Steam Family Sharing lets up to five other people play the games you own on their own computers, without buying them again

Family Sharing is a feature built into Steam, the platform where you buy and read PC games. When you turn it on, you authorize your account on someone else's computer. That person can then launch any game you own and play it on their account — they do not need to buy the game themselves, and you keep your library intact. You can share with up to five other people at the same time, though only one person can play a game from your library at any given moment.

The catch is straightforward: while someone else is playing one of your games, you cannot play a different game from your own library on another computer. You can still play games you own on the computer where your account is set up. This is how Valve prevents one person from buying a game and selling access to hundreds of people.

Family Sharing works across Windows, macOS, and Linux. The person using your games does not need to own a Steam account with money in it — they just need a free Steam account to log in and launch games.

Key Takeaways

  • You authorize your Steam account on someone else's computer, and they can play any game you own from their own account without purchasing it.
  • Only one person can play your games at a time — if someone is playing a game from your library, you cannot play a different game from your library simultaneously.
  • You can share with up to five other people, and each person needs their own free Steam account to access the games.
  • The person using your games can earn achievements, save progress, and play online multiplayer just as if they owned the game.
  • You remain the owner of the games and can revoke sharing access at any time from your account settings.

How to set up Family Sharing on your computer

Start by opening Steam on your own computer and going to Settings. Click on Family in the left menu, then select "Authorize Library Sharing on this device." Toggle it on. Steam will ask you to confirm — this means you are allowing other people to log in on this computer and play your games.

Next, have the other person create a free Steam account if they do not have one already. They can do this at steampowered.com. Once they have an account, they should log into Steam on your computer using their own username and password. After they log in once, they can log out. From that point forward, they can open Steam on their own computer, select their account, and see your entire game library available to play.

You do not need to do anything on their computer. Steam remembers that you authorized your account on that device, so their account automatically has access to your games there.

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

If you are playing a game from your library and someone else tries to launch a different game from your library on another computer, Steam will give them a choice: they can wait for you to finish, or they can purchase the game themselves. You will also see a notification that someone is trying to play, so you know what is happening.

This rule applies only to games from your library. If the other person owns a game themselves, they can play it anytime, even if you are playing something from your library. And if you are playing on the computer where your account is set up (the one you authorized), the other person can still play games on a different computer — the restriction only kicks in when you are playing remotely on a second device.

Games that do not work with Family Sharing

Some games have restrictions that prevent them from being shared. These are usually games with strong anti-cheat systems or games that require a separate account with the publisher. Titles like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2 cannot be shared because they use Valve Anti-Cheat. Other games like Destiny 2 and Final Fantasy XIV require you to log into the publisher's own account system, which prevents sharing.

When you look at a game's store page on Steam, you can scroll down to the "Legal" section to see whether it supports Family Sharing. If it does not, the page will say so explicitly. Before you set up sharing with someone, check the games they want to play — there is no way to share those specific titles.

Removing someone from Family Sharing

You can revoke sharing access at any time. Open Steam, go to Settings, select Family, and look for the list of authorized devices. You will see each computer where you have authorized your account. Click the X next to any device to remove it. That person will no longer be able to play your games on that computer.

If you want to remove a specific person but keep sharing active on that computer for someone else, you will need to deauthorize the entire device, then have the person you want to keep access set up their account again. Steam does not let you pick and choose individual people on a single computer — it is all or nothing per device.

Security and account safety with Family Sharing

When you authorize your account on someone else's computer, you are trusting them with access to your games and your account. They cannot change your password or see your payment information, but they can see your friends list and any personal information in your profile. Only authorize your account on computers belonging to people you trust.

If you are worried about security, you can enable Steam Guard, a two-factor authentication system. This adds an extra layer of protection to your account. You can also check your account activity in Settings to see which devices have logged in and when.

How Family Sharing compares to buying games separately

Family Sharing is free and lets multiple people play the same games without each person buying them. The tradeoff is the one-at-a-time rule — if two people want to play the same game simultaneously, one of them needs to own it separately. For households where people play different games or take turns, Family Sharing saves money. For people who want to play together in the same game at the same time, buying separate copies is the only option.

Steam also runs sales regularly, so buying a second copy during a discount can be cheaper than you might expect. Check the game's price history on a site like IsThereAnyDeal to see what it typically costs on sale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the other person play my games if I am offline?

Yes. Once you have authorized your account on their computer, they can play your games whether you are online or offline. The only restriction is if you are actively playing a game from your library on another device — then they cannot launch a different game from your library.

Do I lose my games if I share them?

No. You keep full ownership of your games. The other person is borrowing access, not buying a copy. If you remove them from Family Sharing or deauthorize the device, they lose access when ready and your library is unaffected.

Can someone play my games on their own computer without me setting it up?

No. You have to authorize your account on their computer first. They cannot access your games remotely just by knowing your password. You must physically log into Steam on their device or give them temporary access to do it themselves.

What if someone buys a game while using my account on their computer?

Any purchase made on your account comes out of your wallet and belongs to you. The other person should not have access to your payment information. If you are concerned, you can set a purchase PIN in your account settings so purchases require a code only you know.

Can I share games with someone who lives far away?

Technically yes, but Steam's terms of service say Family Sharing is meant for people in the same household. Valve does not actively police this, but sharing with someone in a different house is against the rules. If you want to let a friend play your games, buying them a gift during a sale is the intended way to do it.