Steam’s newer Steam Families system replaces older device-based Family Sharing with a proper group for up to six accounts. It lets household members share eligible games without sharing passwords, while adding parental controls for younger accounts.
These steps apply to the current Steam client on Windows, Mac, and Linux using Steam Families.
Does this affect you?
Use this if you want to share a Steam library with a partner, child, or roommate while keeping each person on their own account.
Create or join a Steam Family
- Open Steam and click your account name.
- Go to Family, or use Store > Settings > Family on the web.
- Choose Get Started or Create a Family Group.
- Make sure Steam Guard is enabled if Steam requires it.
- Invite a family member by Steam account name or invite link.
- Have the other person accept from their own Steam account.
- Repeat until the family group is set, up to six accounts total.
Once joined, members can browse shared titles from the family library and install eligible games.
Control sharing and access
- Open Family > Manage Family Library.
- Turn sharing off for titles you do not want visible.
- Remember that some publisher-restricted games are excluded automatically.
- Use Family > Manage Family Members to remove members or adjust permissions.
- If two people try to play the same shared copy at the same time, one will need to stop or buy another copy.
Steam Families shares libraries under rules, not as one shared login. Saves, achievements, and playtime remain tied to each person’s account.
Parental controls inside Steam Families
For a child’s account, open Family > Manage Family Members and configure screen time, allowed play hours, purchase approval, friend approval, and Family View restrictions.
Weekly activity reports can show what the child played and for how long. Restrictions can apply to shared games and games the child owns.
Legacy sharing and limits
If your Steam client shows only old device authorization controls, update Steam and check again. Some older setups still display legacy Family Sharing menus.
Valve limits family membership and shared-use behavior to prevent broad account sharing outside a household. If launches are blocked, check whether the title is excluded, already in use, or affected by Steam Families limits.
Sources
- Steam Support – Steam Families (2025)
- Steam Support – Family Sharing and Family View (2025)
- Valve – Steam Families Announcement (2024)