How to play Steam games on multiple accounts via Family Share (2022)

Want to play a Steam game that your family member owns? With Family Sharing, one doesn't have to own a Steam game individually to get to play it, provided someone in your family or friend/guest circle owns it. However, you'll need permission from the game's owner for the feature to work.

Family Sharing is a versatile method to try out games without spending any money. It lets users (family or guests) play different titles from another person's library. The interesting feature also lets users earn their own achievements and save their progress individually on the cloud. This article will elaborate on how one can play Steam games on multiple accounts via Family Sharing.

---

Here's how to give your family member or guests access to your Steam library

Activating Family Sharing will require you to allow shared computers and users. It should be noted that one can authorize up to five accounts on up to 10 devices for Family Sharing. If you are looking to enable Family Sharing for your gaming library, follow these steps:

1. Open the app on a device you want to authorize for sharing and log into your account.
2. In the top-left corner, select Steam. Next, select Settings from the menu. On a Mac, choose Preferences.
3. Click on the Family tab and enable the Authorize Library Sharing on this computer option.

Any account that logs into an activated device will have to ask for permission to access your gaming library. Note that a shared library can only be accessed by one person at a time.

The account holder has the privilege to access his/her library at any time they want. So, if an authorized account is playing a game from the shared library while the owner tries to access the same, the former will be given the option to buy the title or end the session.

Furthermore, an account holder can share his/her library in its entirety. You cannot choose to share a single game or a fraction of your library with authorized accounts. One is required to be online to access a shared library or play shared games.

Valve recommends an account owner looking to share his/her library to enable Steam Guard first. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open the app on a desktop and log into your account. You can also use a browser to do this.
2. In the top-left corner, select Steam. Next, select Settings from the menu. On a Mac, choose Preferences.
3. Select your account and then the Account Details option.
4. Under Account Security, find the Manage Steam Guard option and click on it.
5. Choose to have Guard codes sent to your email or phone for any authorization.
6. You can also revoke access to all devices except for the one you are using currently.

This feature acts as a two-factor protection for your account, which is important to have when sharing your gaming library. Also, make sure to only allow accounts that you completely trust. Your library sharing privileges can be removed if Valve detects any suspicious activity. Valve may also ban your account if the anti-cheat software detects any cheating or fraud conducted by others using your library.