unhackchildhood.com/how-to/steam-families · Checked against official instructions on September 24, 2026
THE WALKTHROUGH
Go down the list.
Tap a step’s number to check it off. Your progress stays on this device.
0 of 7 steps done
Secure your own account
Your adult account controls your child’s settings, so protect it first. In the Steam client, open Steam > Settings > Security > Manage Steam Guard. Valve says codes from the Steam Mobile App give the best level of security. Use a different password for Steam and for your email. Sending a family invite also needs a confirmation by email or the Steam Mobile App.
Create a family and invite your child
In the Steam store, choose your account name > Account Details > Family Management, then Create a family. Choose Invite a Member, find your child’s account, and invite them as a Child. Your child accepts and confirms with a code from email or the Steam Mobile App. Invite only your household: a family holds up to 6 people, and anyone who joins cannot move to another family for a year.
Turn on parental controls and pick games
In Family Management > Manage, expand your child’s entry and turn on parental controls. On the Allowed Games tab, set Available library content to Only games I choose, then allow each game you approve. The list covers games in the family library and free games from the Steam store. If your child’s account used Family View, those settings carry over and the PIN is removed.
Turn off Steam features they do not need
On the Settings tab, switch off each feature your child does not need. Options include the Steam store; community generated content; their online profile; friends, chat, and groups; news; trading; Steam settings; the command console; and unfiltered Steam web browser access. Your child can ask for access later, and you can approve it for a while or for good.
Set playtime limits and check reports
On the Playtime Limits tab, turn on Set playtime limits. Choose a daily time limit and the hours when play is allowed. When time runs out, your child can ask for more, and you can grant extra time or change today’s hours. Open the Playtime tab in Family Management to see which games they played and when.
Use purchase requests
Do not save a payment card on your child’s account. When your child wants a game, they add it to their cart and choose Request purchase. Adults in the family get a notice and can approve and pay from a phone or email, or decline. Approved games go straight to your child’s account. Requests also appear in Family Management > Requests. Only giftable items can be requested.
Check the PC and Steam Deck
The controls sit on your child’s account, so they apply when your child signs in on a PC or Steam Deck. On a Deck, Steam > Power > Switch to Desktop opens a full desktop where apps install outside Steam. If the Settings tab offers Allow access to the SteamOS desktop, leave it off. Sign out of your own account on any shared device.
FIVE-MINUTE CHECK
Verify, don't assume.
- Your child is listed as a Child, with parental controls on
- Only the games you chose are allowed
- Store, chat, and browser access match your choices
- A daily time limit and allowed hours are set
- A test purchase request reaches your phone or email
WHAT THE CONTROLS DO NOT SOLVE
- Valve describes controls for Steam’s own store, community, friends, and chat. Voice and text chat inside games, Discord, and games that need another company’s account have their own settings to set up.
- Workshop mods and other player-made content can change what a game shows. Valve’s pages do not say parental controls filter mods inside a game, so check what your child installs.
- Epic, other PC launchers, web browsers, and non-Steam apps run outside Steam. On a Steam Deck, desktop mode works like a normal PC. Use your computer’s own parental controls as well.
OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Platform features and menus change frequently. This guide was checked against the linked official documentation on September 24, 2026.