How to Create a Steam Account and Secure It

Create a Steam account through Valve's official registration page. You will provide an email address and country, complete the verification step, accept the Steam Subscriber Agreement, and then choose an account name and password. Installing the desktop client is optional until you are ready to download a game.

Steam does not allow users under 13 to register, and additional age rules may apply in a country. Do not enter a false age or use another person's email to bypass the requirement.

Create the account

1. Open the official Steam registration page.
2. Enter an email address you control, then enter it again for confirmation.
3. Select the correct country of residence.
4. Complete the human-verification check.
5. Read and accept the Subscriber Agreement and privacy terms.
6. Open the message Steam sends to your email address and select the verification link.
7. Return to the registration page and choose a Steam account name and a strong password.
8. Finish the setup and store the account details in a password manager.

The Steam account name is the private login identifier and should be chosen carefully. It is different from the public profile name that friends see and that you can change later. Do not include a birth date, phone number, or real name in the login.

If the verification email does not arrive

• Check the spelling of the address entered during registration.
• Look in Spam, Trash, Promotions, and other filtered folders.
• Wait a few minutes before requesting another message.
• Add Steam's official email domains to the trusted-sender list.
• Return to the signup page and use a different address only if the first provider cannot receive Steam mail.

Do not use a verification link forwarded by a stranger. Start from the official Steam page and check that the destination uses steampowered.com or steamcommunity.com.

Install Steam on a computer

1. Open Valve's official Steam download page.
2. Choose the installer for the operating system.
3. Run the downloaded file and follow the installation prompts.
4. Open Steam and sign in with the account name—not the public profile name.
5. Approve the sign-in through Steam Guard when prompted.

Avoid “preloaded Steam,” cracked clients, and installers bundled with games. The Steam client is free and should come directly from Valve.

Enable Steam Guard

Install the official Steam Mobile app, sign in, open the Steam Guard section, and choose Add authenticator. The mobile authenticator can approve sign-ins and generate a current code when needed.

• Protect the email account with its own strong password and two-step verification.
• Save Steam recovery details somewhere secure and offline.
• Never give a Steam Guard code or QR sign-in approval to another person.
• Review a sign-in confirmation's device and location before approving it.

Avoid common Steam account scams

Valve support does not need your password or one-time authenticator code. Ignore messages claiming that your account was “accidentally reported,” that a friend needs you to vote for a team, or that an administrator needs to inspect your items. These are common pretexts for phishing.

Type the Steam address yourself before signing in, and do not scan a QR code from an unsolicited message. If a suspicious page received your credentials, change the Steam and email passwords from a trusted device, revoke unfamiliar sessions, and use Steam's official account-recovery page.