How to Add Friends on Steam?

It should be easy, but unlocking the ability to add friends on Steam requires one of two things. The first is spending money on Steam; the second is having someone else add you as a friend. New Steam users have “limited” accounts.

Even users who haven't spent money on the platform have "limited" accounts. By this I mean that some features are missing, such as the ability to add a friend on Steam. This does not affect the family library sharing feature on Steam.

Through this feature, you can share your game library with new and limited users. So, let's explain how to add a friend to Steam's Family Sharing feature.

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What do I need to add a friend on Steam?

You can only add friends on Steam after spending at least $5 in the Steam store. Otherwise, Steam limits the feature. You can also add friends if someone else adds you to their friends list first. Steam offers a unique system for doing just that.

How to add a friend on Steam?

There are three ways to add a friend on Steam:

1. By quick invite link
2. By code
3. By username

However, the platform offers only one option to add “limited” users: the quick invite link.

Add a friend on Steam using a quick invite link:

New users, users without friends, or users who have not spent money on Steam have limited accounts. Use the custom link method to add them as friends.

1. The first thing you need to do is go to your username at the top center and “click on Friends”
2. In the Friends menu, click “add a friend”
3. Copy your custom user link, and send it to the person you want by email, WhatsApp (web), or similar.
4. The other person has to access the link from their computer and click on «Add as friend».
5. This process unlocks the ability to add friends on Steam. 

Add a friend on Steam by username:

The most popular option requires that you know the person's username.

1. Return to the Friends menu.
2. Then, scroll down the page until you see the search bar.
3. Here, type your friend's username and press Enter.
4. Finally, click on «Add as friend» when you find the user you are looking for.

Add a friend on Steam by code:

Finally, there is the code option if you can't find the username.

1. First, go back to your friends menu. Then, «copy the code» and send it to the other person. Alternatively, your friend can copy their code and send it to you.
2. Similarly, «enter the code» from your friend in the “Enter” bar. Alternatively, your friend could copy their code and send it to you.
3. Click on "Send invitation" to finish the process.

Why can't I add friends on Steam?

If you do not meet one of these two requirements, the function «Add a friend» will not be available on your account. For example, if you have only played free games, you will not be able to add a friend.

Similarly, if you try to find the username of a “limited” account, you won’t find it. The only way is by using the quick invite link.

How to add friends on Steam without buying a game?

If you haven't spent at least $5 on Steam, your account is "limited." Limited users cannot add friends themselves. In other words, if you're a new user, your Steam account isn't eligible to add friends. However, users with non-limited accounts can send you a friend request.

The only way is through the quick invite link. By adding another person as a friend through this method, you will also unlock the community feature. After accepting another person's quick invite link as a limited user, your account will no longer be limited.

1. Tell a Steam friend to visit their friends menu, copy your link «quick invitation» and send it to you by email.
2. Visit the Steam store site and log in.
3. Look in your email inbox for the Quick Invitation link and click on it.
4. The link allows you to add that person as a friend. Press the option «Add as friend».

After completing the process, Steam will unlock the ability to add other friends. For example, the picture above shows a new account with the Add a Friend functionality.

How to add a friend to Steam Family Sharing?

There are two ways to share Steam games with your friends. The first is by purchasing a game as a gift. The second is through Steam's family library sharing feature. These users do not need to be on your friends list. Instead, users need to be logged into the app, on the same PC, to activate the feature.

Steam Family Library Sharing allows users to play each other's games, share Steam Achievements, and save saves to the Steam Cloud. In other words, you can play a close friend or family member's games (or vice versa), as long as they authorize you as part of the Steam Family Library Sharing.

However, only one user can play a game at a time, and Steam will always give priority to the original owner. Also, not all games are available through Family Sharing. For example, MMO are not usually designed to be shared within these groups. Finally, other users cannot access the shared library offline.

Where do I find my friend requests?

Your friend requests are in the inbox at the top right of the Steam app. It has a green envelope icon.

Can I gift a game to a new user?

To gift a game to someone, you first need to add them as a friend. You can do this using the quick invite link.

Can new users receive a game as a gift?

New users can receive games as gifts. They can also receive them via a Steam gift card.

What is the difference between Steam username and Steam user account name?

Your username is what others see and find you by. Often, your username is the email you used to open your account without the “@.”

So the account name is your private credential, something you use to log in along with your password. It's private.

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