How to Set Up Steam Family Sharing

Steam Family Sharing lets you share your game library with family or close friends without buying extra copies. Here's how to set it up.

  1. Open the Family Menu in Steam Settings

    In the Steam client, go to Settings > Family.

  2. Authorize the Computer You Want to Share From

    Authorize library sharing on the computer where you want to share your games from.

  3. Invite Family Members

    Invite the family members or close friends you want to share your library with to your Steam Family group.

  4. Launch a Game from a Shared Library

    As long as the game's owner isn't playing something else at the same time, you can launch any game from their shared library.

  5. Why It's Worth It

    Instead of everyone buying the same game separately, family members or close friends can share libraries with each other and enjoy a much wider range of games together.

What happens if two people want to play at once

Family Sharing only allows one person to play a shared game at a time. If the library owner starts playing a game that someone else borrowed, Steam gives the borrower a short warning window to either buy the game or stop playing before it closes automatically, so timing matters if you're sharing with an active household.

Achievements, saves, and DLC generally carry over

Borrowed games keep their own achievement progress and cloud saves tied to the borrowing account, and most owned DLC is included automatically. Some games with third-party anti-cheat systems or that require a separate account link are exceptions and may not support shared play at all, so it's worth checking a title's store page if sharing doesn't work as expected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share my library with more than one person?

Yes, Steam allows authorizing multiple family members, though only one shared game can be played from your library at any given moment across all of them.

Can I get a refund for a game I only played through Family Sharing?

No. A refund can only be requested by the account that actually owns the game; time played through Family Sharing on a borrowing account still counts toward that owner's normal refund eligibility window.