How do I request access to Steam family sharing? (2024)

Steam Family Sharing is a fantastic feature provided by the popular gaming platform, Steam. It allows you to share your game library with friends and family, giving them access to a wide range of games without having to purchase them individually. If you’re wondering how to request access to Steam Family Sharing, you’re in the right place.

The Process of Requesting Access

Requesting access to Steam Family Sharing is a straightforward process. Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Set Up Steam Guard

Before you can request access to Steam Family Sharing, you need to ensure that you have Steam Guard enabled. Steam Guard is a security feature that helps protect your account from unauthorized access. To set it up, follow these steps:

• Open the Steam client on your computer.
• Click on “Steam” in the top-left corner and select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
• In the Settings window, click on the “Account” tab.
• Under the “Account Security” section, click on the “Manage Steam Guard Account Security” button.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to enable Steam Guard.

Request Access from the Account Holder

Once you have Steam Guard set up, you can proceed to request access from the account holder. Here’s how:

• Ask the account holder to log in to their Steam account on their computer.
• They should then go to “Steam” in the top-left corner and select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
• In the Settings window, they should click on the “Family” tab.
• Under the “Family Library Sharing” section, they should check the box that says “Authorize Library Sharing on this computer.”
• Finally, they should click on the “Authorize Library Sharing” button.

Step 3: Accept the Request on Your Computer

After the account holder has authorized library sharing, you will receive a notification on your computer. Here’s what you need to do:

• Open the Steam client on your computer.
• Click on “Steam” in the top-left corner and select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
• In the Settings window, click on the “Family” tab.
• Under the “Family Library Sharing” section, you should see the account holder’s name.
• Click on their name, and then click on the “Authorize Library Sharing” button.

Enjoying Shared Games

Once you have successfully requested access to Steam Family Sharing and authorized library sharing, you can start enjoying the shared games. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• You can only access the shared games when the account holder is not playing any games from their library.
• You cannot earn achievements or save your own game progress while playing shared games.
• Some games may have additional restrictions imposed by the game developers.

Requesting access to Steam Family Sharing is a simple process that allows you to enjoy a vast library of games without spending a fortune. By following the steps outlined in this article, you’ll be able to request access and start playing shared games with your friends and family. Happy gaming!