Steam Family lets you share your game library with people in your household, but each person still plays on their own account

Steam Family is Valve's system for letting multiple people in the same house use games from one library without buying them separately. When you set it up, you choose which accounts can play your games, and they can launch them from their own Steam profile. You stay in control of who has access and can remove people at any time.

The system replaced an older feature called Family Sharing. Steam Family works the same basic way — one person owns the games, others in the household can play them — but with clearer rules about how many people can play at once and how the system handles purchases.

Key Takeaways

  • Steam Family requires all accounts to be on the same computer at least once, or you need to authorize that computer from your account settings.
  • Only one person can play a game from the shared library at a time, unless multiple people own copies or the game allows simultaneous play.
  • You can add up to five other accounts to your Steam Family group, for a total of six people including yourself.
  • The person who owns the games keeps full control and can remove members or change settings whenever they want.

Setting up Steam Family on your computer

Start by opening Steam on the computer where the games are installed. Go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), then select Family from the left menu. Click Manage other members and then Invite member. Steam will show you a code to share with the person you want to add.

The other person opens Steam on any computer, goes to Settings > Family, and enters that code. Once they accept, they appear in your family group. They can now see your games in their library under the "Family Library Sharing" section and launch any of them from their own account.

If someone in your household doesn't have a Steam account yet, they need to create one first. This takes a few minutes and requires only an email address and a password. They do not need to own any games themselves.

What happens when two people want to play at the same time

If you own a game and someone in your Steam Family tries to launch it while you are already playing it, Steam will ask one of you to stop. The person who started playing first gets to keep playing. The second person sees a message saying the game is in use and has the option to wait or play something else.

This limit applies only to shared games. If both of you own the same game separately, you can both play it at the same time without any problem. Some games, like online multiplayer titles, let multiple people play even on a shared copy — Steam handles this automatically and does not block the second player.

Managing who has access to your games

You can see everyone in your Steam Family by going to Settings > Family > Manage other members. From this screen, you can remove anyone by clicking the X next to their name. Removing someone happens when ready — they lose access to your games right away, though any games they own themselves stay on their account.

You can also set a Family PIN to prevent other members from changing family settings or removing themselves. This is useful if children are in your family group. The PIN is a four-digit code that only you know, and you can change it anytime from the same Family settings page.

Purchases and spending limits for family members

Anyone in your Steam Family can buy games on their own account using their own payment method. When they buy something, it goes to their library only — it does not automatically appear in everyone else's library. You do not pay for their purchases, and they do not pay for yours.

If you want to control spending by younger members, you can set up parental controls separately from Steam Family. Parental controls let you restrict which games a specific account can see or launch based on age rating. This is a different system from Family and requires setting up a PIN on that individual account.

Removing someone from Steam Family

Go to Settings > Family > Manage other members and click the X next to the person's name. They are removed from your family group when ready and can no longer see or play your games. If they were in the middle of playing one of your games when you remove them, that game closes.

Removing someone does not delete their Steam account or affect any games they own themselves. It only cuts off their access to your shared library. You can add them back later if you change your mind — just send them a new invite code.

Troubleshooting common Steam Family problems

If someone cannot see your games in their library, make sure they have accepted the family invite and that Steam is fully updated on both computers. Sometimes Steam needs to be restarted to show shared games. Have them go to Settings > Family and check that they appear in the family group.

If a game launches but when ready closes, the game may not support family sharing. Some games have licensing restrictions that prevent them from being shared, even though they appear in the library. Try launching a different game to see if the problem is specific to that title or a broader issue.

If you see an error message about too many people playing, remember that only one person can play a shared game at a time. Ask the other person to close the game or wait until they are finished. This does not explore if you both own the game separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Steam Family if we live in different places?

Steam Family is designed for people in the same household. While the system does not technically prevent you from adding someone who lives elsewhere, Valve's terms of service state that family members should be in the same household. Using it for people in different locations violates those terms and could result in your account being restricted.

What if someone in my family group buys a game — do I get it too?

No. When another family member buys a game, it goes only to their library. You do not receive it, and they do not receive your purchases. Each person's purchases stay on their own account. Shared access applies only to games that the account owner already had before setting up Steam Family.

How many people can I add to Steam Family?

You can add up to five other people, making a total of six including yourself. If you need to add more than five people, you would need to remove someone first. There is no way to expand the group beyond six members.

Can I set up Steam Family on multiple computers?

Yes. Once someone is added to your Steam Family, they can access your shared games from any computer where they log into their Steam account. You do not need to set up the family group separately on each computer — the membership carries across all devices.

What happens to shared games if I close my Steam account?

If you close your account, all the games in your library become inaccessible to family members. They lose access when ready. This is why Steam Family works best when the account owner plans to keep their account active long-term.