The gaming experience on Steam is constantly improving. Another interesting feature that has been added to this service is family access to games - Family Sharing. Read on to learn about it in more detail, and also to understand exactly how to activate this access.
The essence of the feature is that you can share your game library with another user, and he will be able to play these games. Just as if they were bought by him or as if you bought a disc in a store and, after playing for a while, gave it to your friend. This way, you and a friend, real family member, or anyone else can save and save a decent amount. One user will no longer have to buy games that he would like to play that are already present in another user’s Steam account. In addition, new games can be purchased together.
How to enable Family Sharing
Initially, the feature was only available for beta testing, but today "Family Sharing" can be used by any user, after which he will be able to share his games with another person and have access to his games. To activate Family Sharing you need to do the following:
Disable Family Sharing
To disable Family Viewing on Steam, you need to go to Manage "Family Sharing". This is done in the same way, through the settings window, where you need to use the button "Manage other computers". This screen will display all computers that have access to your account through the function "Family Sharing". In order to disable access to a specific computer, you must click the button "Deauthorize", after which this device will no longer have access to your game library.
Conclusion
Now you know how you can share your game library with other Steam users. Share your library only with people you trust.
A few years ago, Steam introduced an interesting feature that allows you to share games from your account with other people. This is Steam Family Sharing, thanks to which any user can manage your game library. While you are not playing yourself, he will use what is on your account.
Let's talk about Steam Library Sharing. You will learn how to add a friend, and we will also discuss the features of the service.
About the service
The service is intended for people who decide to purchase one game in order to play it all at once. Previously, everyone had to buy a separate copy. Now anyone can own a game, and then give others access to their own library, and they can run it as long as they need.
How to use this feature?
Look into the client settings, find the section dedicated to family - that’s what it’s called. There you can choose to authorize your computer and other users.
If your computer is designed for several users and someone has already sat at it and completed the authorization procedure, then you will see in the library not only your own, but also other people’s games.
We allow other gamers to use your games.
This procedure is carried out in several steps.
- Log into your Steam account on the computer that will have access to your library. If you can't get to it yet, just share your username and password with the person you want to offer your games to. Be careful, do not trust confidential data to just anyone, as there are a lot of scammers - they will be happy to use your account for their own purposes.
- Now we add the computer to the list of authorized devices. To do this, in the settings you need to find a button that starts the authorization procedure.
- At the next stage, we select users who will have access to the library. Check the box next to the name of a specific person and confirm, and then he will always watch games from your library on his PC. If there are no accounts in the list, you can log in once on behalf of the person who needs access - then he will be added to the list.
How to play?
You launch the game, after which a notification is sent to the owner that you intend to play. The owner of the account will approve it, and you will be able to use everything that is in his library. The function is limited - you can play anything, but only until the account owner wants to launch something himself. Moreover, it doesn’t matter whether it is part of the same project you are currently in or some other one - a launch notification will be presented, informing you that you have a few minutes left. When they expire, you will be offered to buy the game on its Steam store page.
This service is currently undergoing closed beta testing. And I have met and continue to meet a lot of questions about how this function works, so I decided to describe in detail how everything works here.
Firstly, What is this Steam Family Sharing?
Secondly, Who is this service for?
The service is primarily intended for users who have one computer for several people, but each has their own Steam account for their own achievements, progress, etc. Previously, each of them had to buy a copy of the game, but now one of the users can share their library (how below) on the computer, and everyone else will have access to it.
Third, how to get an invitation to closed beta testing?
You need to join the SteamFam group, they send out invitations from time to time. But the most reliable thing is to wait for the official launch (or open beta testing, if there is one), then you will definitely receive all the declared functionality on your account.
After receiving the invitation, you will need to activate beta testing mode in the Steam client, if you have not already done so.
The only visual change is a new item in the “Family” client settings, which opens various family settings, including Family Sharing. It allows you to authorize/deauthorize the current device (computer) and users.
If your computer has already been visited by a user who already has the ability to share games, and who has authorized your device and your account, then you will also see games from his library on the games page.
Fourthly, How can you still share your library?
It's pretty simple. You need to log in to your Steam account on the computer for which you want to share the library, and add this computer to the list of authorized devices (the list can be opened by clicking the “Manage other computers” button) by clicking the corresponding “Authorize this computer” button. Next, you need to select the users of this computer for whom the library will be shared.
Now this user will see games from your library in his library.
If there are no accounts in the list, then you will need to log in once under the account for which the library is being shared, then it will appear in the list and you can check it.
Fifthly, how to play a game from another user's library?
In the same way as with any game from your library, only before the first launch of any game from a third-party library, you must send to the owner notice that you want permission to play his games (if the owner has previously logged in from this computer, but has not authorized it).
If the owner approves it, then you can play almost any games from the library (further without additional notices or approvals). But only until the owner wants to play games from his library. In this case, you will be given a few minutes to complete the game or buy it from the Steam store.
If you still have any questions, please visit first.
As you know everything or not everything, games are Family Sharing Only 1 person can play at the current time, but if you want to play, but don’t have money for the game, then this method is for you. The point of this method is to disable Steam from the Internet.
To begin with, I will describe the pros and cons of this method, so that there are no unnecessary questions!
pros
Which I use before buying the game!
1) You can check the game for glitches. (in full force)
2) Is it worth buying this game or not, because lets play does not show the whole meaning of the game or the dynamics “this is my personal opinion”
3) Find out whether this game will work on your PC and whether it’s worth an upgrade. (not all games have Demo versions)
Minuses
1) You do not receive achievements during this method
2) time will not pass in the game (I mean the count of lost time on Steam, the game will be saved)
3) Multiplayer will not work. (Offline only)
4) there will be no access to chat, etc. Steam functions.
If you are ready for this Circumcision, then let's get started!
Note: The method itself is labor-intensive, or better yet, annoying, but I have outlined everything step by step:
1) Launch Steam and go online.
2) Find out if the person whose library you are using plays
in something of his own, if so, then we ask him to leave the game for 2-5 minutes.
3) After the owner of the library leaves the game, go to his game and minimize it.
4) Disconnect the Internet from the system, go to this address Control Panel - Network and Internet - Network connections or disconnect directly!
5) Go to Control Panel - All Control Panel Elements - Windows Firewall or simply enter it in a search engine.
6) Next, in the Windows Firewall window, click on the line “advanced settings”
7) In the Rules for incoming and outgoing lines, create one rule each (point to a specific rule and press RMB-Create Rule, the name can be anything, but they must match)!
8) In the installation rule creation wizard, set the following... settings.
Then repeat the same step only in a different rule.
9) Turn on the Internet, unless of course you need it during the game!
10) You can play, the whole procedure takes 2-3 minutes.
P.S. It is better to use this method to test the game no more!
Gone are the days when you could ask a friend to lend you a disc to play. Security systems have improved, and now even the most seedy projects require activation via the Internet, which is why the person who borrowed the toy may well receive a message: “This key has already been activated.” Therefore, if you prefer to use exclusively licensed products, but do not want to spend extra money on buying an unnecessary game, there is only one way left - to borrow a disc.
Registration
- Find "Steam" in your browser and go to this trading platform.
- In the upper right corner, click alternately on the two buttons “Download Steam” and “Login”.
- While the computer is downloading the client, click the “Create account” button in the window that opens.
- Fill out the form that opens.
- Be sure to read the "License Agreement". It can answer many questions, especially regarding illegal account transfers. This is necessary so that later problems do not arise in which a person receives an account ban, but does not understand why.
- Confirm the entered data.
Steam account registration is complete. Now it's time to take the next step.
Friends
- Launch the Steam client.
- In the lower right corner, select "Friends List". A small window will appear.
- There, click "Add friend...".
- Now enter the desired nickname. The system will look for the most accurate matches first, based on your location. Therefore, if your friend is from Japan, and you are from Kaliningrad, make sure that his nickname is spelled accurately. Otherwise, you will get many results that do not meet your expectations.
- Click "Add Friend".
After this, all you have to do is wait for your request to be confirmed.
Protection
A prerequisite for sharing a library is connecting to a service account (SG). Without it, the system will not allow you to “share” your games. It's easy to do this.
- Log in to your account settings by selecting the appropriate item in the top menu.
- Launch SG settings.
- Select the option that suits you (receive codes by mail or telephone).
Sharing
- Give your friend the username and password to log into Steam.
- After authorization, you need to send your friend a one-time code from SG.
- Now you must activate Family Sharing on both computers (yours and your friend's). To do this, go to settings.
- Select the "Family" tab and check the appropriate box.
Once the checkbox has been checked on both computers, your friend can safely log out of your account and log into his own. You must log in again and go to the same settings. There you can see that there are now multiple devices connected to your account. But, in addition, you will be able to choose which account you need to connect to the system. Authorize (without login and password) your friend's account.
Rules
- We have already seen that to activate the “joint” mode, you need to transfer your account data. Make sure to share games with a trusted person.
- Only one person can play from one account. If you run the game on your computer, the person using the shared access will be forcibly disconnected after 5 minutes.
- Share the entire library at once. But saving and settings will be individual.
- Your friend will not be able to receive cards.
- When using codes, cheats or fraudulent transactions, your account will be banned, not your friend's.
Now you can understand that when you share games with someone, you also share responsibility. Carefully choose your “friends” and check those you trust.
