Steam Family Sharing Explained: How to Share Your Library in 2026

Steam Family Sharing lets you share your game library with family members or trusted friends. Valve updated the system in 2024 with Steam Families. This is a new group-based model. It replaces the old device-authorization method. Here is how it works in 2026.

How Steam Families works

Steam Families creates a family group of up to 6 members. That is 1 organizer plus 5 members. The organizer invites accounts via email or Steam friend invite. Once accepted, all members get access to the shared library of every other member. No per-device authorization is needed.

Key limits:
– 6 accounts max per family (1 organizer, 5 members)
– Up to 10 devices can be authorized per account
– One simultaneous play session per game copy. If the owner starts playing, the borrower gets a few minutes to save and quit.
– DLC sharing: borrowers get access to the owner’s DLC only if they do not own the base game themselves.

Setting up Steam Families

1. Open Steam. Click your username. Go to Account Details. Click Family Management.
2. Click Create a Family and name it.
3. Invite up to 5 other Steam accounts via email or friend list.
4. Invitees accept the invitation in their Steam client.
5. Shared libraries appear automatically in each member’s library under a Family tab.

Legacy Sharing (pre-2024) still works for existing setups. But Valve encourages migrating to Families. The old system required authorizing each device individually. It did not support parental controls.

What games cannot be shared

Valve’s Family Sharing FAQ lists these exclusions:

• Games with third-party DRM (Denuvo, SecuROM, etc.) that require separate activation
• Subscription-based games (MMOs, battle passes, season passes tied to an account)
• Games with anti-cheat that restrict multiple accounts (some VAC, Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye titles)
• Free-to-play games (already free for everyone)
• Titles the developer explicitly opts out of sharing

You can check a game’s store page. If Family Sharing is supported, it shows Family Sharing under Features. If not, that line is absent.

Denuvo is an anti-tamper DRM used by many publishers. Games with Denuvo often block sharing because each activation ties to a specific account.

Easy Anti-Cheat is a kernel-level anti-cheat system. Some games using it block sharing to prevent cheating across accounts.

Parental controls

The organizer can set child accounts with:
– Playtime limits (daily or weekly schedules)
– Content restrictions by age rating (ESRB, PEGI, etc.)
– Purchase approval. Child purchases require organizer approval.
– Chat and friend restrictions

Adult members in the family have full access with no restrictions.

Simultaneous play rules

One copy equals one player at a time. If you share Elden Ring and your sibling is playing it, you cannot launch it until they quit. Steam gives the borrower a 5-minute warning when the owner starts the game.

Exception: If the family owns multiple copies of a game (you bought it, your partner bought it), both copies can be played at the same time by different family members.

Offline mode and sharing

Shared games require an online connection to verify the license. You cannot play shared games in Offline Mode. The owner’s library must be accessible for the borrower to launch a shared title.

Leaving or removing a family

• Members can leave a family anytime from Account Details then Family Management.
• Organizers can remove members or delete the family entirely.
• Cooldown: After leaving a family, an account cannot join another family for 1 year. This is Valve’s anti-abuse measure.

Steam Families vs. old Family Library Sharing

Common questions

Can I share with friends, not just family?

Yes. Family is Valve’s term. You can invite any Steam account. The 1-year cooldown on rejoining discourages frequent swapping.

Does the borrower get achievements and saves?

Yes. Achievements, save files, and workshop subscriptions are tied to the borrower’s own Steam account. Not the owner’s.

What if a shared game gets removed from Steam?

If a game is delisted, it disappears from the shared library. The borrower loses access unless they already own a copy.

Can I use Family Sharing on Steam Deck?

Yes. Steam Deck is just another authorized device. The Family tab works the same in Steam Deck’s Game Mode.

We compared Valve’s 2024 Steam Families update against the legacy sharing system using the official FAQ and Steam Support pages. The new group model cuts setup steps from per-device authorization to a single family invite. Parental controls are the biggest functional addition. They bring Steam closer to console family features. The 1-year cooldown on rejoining a family is stricter than the old system (which had no cooldown) and targets account-sharing abuse. For most households, Families is a clear upgrade. For friend groups swapping libraries, the cooldown is a real barrier.

Related pages

• PS Plus Tiers Explained: Essential vs Extra vs Premium Compared : Sony’s subscription tiers
• Xbox Game Pass Tiers Explained: Which Plan Should You Buy? : Microsoft’s subscription tiers
• Is Stage Tour on Game Pass or PS Plus? Pre-Order Prices and Discounts : a game-specific subscription guide
• Path of Exile 2 Cross-Platform: Can Console Players Group With PC Players? : crossplay and cross-progression

Edited by Kerwin Stewart, Editor-in-Chief · How we report