Steam Family Sharing is a fantastic feature that allows you to share your game library with family and close friends. However, like any digital service, it can occasionally run into snags, leaving you scratching your head when Steam Family Sharing is not working as expected. One common frustration is when shared games don’t appear in a family member’s library or when attempting to play results in errors. Let’s dive into some typical issues and how to resolve them so you can get back to sharing your game library seamlessly.
When Steam Family Sharing acts up, there are several potential culprits. One frequent issue is related to Family View. This feature allows for parental controls, and if enabled with restrictions, it might be preventing access to certain games. For instance, a game with combat, even if cartoonish, might be automatically deemed unsuitable based on pre-set filters.
If you’re encountering the problem where a game isn’t showing up at all in your family member’s library, the first step is to double-check Family View settings. Navigate to the Family View settings in your Steam account and ensure that the games you intend to share are not restricted. You might need to explicitly authorize specific titles, especially if content restrictions are in place.
Even after making adjustments to Family View, you might find that while the game now appears, attempting to play it prompts a “Borrow” request. Clicking this button, however, often leads to a frustrating “Request failed” message, with no indication of what went wrong. This can occur even when the game is explicitly checked as shareable and the account owner isn’t actively playing any games.
This “Borrow request failed” error can stem from a few different causes. One possibility is a temporary glitch within the Steam platform itself. A simple yet often effective solution is to restart the Steam client on both the host and guest computers. Completely exit Steam and relaunch it to refresh the connection and settings.
Another factor to consider is whether the game owner is currently playing any game on their Steam account. Steam Family Sharing is designed for one user to access the library at a time. If the owner is actively in a game, even a different one, the shared library will be unavailable to others. Ensure the primary account holder is not playing any game when the family member tries to access a shared title.
In some cases, especially after recent updates or changes to account settings, a complete computer restart can resolve underlying issues. This ensures that all system processes related to Steam are properly refreshed and can clear up any temporary conflicts preventing Family Sharing from functioning correctly.
If you’ve tried these basic steps and Steam Family Sharing is still not working, it’s worth investigating if there are any regional restrictions or account specific issues. While less common, some games might have regional limitations that could interfere with family sharing across different regions. Additionally, ensure both accounts involved in Family Sharing are in good standing and haven’t encountered any account-related restrictions or bans.
For more complex issues, or if you suspect a bug within the Steam platform, the best course of action is to contact Steam Support. Provide them with detailed information about the games affected, the error messages you are encountering, and the troubleshooting steps you have already taken. Steam Support can offer personalized assistance and investigate potential account-specific or technical problems that might be causing the Family Sharing malfunction.
In conclusion, while Steam Family Sharing is generally reliable, encountering issues is not uncommon. By systematically checking Family View settings, restarting Steam clients, ensuring the library owner isn’t playing, and considering basic technical glitches, you can often resolve common problems and get back to enjoying shared games with your family and friends. When in doubt, Steam Support is always available to provide more in-depth assistance.
