What a Steam Family Library is and how it works

A Steam Family Library is a feature that lets you share your purchased games with other people who live in your household. When you set one up, anyone in the family can read and play the games you own on their own Steam account — without buying them again. Steam handles this by letting multiple accounts access the same game library on a shared computer, or by letting household members play on their own devices using a feature called Steam Remote Play Together.

The key thing to understand is that Steam Family Library is not the same as straightforward letting someone use your account. Instead, you create a formal family group through Steam, add household members to it, and then decide which games they can access. Steam keeps track of who owns what and prevents problems like two people trying to play the same game at the same time on different computers.

This matters because it's free, it's legal under Steam's terms, and it works across Windows, Mac, and Linux. If you have a household with multiple gamers, this is the fastest way to avoid buying the same game twice.

Key Takeaways

  • Steam Family Library requires you to set up a family group in your Steam account settings, add household members by their Steam username, and authorize a shared computer where games will be installed.
  • Once set up, any family member can read and play your games on the authorized computer using their own Steam account, without needing your password.
  • Only one person can play a shared game at a time on the authorized computer, but family members can play different games simultaneously.
  • You can remove people from the family group or revoke access to specific games at any time through your account settings.
  • Steam Remote Play Together is a separate feature that lets household members play together online even if they don't own the game, though it requires a stable internet connection.

Step-by-step setup on your computer

Start by opening Steam on the computer where games will be shared. Click your username in the top right corner and select Settings. On the left sidebar, click Family. You'll see an option that says "Manage other computers" or "Set up Family Library Sharing" — click that.

Steam will ask you to confirm your account password. Enter it, then check the box next to Enable Steam Family Library Sharing on this computer. This marks the computer as the one where shared games will live. Save the changes.

Now go back to Settings and click Family again. You should see a section called "Family members" or "Manage family." Click the button to add a family member. Steam will ask for their username — this is the account name they use to log into Steam, not their real name. Type it in and confirm. Repeat this step for each person in your household who should have access.

Each person you add will receive a notification in their Steam account. They need to accept the family invitation before they can access shared games. Once they accept, they're part of the family group.

How household members read and play shared games

After someone accepts the family invitation, they log into their own Steam account on the shared computer. They open their Library, and they'll see all the games you own listed there — even though they didn't buy them. They click the game name and hit Install, just like installing any other game.

Once installed, they can launch the game and play using their own account. Their progress, achievements, and save files are tied to their account, not yours. If you both want to play the same game, you'll need to take turns on the shared computer, or one of you will need to buy a second copy.

If a household member has their own computer and wants to play your games there, they can't use the shared library feature on that second computer. However, you can authorize a different computer as the shared one — but you can only have one authorized computer at a time. If you want to play on your personal computer and let someone else play on theirs simultaneously, you'll need to look into Steam Remote Play Together instead, which is a different feature covered below.

Understanding the one-game-at-a-time rule

Steam's main restriction is this: only one person can play a shared game at the same time on the authorized computer. If you own a game and someone in your family is playing it, you can't start playing that same game until they stop. However, different people can play different games at the same time — one person can play Game A while another plays Game B.

This is why Steam Family Library works best in households where people play different games or play at different times. If two people in your house both want to play the same game simultaneously, one of them will need to own a copy, or you'll need to use Steam Remote Play Together.

The restriction only applies to the authorized shared computer. If you're playing on your personal computer and someone else is on the shared computer, you can both play the same game at the same time — but that requires you to own the game on your account.

Steam Remote Play Together for playing without owning the game

Steam Remote Play Together is a separate feature that works differently. It lets a household member play a game you own even if they're on a different computer, and it doesn't have the one-game-at-a-time restriction. However, it requires a stable internet connection and works best on the same local network (the same WiFi or wired connection).

To use Remote Play Together, you launch the game on your computer, then invite the other person to join through the Steam overlay. They see your game screen on their computer and can control it as if they were playing. This is useful for couch co-op games or if you want to play together online without them owning a copy.

Remote Play Together is not the same as sharing your library — it's more like screen-sharing with game controller support. It works across different computers and different operating systems, but both people need to be on the same network and the person whose computer is running the game needs to stay in the session.

Managing who has access and removing people

You can change your family group at any time. Go back to Settings > Family and look for the list of family members. Next to each person's name, you'll see an option to remove them. Click it, and they lose access to your shared games when ready. They can still play any games they own themselves.

You can also revoke access to specific games without removing someone from the family entirely. In your Library, right-click a game, select Properties, and look for sharing options. Some games have restrictions that prevent sharing — you'll see a note if that's the case.

If you want to stop using Family Library altogether, go to Settings > Family and uncheck the box that says "Enable Steam Family Library Sharing on this computer." This removes the shared computer designation, but people remain in your family group. To fully disband the family, you'll need to remove all members one by one.

Common problems and how to fix them

If someone can't see your games in their library, make sure they've accepted the family invitation. Check your Settings > Family to confirm they show as an active member. If they're listed but still can't see games, have them restart Steam completely — close it entirely and reopen it.

If you're getting a message that says "This game is currently in use by another family member," it means someone else is playing that game on the shared computer. You'll need to wait for them to stop, or play a different game.

If the shared computer isn't being recognized, restart both the computer and Steam. Make sure you're logged into the account that owns the games when you authorize the computer. Steam sometimes requires you to re-authorize a computer if you haven't used the sharing feature in a while.

If a game won't install or keeps crashing, check that the computer has enough free disk space. Shared games take up the same amount of space as any other installed game. You may also need to update your graphics drivers or check that your internet connection is stable during the read.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share games with people who don't live with me?

Technically, Steam Family Library works by account, not by location verification. However, Steam's terms of service state that family members should be people in your household. If Steam detects unusual activity — like accounts logging in from different cities or countries — it may restrict the feature. Use it for people you actually live with.

What happens to my games if I remove someone from the family?

They lose access to your shared games when ready. Any games they were in the middle of playing will stop working. However, any games they own themselves remain playable on their account. Their save files and progress in your games are deleted from the shared computer, but if they buy their own copy later, they can start fresh.

Can I use Steam Family Library on more than one computer?

You can only authorize one computer as the shared library computer at a time. If you want to share games on a different computer, you'll need to deauthorize the old one first, then authorize the new one. This takes effect when ready, so plan the switch for a time when no one is playing.

Do I need to stay logged in for family members to play?

No. Once you've authorized the computer and added family members, they can log into their own accounts and play without you being logged in. However, you do need to have authorized that specific computer in your account settings.

What's the difference between Family Library and Remote Play Together?

Family Library lets people read and install your games on a shared computer. Remote Play Together streams your game screen to another person's computer so they can play along without owning the game. Family Library works best for taking turns; Remote Play Together works best for playing together at the same time.