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Steam Sign Up: How It Works

Get your game on with this popular digital storefront and community portal

By Jeremy Laukkonen Jeremy Laukkonen Writer Shoreline Community College Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles . lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 1, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

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Expand Jump to a Section The Steam Community Supported Platforms Step-by-Step: Sign Up Set Up Your Profile Steam is a digital storefront for games that works with Windows, macOS, and Linux. It's also a community portal where you can connect with friends to see what they're playing, share screenshots and videos, and play cooperative and competitive multiplayer games. Signing up for a Steam account is free, and there are no ongoing costs to use the service. The 7 Best PC Game Digital Download Services

What Is the Steam Community

In addition to a storefront where you can buy games and a desktop app that allows you to download and organize your games, Steam also has many community features. When you sign up for Steam, you get access to game forums, guides, reviews, the Steam Workshop where you can check out mods and new game assets, and Steam Chat.

How Does Steam Work

Steam has a desktop application that works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The application includes the storefront where you can buy games, and the community aspect, including Steam Chat. In addition to the app, you can access most Steam features through a web browser. You can buy games at store.steampowered.com, access the community features (including Steam Chat) at steamcommunity.com, or go directly to chat through steamcommunity.com/chat/.

How to Sign Up For Steam

Signing up for Steam is free, and you can complete the process using a web browser. All you need is a modern web browser, like Firefox, Edge, or Chrome, and a working email address. If you don't have an email address or don't want to use your main email to sign up for Steam, check out our list of free email service providers. Here's how to sign up for a Steam account: Go to steampowered.com and select Login. Select Join Steam. On the next screen, enter your email address, and re-enter it to confirm. Then, select your country of residence, and respond to the robot check or enter the captcha code in the Enter the characters above box. Click the links to review the Steam Subscriber Agreement and Valve Privacy Policy, and then check the box to acknowledge you've read and agree to them. Select Continue. Leave this page open. If you access your email with a web browser, do it in a new tab. After you confirm your email address, you will return to this page to complete the signup process. When the Verify Your Email dialog box appears, Valve sends you a confirmation email. Look for an email from Steam titled New Steam Account Email Verification. Open the email, and select Verify My Email Address. Close the email verification page and return to the Steam signup page that you left open earlier. In the Steam Account Name box, enter a Steam account name. Steam checks to ensure the name you choose is available. If you don't like the name you chose during this step, you can change the username that other Steam users see at any time. Changing your Steam name is free, and you can do it as often as you like. In the Choose Password box, enter a password, then re-enter it to confirm. Select Done.

How to Set Up Your Steam Profile

After you sign up for a Steam account, set up your profile. When you set up your profile, your friends can find you on the service. One of the best things about Steam is that you can play games online with your friends. Here's how to set up your Steam profile: Go to steamcommunity.com, and sign in if you aren't signed in. Select your username. When the drop-down menu appears, select Profile. Select Setup Steam Profile. Enter a profile name. The profile name is the name that other steam users see when you interact with them. You can change it at any time. Enter a real name. You don't have to use your legal name. If you are concerned about security or privacy, leave this field blank or use a fake name. This field is useful if you want your friends to find you by searching Steam for your real name. Enter a custom URL to help people find your profile more easily. They can go to https://steamcommunity.com/id/[custom URL]. This step is optional. Choose your country if you want your country of origin to appear on your profile. Type a Summary if you want to. This information appears on your profile to tell visitors a bit about you. You can include links. Click the box next to Hide Community Awards on my profile if you don't want Steam to show the recognition you've received from other users. Select Save to save your profile. Scroll back up and click Avatar. Select Upload your avatar, or select one of the avatars provided by Steam. Select an image from your hard drive and resize or crop it using the handles. The previews change as you make adjustments. Click Save to upload your avatar. Once your profile is live, select Edit Profile to change any of the information you provided during creation. As you buy and play games, you unlock more profile customization options, a larger friends lists, and other features. Setting up your profile is important when you have a new account because new accounts can't send friend requests. With your profile in place, your friends will have an easier time finding you. If you want to send friend requests and access other Steam Community features like group chat and the Steam Market, all account limitations are removed after you make a purchase in the Steam store or add money to your Steam Wallet. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Fix a Steam Cloud Error How to Buy, Sell, and Use Steam Trading Cards How to Add Friends on Steam How to Block Searches of Your Facebook Profile How to Gift Money on Steam How to Set up a Twitter Account Three Ways to Find Your SteamID How to Prevent Strangers From Seeing Your Facebook Profile How to Find And Use Your Steam Trade URL How to Connect Steam Deck to a TV What Is Steam Chat? How to Connect Steam Deck to a PC Steam Community Market: What It Is And How To Use It How to Use External Controllers on Steam Deck How to Install Windows on Steam Deck How to Buy Games on Meta (Oculus) Quest 2 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies