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How to share games on Steam
In This Article
If you want to play one of your friend’s favourite games but don’t want to buy it outright, you can always borrow it instead.
Borrowing games on Steam is a slightly convoluted process, which is why we’re here to walk you through the entire process.
It’s important to know that this process only works if the game you want to play is already downloaded on your PC. Only one account can play the borrowed game at a time, meaning that both you and your friend/family member won’t be able to play the same game simultaneously. You also need to make sure that you have access to the Steam account that you want to borrow the game from.
With all that out of the way, here is how to share games on Steam.
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What you’ll need:
The Short Version
Step1
Log into a Steam account
Log into your own Steam account. Make sure this is the account that has the game you want to borrow.
Step2
Click on Steam
Click on the Steam button from the menu at the top of the screen.
Step3
Click on Settings
From the drop-down menu, click on Settings.
Step4
Select the Security tab
Click on the Security tab, which should be the fourth option down.
Step5
Click on Manage Steam Guard Security
Select the Manage Steam Guard Security button on the right-hand side. If Steam Guard is already activated, you can skip to Step 7.
Step6
Enable Steam Guard Security
If you do not have Steam Guard Security enabled already, then make sure you enable it here. You can also do this on your mobile device if you have the Steam app downloaded for extra security. You may be requested to log into your account again.
Step7
Click on Settings
Click on Settings from the drop-down menu.
Step8
Go to the Family tab
Click on the Family tab, which is the third option down.
Step9
Toggle Authorize Library Sharing on this device
Make sure that you have turned on Library Sharing on your device.
Step10
Choose Eligible Accounts for game sharing
Select which account you want to share with. Depending on your friend’s sharing preferences you will have multiple people to share with.
Step11
Sign in to the newly authorised account
Sign into the account you want to use to borrow the Steam game.
Step12
Go to Steam Library
Go to the Steam Games Library.
Step13
Select a game you want to borrow and click Play
Select a game from the library that you want to borrow and click Play. Underneath the Play button, it should tell you which account you’re borrowing the game from.
Troubleshooting
Yes, you will need to ensure that Steam Guard Security is enabled if you want to give your friends and family access to your account.
You can share your Library with up to five other accounts and up to 10 accounts in a 90-day period. This includes accounts and devices that you have cancelled sharing with within that time period.
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
