Why Can’t I Play a Family Shared Game on Steam?

You can’t play a family shared game on Steam if someone else is currently accessing the Steam library, as it can only be accessed by a single person at one time, or if you haven’t enabled Steam Family Sharing and authorized the shared library to be visible to the other account. To resolve this issue, ensure that Steam Guard security is enabled, and the shared library is set up correctly by going to Steam > Settings > Family and authorizing the accounts for sharing.

Understanding Steam Family Sharing

Steam Family Sharing 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. However, there are some limitations and restrictions to be aware of, such as only one computer being able to play games from one account at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

1. Can I play games while family sharing Steam? Yes, Steam Family Library Sharing 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. Why is Steam family sharing locked? The Steam Shared Library Locked Error usually indicates that someone else is accessing the Steam library simultaneously, as it can only be accessed by a single person at one time.
3. Can two people play a family shared game on Steam? No, only one computer can play games from one account at a time, but you can play multiplayer games with other players who are not using the same account.

Technical Requirements

4. How do I enable Steam Family Sharing? To enable Steam Family Sharing, go to Steam > Settings > Family, select the Family tab, and choose the users who have logged into the computer to share the library with.
5. Do I need to have Steam Guard security enabled for family sharing? Yes, Steam Guard security must be enabled via Steam > Settings > Account in the Steam Client to use Steam Family Sharing.
6. Can I play family shared games offline on Steam? Yes, but if a game requires you to be online, only one of the people sharing the account can play at a time, and in offline mode, one of the people sharing the account must be connected to the internet to save the most recent data.

Account and Library Management

7. How do I get around Steam Family sharing lock? To resolve the Steam Shared Library Locked Error, try closing Steam and reopening it, navigating to the device management page, removing the device that isn’t working, and letting the problematic computer or device send a request to re-join the library or game.
8. How do I turn off Family sharing restrictions on Steam? To disable Family View restrictions, open the Steam Settings menu, go to the Family tab, click Manage and select Disable Family View in the Family View window.
9. Does Steam family sharing only work on the same computer? No, Steam Family Sharing can work across different computers, but Steam only allows you to share with up to ten users across five different computers.

Gaming and Compatibility

10. Can I 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, but family sharing is a better option than sharing one account.
11. Is Elden Ring family shareable on Steam? No, Elden Ring does not support family sharing on Steam, and if you try to play it while someone else is playing, you will get a warning that the game will close in 5 minutes.
12. Can I have more than one Steam account on Steam Deck? Yes, Valve made it easy to connect multiple accounts to your Steam Deck, and all users can share games, expanding your library.

Account and Game Management

13. What happens to my games if I delete my Steam account? If you delete your Steam account, game licenses, community profile, gifts, inventory items, wallet funds, and other associated information will be deleted permanently and will not be recoverable.
14. Can I transfer Steam games to another account? There is no way to “move” paid games between accounts, though you can set it up for sharing via the Steam Family Sharing feature, but it won’t be registered to any other accounts except yours.
15. Do I have to pay again if I uninstall a Steam game? No, Steam lets you uninstall and reinstall any game you’ve paid for whenever you want, without having to pay again.