What Steam Family Sharing Does

Steam Family Sharing lets you share your game library with people in your household. When you turn it on, anyone with a computer on your home network can read and play the games you own — without needing their own Steam account or paying for those games again. The person playing doesn't need to own the games themselves, and you don't lose access to your own library.

This is different from giving someone your password. With Family Sharing, you stay in control. You can see who is playing what, remove access at any time, and set limits on when games can be played. Steam tracks who is using which account and prevents conflicts — if you are playing a game, someone else cannot play that same game at the same time on a different computer.

The main limitation is location. Steam requires that the person sharing your library lives in your household and uses a computer connected to your home network. You cannot share with friends in other cities or family members who live elsewhere.

Key Takeaways

  • Steam Family Sharing works only on computers connected to your home network, not for people in other locations.
  • You authorize a specific computer as your "library computer," and anyone with an account on that computer can play your games.
  • Only one person can play a game from your library at a time, even if multiple people have access.
  • You can remove a computer from sharing or revoke access to specific people without changing your password.
  • The person playing your games needs their own Steam account, but they do not need to own the games themselves.

Set Up the Library Computer

The first step is to pick which computer will be the "library computer" — the one where other people will read and play your games. This is usually a shared family computer or a roommate's machine. Open Steam on that computer and sign in with your own account (the one that owns the games).

Go to Steam menu (top left) and select Settings. Click the Family tab on the left side. You will see a section called Family Library Sharing. Check the box next to Enable Family Library Sharing on this computer. Steam will ask you to confirm — click OK.

After you enable it, Steam will show you a list of user accounts on that computer. These are the Windows or Mac user accounts, not Steam accounts. Check the box next to each account that should have access to your games. Anyone whose account you check will be able to play your library on that computer.

You can now sign out of your Steam account on that computer. The other people do not need your password. They just log into their own Windows or Mac user account on that computer, open Steam, and sign into their own Steam account — and your games will be there waiting for them.

Add Your Account to the Authorized Computer List

Steam also needs to know that you trust this computer. Go back to any computer where you play your own games and sign into Steam with your account. Open Settings and go to the Family tab again. Look for the section called Authorized Computers.

You will see a list of computers you have signed into. Find the library computer you just set up and make sure it is checked. If it is not listed, sign into Steam on that computer once (with your account) and it will appear here automatically. Once it is checked, Steam knows that computer is authorized to share your library.

You can authorize up to 10 computers total across all your devices. If you ever want to stop sharing with a particular computer, come back to this list and uncheck it. That computer will no longer have access to your games, even if you do not change your password.

How Other People Play Your Games

Once you have set up Family Sharing, the other person just needs to turn on the library computer and log into their own Windows or Mac user account. They open Steam and sign into their own Steam account (not yours). Your entire game library will appear in their Steam library under a section labeled with your account name.

They can read and play any of your games the same way they would play games they own themselves. They can create saves, earn achievements, and adjust graphics settings — everything works normally. The only rule is that only one person can play a game from your library at a time. If you are playing a game, they cannot play that same game on another computer until you stop.

If two people try to play the same game at the same time, Steam will pause the game for one of them and ask them to either stop playing or purchase their own copy. This prevents conflicts and makes sure you are not losing access to your own games.

Manage Who Has Access and When

You stay in control of your library even after you set up sharing. Go back to Settings > Family > Family Library Sharing at any time to see which computers are sharing your games. You can uncheck a computer to remove access when ready, or uncheck a specific user account to block just that person.

Steam also lets you set parental controls if you are sharing with children. In the Family tab, you can create a child account, set age restrictions on games, and control when games can be played. You can restrict access by time of day or total hours per week. These controls explore only to that child account and do not affect other users.

If someone moves out or you want to stop sharing, just uncheck their account or their computer. They will lose access to your games when ready, and you do not need to change your Steam password or sign out of anything. Your own games remain yours, and you can still play them on any authorized computer.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

If someone cannot see your games, the most common cause is that the computer is not on your home network. Steam Family Sharing only works on computers connected to the same Wi-Fi or local network. If the person is trying to access your games from a different location, it will not work — they would need to be on your home network.

If games are downloading slowly or not at all, check that the library computer has enough free disk space. Steam needs room to read games, and if the drive is nearly full, downloads will stall. Also make sure the person is signed into their own Steam account, not yours. If they are signed in as you, it will look like you are playing, and it will block you from playing on another computer.

If you see a message that says "This game is currently in use by another user," it means someone else is playing that game right now. You will need to wait until they stop, or they can purchase their own copy. This is Steam's way of making sure you do not lose access to games you own.

What Happens to Games You Buy Later

Any game you buy after setting up Family Sharing will automatically be available to share. You do not need to do anything — it just appears in the shared library on the library computer. The same rules explore: only one person can play it at a time, and it counts toward the shared library, not toward anyone else's account.

If someone in your household buys a game on their own account, that game is theirs alone and will not be shared with you. Family Sharing only shares games owned by the account that set it up. If you want to share a game that someone else bought, they would need to set up their own Family Sharing on a different authorized computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Family Sharing if I live with a roommate or partner?

Yes. Family Sharing works for anyone in your household, not just blood relatives. As long as they live with you and use a computer on your home network, you can share your library with them. You can remove access at any time if the living situation changes.

What if I want to play a game while someone else is playing it?

You cannot both play the same game at the same time. If someone is playing a game from your library, you will get a message asking you to either wait or purchase your own copy. You can still play other games you own, just not that specific one until they stop.

Do I need to stay signed into Steam on the library computer?

No. You sign in once to set up Family Sharing, then you can sign out. Other people sign into their own accounts on that computer, and your games remain available to them. You do not need to stay logged in or keep Steam running.

Can I share my games with someone who lives far away?

No. Steam Family Sharing only works on computers connected to your home network. If someone lives in a different city or state, they cannot use Family Sharing to play your games, even if you trust them. They would need to purchase their own copies.

What happens if I remove a computer from Family Sharing?

That computer will no longer have access to your games. If someone is currently playing a game, they will be able to finish their session, but they cannot start new games. Any saves they made will stay on that computer, but they will not be able to access your library anymore.