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How to Turn Off Steam Notifications and Game Recommendations

Steam separates client alerts, Friends & Chat notifications, startup announcements, and Store recommendations. Here’s where to change each one.

By VGSources Team 3 min read
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Steam does not use one switch for every alert and recommendation. Use Settings > Notifications for client alerts, Friends & Chat settings for chat and request alerts, and Store preferences or Ignore for unwanted game recommendations. The right control depends on what appeared and where.

Choose the control for what you want to stop

What you see Where to change it What the control affects
Steam client notification or sound Steam > Settings > Notifications Notification types and, depending on the current client controls, where they appear or whether non-critical alerts make a sound. Steam has changed this settings page over time, so check the labels in your version. Steam client update, June 14, 2023; Steam client update, July 10, 2023
Chat, invite, or other request alert Friends & Chat settings > Do Not Disturb Notifications from chat, invites, and other requests; it is distinct from general client notification controls. Steam Friends & Chat FAQ
Startup panel about game changes or releases Steam > Settings > Interface, according to a March 2024 Community discussion The reported option concerns announcements about additions or changes to games and new or upcoming releases, not every Steam alert. Steam Community discussion, March 2–3, 2024
Recommendations for a particular game or type of game Ignore the individual product, or adjust Store Preferences such as excluded tags Ignoring a product excludes it from future recommendations and featured spots; preferences can tune Store recommendations. Steam Discovery Update; Steam Community discussion, March 2–3, 2024

Change Steam client notifications

  1. Open Steam > Settings > Notifications.

  2. Find the notification category that matches the alert you want to limit, then change its available notification or display controls. The June 14, 2023 Steam client update described controls for choosing which notifications appear and where; Steam’s July 10, 2023 update documented a rearranged page, controls tied to global settings, and a toggle for sounds on non-critical notifications. The exact layout and labels may differ in a newer client. Steam client update notes

  3. Return to the relevant Steam screen and check whether that specific alert is still appearing. If it is a chat or request alert, change Do Not Disturb separately; if it is a startup release panel, use the Interface guidance below.

Silence chat, invite, and request alerts

  1. Open Friends & Chat.

  2. Select the gear beside your profile name to open Friends & Chat settings.

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  3. Enable Do Not Disturb to control notifications from chat, invites, and other requests. Steam’s Friends & Chat FAQ defines this setting specifically for those notifications; it is not the same as changing your online visibility. Steam Friends & Chat FAQ

Hide the startup announcement about games and releases

A Steam Community reply dated March 2–3, 2024 reports this path: Steam > Settings > Interface, then turn off “Notify me about additions or changes to my games, new releases, and upcoming releases.” The label or location may have changed since that discussion. This setting is reported to target that announcement; it should not be treated as a switch for chat, wishlist, or all other Steam notifications. Steam Community discussion, March 2–3, 2024

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Change game recommendations

Exclude an individual game

Mark an unwanted product as ignored in Steam. Steam’s Discovery Update says products—including those in the Discovery Queue—can be marked ignored to exclude them from future recommendations and featured spots. Use this when a particular game, such as a horror title you tried and disliked, is the problem. Steam Discovery Update

Exclude a type of game

For recommendations that keep surfacing a genre or other category, look in Store Preferences for Tags to exclude. Steam Community guidance identifies excluded tags as a way to tune recommendations. Store labels and available preference controls can change, so use the current wording shown in your Store Preferences. Steam Community discussion, March 2–3, 2024

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The cited Steam documentation establishes per-product exclusion and preference controls, not a universal switch that removes recommendations from every Store surface.

Adjust language-related Store recommendations

If the recommendations are appearing because of game languages, use the profile menu’s Store Preferences > Language Preferences and adjust secondary or additional game languages. Steam Support describes this as a way to influence which games the Store is more likely to recommend or display; it is not a control for silencing alerts. Steam Support: Language Preferences

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Settings that do not solve these issues

Steam > Settings > Downloads is the downloads settings area, not the place to turn off notifications or tune Store recommendations. Steam Support: Downloads

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