Info:
- ONLY share games with people that you trust.
- You will need to give your login credentials.
- Do not cheat in games which can cause a VAC BAN.
- You can only share with 10 people max and it's your entire library.
- For more information read the FAQ at the bottom of the page.
Shambles redeemed
Wait, you have to give out passwords to people to use this is that new?
I wouldn't give my passwords to anyone, not even my family...
Well, I can't really access their PC, they don't live near...The idea is that you would personally log into a PC, then 'Authorise' it. Allowing them access your games.
You only need to give out your password if you can't get to their PC.
So if I understand this right if you share your library and that person signs in while you are on steam you are kicked off?
Well, I can't really access their PC, they don't live near...
Blergh. That's soured me on the concept. Unless you can give them your password and change it afterwards without it revoking access.
I've never shared my Steam account in the past but I have had it on my desktop and laptop at the same time. If i go on one it knocks the other off. I kinda remember seeing somewhere in steam you could have 5 activations.
So this new system, if I understand it correctly....
1. Ups the activations to 10 instead of 5.
2. Makes one computer the master account so others signing on won't knock that person off, but that person signing on would knock the other person off.
Questions:
What happens if one of "family members" is playing a game and another one of "family members" signs on... since neither is on the master machine does it let the first or second guy play?
Overall it's fairly underwhelming. I have some friends in japan and new zealand so since we are up at different times I'll get a bit of use out of it... but honestly I could be doing that already. 10 people when only 1 can be on at once seems like a clusterfuck.
The idea is that you would personally log into a PC, then 'Authorise' it. Allowing them access your games.
You only need to give out your password if you can't get to their PC.
How is this different from the other person just using your account (after you've logged in once and saved your credentials)? Is it basically just that that person will be able to keep saves and achievements tied to their account? I guess it also prevents you from being locked out of the account, since the owner of the library is prioritized.
Also, do the games the other person wants to "borrow" already need to be installed on that person's computer before they can be played? The wording on the site makes it sound like that's the case. So does that mean that every time the person wants to try something new, that game needs to first be installed using the owner's account before the other person can request access to it? Sounds awfully tedious.
Well, I would go to their house if they lived closer.Yes you can do this. It's intended to be used with people you know enough to actually go to their house or give them temp access to your account.
Well, I would go to their house if they lived closer.
If you can change passwords after though, it's not as bad I suppose. I trust family and friends enough to borrow my games and stuff, I just don't really trust anyone enough to have my passwords.
That's cool then.I've shared with two friends. Just changed my password for the initial log in and then changed it back once they had access.
Here is a pic of what it looks like.
No they do not need to be installed. There is no requesting access once you are all set up. The games appear in your steam library tagged under the person's name like "Cartman86's Games". You install and play them like you would any other game. You can even set custom categories for them like they were your own games.
So why does the FAQ keep talking about "your previously installed games" in such a weird way, if it has nothing to do with anything having been installed?
And what about giving out your account details? Do you need to do that for someone to get the initial access to your account, or was that also wrong? EDIT: Guess you do have to do this. Why, though? Why not just a simple request to get access?
The owner of the library always has full access. The owner will force others off of a game if they launch any game. Signing on or off has nothing to do with it.
That is fucking stupid. You should only be kicked out if the owner launches a game currently open.
I can play someone else's library while that same person plays my library of games. Tested it out yesterday
Huh, so then you could really do a thing like "A plays B plays C plays D plays E plays F plays G plays H plays I plays J plays A" (each letter being a person and that person's library)? Or does it only work specifically between two people? Like, if A is playing a game from B's library, B can only play something from A's library, and not from anyone else's?
I got into the beta. Just to confirm, these are basically the steps necessary to get a friend/family member to participate in library sharing?
1. Change password to something different.
2. Give account info (email/new password) to friend/family.
3. Friend/family logs into Steam using your (original owner's) account info.
4. While logged into original owner's account, on Steam client, friend/family navigates to Settings > Account > Manage Family Sharing and Devices. Authorize their own PC. They now have access to original account owner's library.
5. Friend/family logs out of original owner's account.
6. Original owner logs back into own account and change password again to whatever they want.
Is this the gist of it?
I finally got it working.
1. Change password
2. Give info
3. Friend logs in
4. You get email saying someone is logging in
5. You give friend steamguard code
6. Friend installs one of your games after logging in (whatever is smallest really)
7. Friend logs in their account and pushes play on the game they installed from yours
8. You get another email asking to authorize them
9. You click the link
10. Your friend has access to your library now
There might be a quicker way to do that (taking off Steamguard for a minute probably) but that's what worked for me.
Erm, why are you installing a game? Unnecessary. Just use Psycho's steps
He couldn't see my library that way. After installing a game it worked though.
Just got into the beta. Eager to try it out but not eager to give out my credentials. I don't know why Valve didn't set this up like gifting, where I could "gift" someone on my friends list my library and authorize it by email. Exchanging account information or having someone physically log in on my computer is clunky as fuck.
That's weird, maybe needed a restart? Oh well, at least it works either way!
Just got this invite for this. Am I able to authorize a computer without physically logging on there? I have friends out-of-state that I want to try this with.
Edit: I see the steps given above in the topic. Guess I'll try that. I can't seem to find a button to authorize my own computer though. Does that only show up when another steam account is using the PC?
Settings > Manage Family Sharing & Devices
There's no 1. This Computer* listed?
Yeah that's what I was going to ask, seems like a great way to have both people playing at the same time.So they haven't restricted offline mode? That's nice.
Maybe if you're a very trusting person, as already mentioned I wouldn't give my password to anyone, not even my family. Doesn't mean I wouldn't trust them with a game, or not doing silly stuff to get bans etc.It's probably meant to be FAMILY sharing, not "share with any random people you meet in the Internet". It's not ideal, but generally speaking you should be able to either have physical access to devices your family and most friends use, or as a secondary solution at least have enough trust in them to share your password.
So all the games are locked if you are playing any game?
I was playing xcom and my brother said he couldn't play geneforce.
Correct.