A Steam Family is a group of accounts that share games and parental controls on one computer

A Steam Family is a feature that lets multiple people use the same computer and share purchased games without buying them separately for each account. When you set up a Family, you designate one account as the manager, and other accounts become members. Members can play games the manager owns, but the manager controls who can access what and sets restrictions for younger players.

Steam Families replaced the older "Family Sharing" system in late 2023. The main difference is that Family groups now work across multiple computers instead of just one, and members can play at the same time on different devices — though only one person can play a specific game at once.

You do not need to share passwords or give anyone access to your account. Each person logs in with their own Steam username and password, and the Family settings handle the permissions behind the scenes.

Key Takeaways

  • The Family manager creates the group and controls which members can access which games and features.
  • Members can play games the manager owns on their own accounts without the manager being logged in, but only one person can play the same game at the same time.
  • You set up a Family through Settings > Family, and you can add up to five other accounts to your group.
  • Parental controls let you restrict game access by age rating and set playtime limits for accounts under 18.
  • Any member can leave the Family at any time, and the manager can remove members or disband the group entirely.

How to create a Steam Family and add members

Open Steam on your computer and go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right). Select Family from the left menu. If you have not created a Family yet, you will see a button that says Create a Steamworks Family. Click it.

Steam will ask you to confirm your account and set a PIN — a four-digit code that prevents anyone from changing Family settings without permission. Write this PIN down somewhere safe. You will need it if you ever want to modify the group or if someone tries to change the settings.

Once the Family is created, you can add members. Click Add Member and enter the Steam username of the person you want to invite. They do not have to accept anything — they will automatically be part of the Family the next time they log into Steam. You can add up to five other accounts, for a total of six people including yourself.

What games and features members can access

By default, all members can play all games the manager owns. You can change this by going to Settings > Family > Manage Library Sharing and toggling individual games on or off for each member. This is useful if you want to keep certain games restricted — for example, you might turn off access to a mature-rated game for a younger player's account.

Members cannot access the manager's wishlist, friends list, or chat history. They also cannot make purchases or change account settings. Only the manager can buy new games, and those games automatically become available to the Family (unless you turn off sharing for that specific title).

If two people try to play the same game at the same time, Steam will stop one of them and ask them to either wait or play a different game. This is a limitation of how Steam licenses work — one purchase means one person can play at a time.

Setting up parental controls for younger players

If your Family includes accounts for people under 18, you can use parental controls to restrict what they can access. Go to Settings > Family > Parental Controls and select the account you want to restrict.

You can set a maturity rating that blocks games above a certain age threshold — for example, you can allow only games rated for ages 7 and up, which will hide anything rated 12, 16, or 18. You can also set playtime limits that automatically log the account out after a certain number of hours per day.

The parental controls PIN is the same four-digit code you created when you set up the Family. A younger player cannot change these settings without the PIN, so keep it private.

Removing members or leaving a Family

If you are the manager and want to remove someone, go to Settings > Family, find their name in the member list, and click the X next to it. They will lose access to shared games when ready, though games they have played will remain in their library (they just will not be able to launch them).

If you are a member and want to leave, go to Settings > Family and click Leave Family. You will no longer have access to shared games, but your own purchases stay with your account.

If you are the manager and want to disband the entire Family, click Disband Family at the bottom of the Family settings page. All members will be removed, and everyone loses access to shared games. You can create a new Family later if you change your mind.

Common problems and how to fix them

If a member cannot see a game the manager owns, check two things: first, make sure the game is actually in the manager's library (not just on their wishlist). Second, go to Manage Library Sharing and confirm that game is toggled on for that member. Some games have regional restrictions or require the account to be a certain age, which can also block access.

If someone gets logged out while playing a game, it usually means another Family member started playing the same game on a different computer. Steam only allows one person to play a licensed game at a time. The person who was playing first stays in the game; the second person gets a warning and is disconnected.

If you forget your parental controls PIN, you will need to contact Steam Support. There is no way to reset it yourself. Go to help.steampowered.com, click Contact Support, and explain that you need to reset your Family PIN.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Steam Family on more than one computer?

Yes. Unlike the old Family Sharing system, Steam Family works across multiple computers. Members can log into their own accounts on any computer and play shared games. The only limit is that only one person can play the same game at the same time, even if they are on different computers.

What happens to shared games if the manager buys a new game?

New games the manager purchases automatically become available to all Family members, unless you manually turn off sharing for that specific title in the Library Sharing settings. You can change this on a game-by-game basis.

Can members buy games or spend money from the manager's account?

No. Members cannot make any purchases or spend money. Only the manager can buy games or add funds to the account. Members can only play games that are already in the manager's library.

What if someone in my Family is playing a game and I want to play it too?

Steam will not let you start the game while they are playing it. You will see a message saying the game is in use. You can either wait for them to finish or play a different game. There is no way to override this — it is a limitation of how Steam licenses work.

Can I have more than one manager in a Steam Family?

No. Only one account can be the manager. If you want to transfer manager status to someone else, you have to disband the Family and have that person create a new one. All members will need to be added to the new Family.