To keep a Steam game in your Library but hide it from friends, mark that game Private—do not use the separate Hide command. Steam says Private conceals a game’s ownership, in-game status, playtime, and activity from other users while leaving it visible in your Library. Steam’s Private Games instructions cover the available controls.
Mark one game as Private in the Steam client
- Open Steam and go to your Library.
- Find the game you want to conceal. Right-click its entry, or open its details page and use the gear or Manage controls.
- Choose Mark as Private. If that option is not shown, open the game’s Properties and look for the Privacy setting.
Steam says the client option is available while Steam is online and connected. Menu labels can change, so follow the current labels shown in your client. The same Steam support page also documents marking a game private from its entry on your Steam Community profile’s games list, or from the shopping cart before completing a purchase: Steam Private Games.
What Private changes—and what it does not
A Private game appears to other users as if you do not own it. Steam says the setting hides ownership, in-game status, playtime, and activity for that game. It applies per game, so other games can remain visible, and the game stays in your own Library.
Private versus Hide
| Steam control | Who loses visibility? | Visible in your Library? | Hides ownership, status, playtime, and activity from other users? | Multiplayer limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private | Other users | Yes | Yes, for that game | Your Steam ID can still be visible to players on the same Steam matchmaking server; invited friends may see your in-game status while you are playing. |
| Hide | You, in your own Library list | No, not in the regular list | No; it is an organizational feature, not a privacy setting | Not a privacy control. |
Steam documents these differences in its Private Games guide.
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Limits: multiplayer and invited friends
Private does not make you anonymous in every multiplayer context. Steam says your Steam ID remains visible to players on the same server in games using Steam matchmaking. If you invite a friend to join a game marked private, that friend can see your in-game status until you exit the game or disconnect from Steam. The setting is for concealing the game’s ownership and activity from other users generally, not for masking your identity from people sharing a match or an invitation.
If you meant hiding the game from your own Library
Use Steam’s Library Hide command to remove a title from your regular game list. To bring it back, choose View > Hidden Games, right-click the title, then select Manage > Remove from Hidden. Steam Support documents the restore path in Restore a hidden game.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Other privacy controls are broader
Invisible or Offline presence
Invisible makes your general presence appear offline while still allowing you to use the friends list and send or receive messages. Offline signs you out of the Steam community, which prevents communication with friends and access to features that depend on being online. Neither setting is the per-game control for concealing ownership or activity. See Steam Friends & Chat.
Profile privacy
Steam offers profile-wide Public, Friends Only, and Private settings. Change them at Profile > Edit Profile > Privacy Settings; changes save automatically. This affects profile privacy more broadly, whereas the per-game Private setting is the more targeted choice for one title. See Steam Profile Privacy.
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- 【Responsive Touch & Enhanced Connectivity】 Enjoy a vastly improved touchscreen with higher fidelity and faster haptics. We’ve added a dedicated Bluetooth antenna to improve connections for multiple controllers. Whether using the built-in trackpads or the included external controller, this allows for precision play in everything from FPS to complex strategy games.
Family access and child accounts
Steam Families covers family library sharing and parental controls, replacing Steam Family Sharing and Family View. It is relevant when the concern is family members’ or child accounts’ access—not as the general way to hide a game from Steam friends.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Valve is entering the gaming console marketplace with the new Steam Deck, a console geared towards PC gamers. The Steam Deck can be docked to a monitor, and used as a PC, or docked to a TV.
- Players can play a huge variety of games at any time with the comfort of a console and the freedom of a PC. Not anti-glare screen.
- Like the name suggests, the Steam Deck will include upgraded 1TB storage, and will include a carrying case. A micro SD slot will also enable expanded storage.
- Valve partnered with AMD to create a specialized APU optimized for handheld gaming, and Valve says the chip will deliver performance to run AAA gaming titles.
- The Steam Deck is outfitted with a 7-inch touchscreen, and two trackpads under the control sticks that allow gamers to operate games never designed outside of mouse and keyboard capabilities.
Rank #4
- 512 GB NVMe SSD: Fast storage for quicker game load times and space for larger game libraries.
- OLED Display: 1200x800 resolution with deep contrasts and vibrant colors for a captivating visual experience.
- Custom AMD APU: Power-efficient Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU for desktop-level gaming performance.
- Expandable Storage: Add more space with a microSD card slot, ensuring you can bring even more games with you.
- Versatile Controls: With built-in thumbsticks, trackpads, and touchscreen controls, you have full control over your gaming experience.
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