Steam Family Share Play Game While Owner Is Online

steam-link-android-2 — Steam'southward library sharing feature is convenient, but has some drawbacks.
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With its no-strings-attached approach and a frequent sales, Steam -- Valve's digital gaming distribution service -- makes it piece of cake for gamers to build upwardly sizable gaming libraries. Unlikegame subscription services (Xbox Game Pass,Apple Arcade,Google Play Laissez passer), you lot can purchase private games on Steam without a monthly commitment.

Another perk? Steam Family Sharing lets you share your game library with others. Even though this feature is aimed at helping parents distribute and monitor what their kids play, it also lets you lend games to your friends. Here's a step-past-step guide on how to share your Steam library.

Protect your account by enabling Steam Guard

Safeguarding your game library should be your elevation priority. This mode, even if you share your account, everything volition still be protected and inside your control. To do that, you need to enable Steam Guard. Steam Guard -- which is gratis to plow on -- provides an additional level of security that protects your business relationship from unauthorized admission.

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Here's how to enable Steam Guard on your business relationship with the desktop app or in browser:

1. Get to Steam's homepage and brand sure you're logged in.

2. In the upper right corner, click your username.

3. In the drib-down menu, click Business relationship Details.

four. Curl down to Account Security and click Manage Steam Guard.

steam-1 — Enabling Steam Guard can aid protect your business relationship, even if y'all don't share it.
Screenshot past Shelby Dark-brown/CNET

From there, you can choose between having Steam Guard codes sent to your phone or email, or you lot tin can turn Steam Guard off entirely. You'll too see the option to deauthorize all other computers or devices other than the ane y'all're currently using that might have saved your login information. Steam recommends sending Guard codes to your phone as a grade of two-factor authentication.

steam-2 — Sending codes to your phone provides an additional level of security on your account.
Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET

Share your Steam game library

Log into your family member or friend's computer with your Steam account to get started. You tin can do this from your app, hither's how:

1. In the top left corner, clickSteam.

ii. Select Settings (on Windows) or Preferences(on Mac) from the driblet-down menu.

3. SelectFamilyin the side menu

4. Click the box that saysAuthorize Library Sharing on this calculator.

steam-3 — Yous can qualify library sharing in the Steam app.
Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET

This gives y'all the selection to authorize whatever accounts that have also logged into the same reckoner. If no 1 else has, you'll get a bulletin saying "No other local accounts establish." After this is consummate, log out of your account and your friend or family unit member can log back into theirs. They should at present have the ability to download and install select games from your library.

You lot can select upwardly to five users who tin access and use your library across ten devices that you've authorized. While you tin can't set upwardly Family unit Sharing in a browser, yous can check which devices and accounts accept admission to your Steam Library. You lot tin can as well revoke access.

Here's how to check in the Steam app:

ane. In the upper correct corner, click your username.

2.In the drop-down menu, clickBusiness relationship Details.

3. Scroll down to Family Settings and clickManage Family Library Sharing.

4.If whatsoever accounts or devices take access that you no longer wish to, you lot canclick Revoke under Sharing Condition.

Checking in a browser is substantially the aforementioned, once you log into the Steam site:

1. Go to Steam's homepage and brand certain you're logged in.

ii. In the upper right corner, click your username.

3. In the drop-down bill of fare, clickAccount Details.

4. Scroll down to Family Settings and click Manage Family unit Library Sharing.

5. If any accounts or devices accept admission that you no longer wish to, you lot can click Revoke under Sharing Status.

Pros of sharing your gaming library with Steam Family Sharing

Sharing your games with others.
Existence able to attempt out games when your family or friends share their account with you.
Parents can have a flake more control over games their younger children may play.
Easy to view and revoke access to who has admission to your library.
Gives the user you're sharing with a hazard to try a game without investing coin correct away.

Cons of sharing your gaming library with Steam Family Sharing

Steam'due south sharing features aren't perfect.
Just 5 accounts tin can access your gaming library from up to 10 different computers.
Yous need an internet connection to access the shared libraries.
Libraries can simply exist shared in their entirety.
Some games don't authorize for sharing because they require a subscription.
Shared games tin can only be accessed by i person at a time, and then you won't be able to easily play games together.
The account holder has priority access to their games. If you start playing a game while some other person is already playing, they'll accept the pick to buy the game or end the session.

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Source: https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/share-your-steam-library-with-friends/