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In Steam, right-click a game in Library, choose Manage, then Hide this game. That removes it from your normal library view but does not uninstall it or remove ownership. If you want friends not to see that you own or play it, use Manage → Mark as Private instead. Those are different controls.
First decide what “hide” means
On a Windows PC, hiding can mean organizing your own launcher, limiting Steam social information, removing a shortcut, or keeping another person from accessing the game. The correct method depends on the result you need.
| Goal | Use this |
|---|---|
| Remove one title from your normal Steam library list | Steam → Manage → Hide this game |
| Hide Steam ownership, playtime and activity from other users | Steam → Manage → Mark as Private |
| Hide the Epic Games Launcher library interface | Epic profile icon → Settings → Hide Game Library |
| Stop an imported storefront appearing in Xbox for PC | Xbox profile picture → Settings → Library & Extensions → hide the storefront |
| Remove an icon from the desktop | Delete the shortcut |
| Stop another person using the game | Use a separate Windows and launcher account with appropriate permissions |
Hide one game in Steam
- Open the Steam desktop client.
- Select Library.
- Find the game.
- Right-click its entry.
- Choose Manage.
- Select Hide this game.
The title leaves Steam’s ordinary library list, but it remains tied to your account and installed files. Hiding is an organization feature, not an uninstall or account-removal action. Steam documents the distinction between hidden and private games at Steam Support.
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Find or restore a hidden Steam game
- Open Steam and use the top-menu View command.
- Open Hidden Games.
- Right-click the title.
- Choose Manage, then the option to remove it from hidden games (the wording can vary by client revision).
You do not need to reinstall Steam or the game to recover it. If the menu labels differ, use Steam’s search and the hidden-games view rather than changing installation files.
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Hide a Steam game from friends
Use Steam’s private setting when the concern is ownership or activity visible to other Steam users:
- Open Library.
- Right-click the game, or open its details page.
- Select Manage.
- Choose Mark as Private.
Steam says private games generally do not appear to other users as games you own. The title is removed from your Community profile’s game list and recently played section; your play status, game activity, achievements or first-played activity, selected profile showcases, and “friends who own this game” displays are also excluded. The client must be online and connected for the private-game setting to be applied, according to Steam Support.
Private does not mean invisible during multiplayer
Steam’s privacy explanation is not a promise of total anonymity. Players on the same multiplayer server can see your Steam ID, and a friend invited to join can see in-game status while joining. Use private mode to limit profile and activity exposure, not to conceal your identity inside a live session.
“Hide this game” versus “Mark as Private”
| Steam control | What it changes | What it does not change |
|---|---|---|
| Hide this game | Removes the title from your normal library view | Does not remove ownership, uninstall files, or make the game private to friends |
| Mark as Private | Limits what other Steam users can see about ownership and activity | Does not guarantee invisibility to multiplayer participants or an invited friend |
You can use the controls for different purposes: one keeps your library tidy, while the other changes social visibility.
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Hide games in Epic Games Launcher
Epic’s verified support control hides the library interface as a whole rather than documenting a dependable per-game hide command.
- Open the Epic Games Launcher.
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner.
- Choose Settings.
- Use the Hide Game Library checkbox. The setting’s checked or cleared state determines whether the library is hidden.
- Restart the launcher if the interface does not update.
Epic’s instructions are at Epic Games Support. Do not assume this setting hides one selected owned game.
If an Epic game appears to be missing
A missing title is not necessarily deleted. Check these causes:
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- A library filter, such as Installed, is excluding it.
- You are signed into a different Epic account.
- The title is not compatible with the current operating system.
- The game was refunded, was a limited-time build, or access was revoked.
Epic lists these possibilities in its troubleshooting guidance: missing library games.
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Stop games appearing in the Xbox PC app
The Xbox PC app can aggregate Xbox, Game Pass and supported third-party storefronts. Its documented hide control works at storefront level:
- Open the Xbox PC app.
- Select your profile picture.
- Open Settings.
- Choose Library & Extensions.
- Find the connected storefront you do not want listed.
- Select Hide or disable that storefront’s listing.
Games from the hidden storefront no longer appear in the Xbox app’s aggregated library, but they can remain visible in Steam, Epic or the original launcher. See Microsoft’s announcement for the current control: Xbox on Windows PC and handheld.
Hide a desktop shortcut or installed files
Remove only the desktop icon
Right-click the shortcut and select Delete. This removes the shortcut, not the installed game, launcher entry or account entitlement. Anyone with access to the launcher, Start menu or installation folder may still find and launch it.
Do not rename or move launcher-managed folders
Changing a game folder’s name, location or permissions is not a reliable privacy method. It can break launcher manifests, updates, verification and repairs. If you already changed a folder and the launcher lost the game, restore its original name and location, then use the launcher’s repair or file-verification function.
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For a shared computer, use account separation
Launcher hiding is not access control. A separate Windows account and separate Steam, Epic or Xbox account provide a maintainable boundary; use file and account permissions appropriate to the people who share the PC.
Choose the right method
- Cleaner Steam library: choose Hide this game.
- Less Steam activity visible to friends: choose Mark as Private.
- Hide Epic’s entire library panel: enable Hide Game Library.
- Remove imported titles from Xbox: hide the relevant storefront under Library & Extensions.
- Only the desktop icon is unwanted: delete the shortcut.
- Another person uses the PC: use separate Windows and launcher accounts rather than manipulating game files.
Hide, uninstall and delete are not the same
- Hide: changes visibility inside an app.
- Uninstall: removes local files while normally preserving ownership.
- Remove from account: a separate support action where a platform offers it.
- Delete shortcut: removes an icon only.
- Private: changes what other Steam users can see about a game.
Common problems
“I hid the game, but my friend still knows I own it.”
You likely used Hide this game, which affects your library view. Use Manage → Mark as Private for Steam social privacy.
“The game disappeared from Steam.”
Open View → Hidden Games, select the title, and use its Manage menu to restore it. Menu wording can differ between Steam client revisions.
“It is hidden in Steam but still appears in Xbox.”
Xbox may be importing the installed title from Steam or another connected store. Hide that storefront in Xbox → Settings → Library & Extensions; the source launcher is unaffected.
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“Private Steam games are visible while I play.”
That can be expected. Multiplayer participants can see your Steam ID, and an invited friend can see status while joining. Private mode limits profile and activity exposure rather than masking you inside a session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does hiding a Steam game uninstall it?
No. Steam’s Hide this game command removes the title from the normal library view but leaves ownership and installed files unchanged.
Can Steam friends still see a hidden game?
A library-hidden game is not the same as a private game. Use Mark as Private to limit ownership and activity visibility; multiplayer participants may still see your Steam ID or status while joining.
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Can I hide only one game in Epic Games Launcher?
Epic’s documented setting hides the game library interface as a whole. The supplied official guidance does not establish a reliable individual-game hide control.
Why does a hidden Steam game still appear in the Xbox app?
The Xbox PC app may be importing it from a connected storefront. Hide that storefront under Profile picture → Settings → Library & Extensions.
Does deleting a desktop shortcut uninstall a game?
No. It removes only the shortcut; the game remains installed and available through its launcher.
Can another Windows user still find a hidden game?
Yes. Launcher hiding is not security. Use separate Windows and launcher accounts when access must be separated.
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