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What Happens If You Have Two Steam Accounts?

Two personal Steam accounts are allowed in practice, but ownership and progress stay separate. Learn how Steam Families, linked phone numbers, bans, and account security affect both accounts.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Having two Steam accounts you created yourself does not, by itself, trigger a penalty under the Valve guidance reviewed. The trade-offs are separate game ownership and progress, possible policy implications if the accounts share a phone number, and the need to use Steam Families—not shared passwords—when you want to share eligible games.

Can you have two Steam accounts?

Yes. Valve’s guidance does not say that simply creating a second personal account is prohibited. It does say that accounts owned by one person may be restricted for violations of the Steam Subscriber Agreement or Community Guidelines. Examples in Valve’s restricted-account guidance include payment fraud, account sharing, and buying, selling, or trading accounts. Valve’s restricted-account guidance

So the important distinction is not one account versus two; it is whether an account or its use breaks Steam’s rules. Creating a separate account for a separate library or progress is different from obtaining an account from someone else or sharing login credentials.

What stays separate between the accounts?

Each account has its own game ownership, saves, achievements, and other account-specific progress. Steam Families can provide access to eligible games in a family library, but it does not transfer ownership: the account that bought a game remains its owner, and saves and achievements remain associated with the account playing it. Steam Families: sharing games with family

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Can you use two Steam accounts on one PC?

Using accounts on the same computer does not combine their libraries or progress. Sign in to the account you want to use; the games and account data available to you depend on that account and any supported Steam Families access. Do not treat logging into another person’s account as a game-sharing method: Valve advises against sharing account credentials and points users to family sharing instead. Steam Support: account security recommendations

Can two Steam accounts share games?

Use Steam Families for eligible games rather than sharing account credentials. Valve’s Steam Families guidance allows up to six members, though the page does not state a publication year for that limit. Availability of a specific game can depend on eligibility and the family setup. Steam Families details

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Sharing carries risk as well as convenience. Valve warns that if someone cheats or commits fraud while playing a shared game, family-sharing privileges may be revoked and accounts may be affected. Its Family Library Sharing guidance also says the account whose library was used may receive a VAC ban if another user cheats using that library. Family Library Sharing: VAC bans

Will one account get banned if the other is banned?

It depends on the type of ban and the circumstances; do not assume either that every ban automatically spreads or that accounts are always isolated. Valve says accounts using the same phone number may be treated as the same identity for some policies and restrictions. For some games, a VAC ban or Game Ban may affect other accounts using that number, but this is not enabled for every game and is at the developer’s discretion. Steam Support: phone numbers and account restrictions

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Shared-library use creates a separate risk: a cheat used by another person in a game accessed from your library can have consequences for the library owner as well as the user. The applicable outcome depends on the game’s ban policy and the specific situation.

Can you use the same phone number for two Steam accounts?

Steam permits a phone number to be associated with multiple accounts. However, Valve warns that accounts using the same number may be considered the same identity for policies and restrictions. In games where developers enable linked-number consequences, a VAC or Game Ban on one account can affect other accounts using that number. Steam Support: phone numbers and account restrictions

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What if one account was bought or sold?

Valve’s instruction is direct: “Steam accounts cannot be bought or sold.” Steam Support warns that a sold account can be permanently locked; a buyer may lose access and the value added to it. Buying or selling a Steam account

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How to keep two accounts secure

  • Use a strong, distinct password for each account, and keep the attached email account secure.
  • Enable Steam Guard. Valve says its mobile authenticator can authenticate multiple accounts: “Yes, you can authenticate multiple accounts with the app.” Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator
  • Scan devices for malware, particularly if you use shared or public computers.
  • Fully exit Steam when you finish using a shared computer, so another person cannot access a signed-in account.

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