Steam has more than a 120million users all around the world. The Steam platform is a great place for game heads who can come and play, install, create and talk about their favorite PC games.
Recently, Steam has launched a feature called “Steam Family Sharing” which allows users to share games from one user’s library to the other steam user.
In this article, we will talk about how we can borrow games on the Steam app and how we can play the games from a different computer. Let’s get started.
How To Borrow Games On Steam?
Steps How To Borrow Games On Steam:
Step 1: Launch The Steam App
On your desktop, click on the steam app to open the game and then log in to your steam
account.
Step 2: Head To Library Section
Now, from your home screen, move towards the upper left section of your screen and click on the option “Library”.
Step 3: Click On The Game You Want To Borrow
Next, in your library section, you will see a list of games and you may see some new
games that aren’t in your library but you can see because they are available on
the main person’s computer. Click on the game you want to play.
And make sure if you want to borrow a game you have to be an eligible user on the steam family sharing and enable the steam guard.
Step 4: Tap On Borrow
After you click on the game, you will see the option ” borrow” on the left side of the page, click on it.
And you will see a pop-up message, which states that this game belongs to this specific user and that would you like to play the game.
Step 5: Click On Request Access
Below the pop-up message, you will see a bar written “request access” simply click on it to ask for permission.
You will receive another message confirmation if you want to send a request, you have to click on “send request”.
Step 6: “Grant Access To The Computer”
Next, when you click on send request, an email would be sent to the person who has the game in their library(among your family/friends group).
When they accept the request you will get a message “grant access to the (name of the user) computer”, and click on it.
Step 7: “Your Device Has Been Authorized”
Lastly, you will be taken to a page where it will be written “your device has been authorized” now you can visit the game, and instead of the borrowed tab you will see the “play” tab.
Note that it will take time for the person to accept your request as he/she may be not online at the time you have sent the request.
Also Read: Fix: Steam Mic Not Working
How To Share Games On Steam And Play At The Same Time ?
Steam does not allow playing the same game at the same time directly, so one player always has to go offline so there is no trouble in accessing the game.
And at times, it also depends on the game you want to play some games don’t allow the offline mode of playing.
How To Share Steam Games On Different Computers?
Steps To Share Steam Games On Different Computers:
Step 1: Open The Game
Firstly, turn on your desktop computer and look for the steam application, tap on it to
launch the game on your PC.
Step 2: Go To Settings
Secondly, from your steam home screen, go to the upper left section and you will find the option Steam, click on it and there will be a list of options from there click on settings.
Step 3: Select Account
Thirdly, a window will appear with the general settings, click the very first option which is “Account”.
Step 4: Tap On Manage Family Sharing And Devices
Fourthly, you have to tap on the option ” Manage Family Sharing and Devices”. Before following this step make sure you have turned on the family steam system.
Step 5: Click On Authorize A Device
Next, you will see a page with the device name, last access, and steam user heading, below that you will see the tab “Authorize a Device”, and click on it.
Prior to following the above steps for different computers on the long distance, you have to use the VNC, from where you can remotely log in(without traveling a long distance) to their PC and then grant them access, and then you can follow the above steps.
Steam Shared Library Not Showing
Steam shared Library not showing may be due to a Damaged PC access or you have not removed the other user when you came online to play the game.
Here’s a list of reasons, why your steam shared library is not showing, they are:
1. Damaged PC Access
Most of the time, the issue lies with the device to which you have granted access, reauthorize the PC access by deauthorizing and then giving them the access.
2. You Have Not Removed The Other User
Steam family sharing allows only one user to play
at a time, if someone else is playing the game you will not be able to access the library, remove that person then only you will be able to see the shared library.
3. VNC Issue
if you are sharing your games library with a friend or family member, who is far away, then it may be due to the VNC(virtual network computing) issue, there might be a glitch or other problem, disconnect and connect it again to the PC via VNC.
4. Disabled Feature
If you have a cheater friend who has misused your steam sharing feature then the developers will disable the sharing feature on your PC and on all the devices to whom you have granted access. And hence you will not be able to see the shared library screen.
How Does Borrowing Work On Steam?
You have to turn on the family authorization system, from your settings and then fill the eligible accounts section where you have to type in the name of the other steam users who can share games with you or vice versa, go to manage the computer’s tab and give them the authorization access.
Click on your library to open a game, once you go to your library to play.
From the point of a sender (who has to borrow the game), you will see the borrow tab, you have to click on it and send a request for granting your permission.
It will take a while for the person to grant you access, once the user permits you, you will be able to play the game on your steam.
And from the point of a giver, you will receive an email asking you to grant access to this user to play the particular game from your steam library.
Borrowing or sharing on steam works very similarly for a borrower you have to send a request and for the one who is sharing you have to accept the request.
Conclusion
To borrow games on steam you have to enable the steam sharing feature and install the steam guard on all the PCs where you have to either share the game or borrow the game.
And to share the steam games to a different computer you have to use the VNC without it, you have to go to each computer located in different locations and then grant them access to your steam library.
There are several reasons why your shared library is not showing, the reasons have been mentioned above.
If you have further doubts regarding sharing your steam games you can always contact steam support at https://help.steampowered.com/en/ Or drop your doubt on the community page, here’s the link https://steamcommunity.com/ We hope this article has helped you to know how to borrow games on steam and from different computers.
