How to Lend Steam Games

To lend Steam games, you need to use the Steam Family Sharing feature, which allows you to share your Steam library with family members and friends, enabling them to play your games while earning their own Steam achievements and saving their own game progress to the Steam Cloud. By authorizing shared computers and users, you can lend your Steam games to others, but you can only lend one game at a time, and the borrower must have their own Steam account.

Understanding Steam Family Sharing

Steam Family Sharing is a feature that allows you to share your Steam games with others, but it’s essential to understand how it works and its limitations. You can share your Steam library with up to 10 accounts, and each account can play one game at a time.

How to Enable Steam Family Sharing

To enable Steam Family Sharing, you need to log in to your Steam account, access the Settings tab, go to the Steam Family tab, and click the “Authorize family sharing on this computer” checkbox. Then, select the accounts you want to give access to your library on that computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about lending Steam games and Steam Family Sharing:

1. Can I lend someone a game on Steam? Yes, you can lend someone a game on Steam using the Steam Family Sharing feature, which allows family members and their guests to play one another’s games while earning their own Steam achievements and saving their own game progress to the Steam Cloud.
2. Can two people play on the same Steam account? Yes, you can sign into the same Steam account on multiple computers, but only one session may be active at a time, so if you’re signed in at home and sign in to Steam at a friend’s house, you’ll be logged out from your home computer.
3. Can you play Steam games on 2 different computers at the same time? No, each Steam account can only run one game from its library at a time, no matter how many PCs it is installed on, so Family Sharing is a better option than sharing one account.
4. How do I fix Steam family sharing? To fix Steam family sharing, close Steam and reopen it, navigate to the device management page, click manage family library sharing, and remove the device that isn’t working, then let the problematic computer or device send a request to re-join the library or game.
5. Why won’t it let me borrow a game on Steam? You can’t borrow a game on Steam if someone else is using the shared library, as a Steam library can only be used by one user at a time to play one game at a time.
6. Why won’t Steam let me play shared games? Check your Steam Family Sharing settings to ensure that both accounts have enabled Family Sharing and that the shared library is visible to the other account.
7. How do I enable family sharing? To enable family sharing on your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, tap your name, tap Family Sharing, then tap Set Up Your Family, and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your family and invite your family members.
8. Why is Family Sharing not working? Check your Family Sharing settings to ensure that you’re using the same Apple ID for Family Sharing and Media & Purchases, and that purchase sharing is turned on.
9. What is family view on Steam? Family View is a feature for parents and families to establish their own rules for what components of Steam are accessible, allowing you to limit an account’s access to a subset of its content and features.
10. How do I start game sharing on Steam? To start game sharing on Steam, sign into the gaming platform on the computer you want to use Steam Family Sharing on, click on Steam, then Settings, and Family, check the box that says Authorize Library Sharing on this Computer, and select a user.
11. Why does it say purchase instead of play on Steam family sharing? It says purchase instead of play on Steam family sharing if the owner of the game is currently playing something, or if the game is not compatible with Steam Family Sharing, such as games that launch through Origin or Uplay.
12. Why doesn’t family share work on Steam? Family Sharing may not work on Steam if you are both in the same country and store region, and you have too many different Family Share connections, as you can only receive games through Family Share from up to 10 different accounts.
13. How do I fix shared library locked on Steam? To fix a shared library locked on Steam, sign out from your Steam account and close it completely, then relaunch Steam and log in to your account to check if the issue is resolved.
14. Can you bypass Steam family share? You can bypass Steam family share by launching the Steam client on other devices that use the shared library, clicking on the Steam option, selecting Family from the left vertical panel, and unticking the checkbox next to Authorize Library Sharing on this computer.
15. Why does Steam say borrow? Steam says borrow instead of play if you are Family Sharing the game from another account, and it’s not in your library, so you can’t play it directly, but you can borrow it from the other account.

By following these steps and understanding the Steam Family Sharing feature, you can easily lend Steam games to your friends and family members, and they can enjoy playing your games while earning their own Steam achievements and saving their own game progress to the Steam Cloud.