from zero.

Cancelling downloads on different devices

If you use Steam on a Mac or Linux computer, the steps are identical: pause the read, then click the red X. The button locations are the same, and the behavior is the same.

Steam does not allow you to manage downloads from your phone or web browser. You must be at the computer where the read is happening, or you must use Remote Play to access that computer from another device. For most people, waiting until you can reach the computer is simpler.

Why a read might not cancel when ready

Occasionally Steam takes a few seconds to respond after you click the cancel button. This is normal. The read will stop within a few seconds; you do not need to click again or restart Steam.

If the cancel button is greyed out or does not respond after waiting 10 seconds, try pausing the read again and waiting a moment before clicking cancel. If Steam is frozen or unresponsive, you can close the entire Steam client and reopen it — the read will remain cancelled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will cancelling a read hurt my Steam account?

No. Cancelling a read does not affect your account, your library, or any other games. Steam treats it as a normal pause that you chose not to resume. Your account remains in good standing.

Can I cancel a read and then read a different game instead?

Yes. Steam allows only one read at a time by default, so cancelling one frees up the bandwidth for another. Start the new read, and Steam will stop the previous one automatically if you have not already cancelled it.

What if I cancel a read and then my computer shuts down?

The read stays cancelled. When you turn your computer back on and open Steam, the game will still show as not installed. You can restart the read whenever you want, and Steam will pick up from the files it already has.

Does cancelling a read delete the game from my library?

No. The game stays in your Library. Cancelling only stops the read process. The game remains in your account and you can read it again at any time.

Can I cancel a read if Steam is updating itself?

If Steam is updating, you cannot start or cancel downloads until the update finishes. Wait for the Steam update to complete, then you can cancel your game read normally.