How to Enable Steam Guard

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

Steam Guard is an extra layer of security that can be applied to your Steam online gaming account. When Steam Guard is enabled, any user who tries to log in to your Steam account from an unrecognized computer will be required to complete additional verification processes before they will be allowed to successfully log in. Enabling Steam Guard can help keep your account safe from phishers and scams.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Verifying Your Email Address

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can access this by clicking the "Steam" menu and selecting "Settings"/"Preferences".
    • If you're using the Steam website, click your profile name in the upper-right corner and select "Account details".
  2. Follow the prompts to send a verification email to the email address you used to sign up for Steam.
    Advertisement
  3. It should appear after a few moments. Follow the link in the verification email to complete the email verification process.
    4. Advertisement

Troubleshooting

  1. If you're not receiving your verification email, there could be a few different causes.
    • Make sure you're checking the email that you used to create your Steam account. If you no longer have access to the email address that you used to sign up, you'll need to contact Stem Support at support.steampowered.com/newticket.php .
    • If you're using Gmail, the verification email may appear in the "Updates" tab.
    • Check your Spam folder if the message isn't appearing. If it's still not showing up, add support@steampowered.com and noreply@steampowered.com to your list of trusted email addresses.
Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Enabling Steam Guard

PDF download Download Article
  1. After verifying your email address, Steam Guard will turn itself on automatically if you restart Steam twice. This is a security precaution.
  2. This is the way to enable Steam Guard if you've just verified your email address or if you have disabled Steam Guard in the past.
  3. In the "Account" tab of your Settings or Preferences menu, "Security Status" will display "Protected by Steam Guard" if Steam Guard has been enabled.
    • Note: After enabling Steam Guard, you will need to wait 15 days before you can trade or use the Community Market.
    4. Advertisement

Troubleshooting

  1. If the "Account" tab in your Settings or Preferences menu does not display an "Enable Steam Guard" button, you've likely recently had your account restored by Steam Support. Log completely out of Steam and then log back in to make the button appear.
Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

PDF download Download Article
  1. When Steam Guard is enabled, you will be prompted to enter a code whenever you log in from a location or device that hasn't been associated with your account. This helps prevent unauthorized access to your Steam account.
  2. The subject will be "Your Steam account: Access from a new computer/device". This will be sent to the email address that you verified with Steam when enabling Steam Guard.
    • Check your Spam folder if the message isn't appearing. If it's still not showing up, add support@steampowered.com and noreply@steampowered.com to your list of trusted email addresses.
  3. Your verification email will contain a five-digit code that you will use to pass Steam Guard.
  5. Do not select this if you are logging in from a public computer.
  6. This will allow you to easily distinguish what devices have been authorized for your Steam account. For example, you could name your work computer "Office".
  7. Once you enter the code and click "Next", you'll be logged in and will be able to use Steam as normal. Note that when authorizing a new device, you'll be locked out of trading and the Community Market for 15 days on that device.
    8. Advertisement

Troubleshooting

  1. This is usually caused by a problem with the authentication file on your computer. There are a few things you can try to fix it:
    • First, try restarting Steam. Log out completely and then log back in. This will fix most issues.
    • Delete your ClientRegistry.blob file. Restart Steam after doing so. You can find it at the following default locations:
      • Windows - C:\Program Files\Steam
      • Mac - ~/User/ username /Library/Application Support/Steam
  2. If the above still doesn't work, you may be able to fix the problem by deleting all of your Steam program files. This will not affect any of your game files. Exit Steam and then open the same location as above. Delete everything except the SteamApps folder and steam.exe (Windows) and UserData (Mac). Restart Steam and it will redownload the necessary files. [1]
    3. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I know my special access code?
    Community Answer
    In the mobile app, click the top left button on your screen, then tap "Steam Guard" and it will give you your code.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 4
  • Question
    How do I know whether my Steam account already has Steam Guard?
    Community Answer
    It should be in settings under account. There will be something that says Security Status and it will state whether you have Steam Guard or not.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1
  • Question
    It says that I have not been using the Mobile Authenticator for 7 days or that I have turned off trade confirmations so I have trade holds. If neither of these are true, how can I fix this error?
    Community Answer
    Download the Steam application on your mobile phone and login into it.Then, open the steam guard tab in the application and set your Mobile Authenticator up. Wait 7 days and you should be able to trade without any problems.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 12 Helpful 0
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • Steam Guard is automatically enabled by default for all Steam users. However, if you deactivated Steam Guard at any time through your account settings, you will be required to follow the steps outlined in this article to re-enable the feature.
        Thanks
        Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
      • Never use the same password for your Steam account and the associated email address.
        Thanks
        Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • If you have disabled and then re-enabled Steam Guard, you will be required to wait 15 days before you will have the ability to use certain features on Steam, such as Steam Trading and Steam Community Market.
        Thanks
        Helpful 13 Not Helpful 1
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Speed Up Steam Downloads
      See a Friend’s Wishlist on Steam Using Desktop or Mobile Apps and the Web
      How to
      Use Steam Family Sharing & the Steam Families Beta
      35 of the Coolest & Most Popular Content Warning Face Designs to Try
      How to
      Contact Steam Support
      How to
      Earn and Use Steam Points
      How to
      Turn Off Friend Notifications and Overlay on Steam
      2 Easy Ways to Check Your Transaction History in Steam
      How to
      Set a Custom Background for Your Steam Profile (2021)
      How to
      Take a Screenshot in a Steam Game
      A Detailed Guide to Getting Your Game on Steam
      Getting out of Big Picture Mode on Steam Using a Keyboard or Controller
      How to
      Buy PC Games on Steam
      How to
      Delete Steam Workshop Mods
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4020-ALZM-5519#how

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To enable Steam Guard, start by going to the Settings menu of your Steam account and following the prompts to verify your e-mail address. After you’ve gotten the verification e-mail, restart your account twice, so that the protection will turn itself on automatically. Alternatively, go to the Settings menu when you are logged in to your account and click the “Enable Steam Guard” button. If you don’t have this button, log out of your account and log back in to restore it. For tips on how to use Steam Guard to log in to your account, read on!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 339,876 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement