Steam Guard is essential to protect your Steam account from any intruders, so it's best not to turn it off. It works in such a way that any user who tries to log into Steam from your account using unknown computer, will have to pass a special check. Below you will learn how to activate Steam Guard and how additional verification works when logging in from another device or PC.
Please read the information below before enabling Steam Guard.
When you turn off and then turn on Steam Guard, you will need to wait a full 15 days before using individual Steam features, such as the Steam Community Market and Steam Trading!
Important! Steam Gaurd is initially included for every user. If you disable it, then in order to enable Steam Gaurd again, you will have to go through all the steps below. Also, under no circumstances use the same password for your sweatbox and for account in Steam.
How to enable Steam Guard on Steam
Warning! turning off Steam Guard, shopping and Community Market will be unavailable for 15 days!
First you need to confirm your mailbox.
Step 1. Go to Steam and click on "Steam" (as in the example below). In the window that appears, select "Settings". For Mac OS select the options field.
Go to the Steam website and click on your profile name (at the very top right). Click on account details.
Step 2. Click on where it says about the confirmation of the mailbox address (as in the picture below). After that, do everything according to the instructions and a confirmation letter will come to your mailbox specified during registration.
Step 3. The received confirmation email will contain a link (as in the example above). Click on this link and complete the verification of your e-mail.
Dealing with problems
In case you have not received a letter with this link, you can try the following:
Let's move on to the most interesting part.
Step 4.To enable Steam Guard in automatic mode you need to do a double reboot of Steam.
Step 5.Click to enable Steam Guard (you can do this in the settings, as in the example below). Thus, you turn on the protection immediately after your e-mail has been confirmed (and also if you've turned off Steam Guard before).
Step 6. It is necessary to check whether the protection is working or not. Where settings go to your account tab. If the protection is working, then where the "Security Status" you will see "Protected by Steam Guard" (as in the picture below).
Go to your account tab and check the status is safe
The absence of a button to turn on Steam Guard may indicate that, most likely, you just need to log out of Steam and re-enter.
How to use Steam Guard to log into your account
Step 1. Sign in to your account using a different browser or PC.
If you do not log in as usual, but from another browser or PC, then you will be prompted to enter a special code necessary to protect your account from unauthorized login.
Step 2. You will receive a letter with a special code. In the letter, you will see a message about access to your account from a new PC or device (as in the picture below). The letter will come to the mailbox that was confirmed when Steam Guard was turned on.
The letter may end up in the Spam folder, so if you did not find it where the main messages are, check this folder. If you did not find the letter there, use
as their trusted mailboxes.
Step 3. The letter will contain a five-digit code. Copy it and move on.
Step 4. In the "Steam Guard" window, click "Next" and enter the code copied in the previous step.
Step 5. If you are logging in from your device or computer, you can check the box where it says "Remember my password" (as in the picture below). If you are logging in using someone else's computer or device, you should never check the box.
Step 6. Come up with a name (or cool nickname) for your computer or other device from which you log into your Steam account. The name of your favorite game, the name of the character you like, etc. The nickname can be anything, it all depends on your imagination and creativity. This way you can easily identify your PC or device.
Step 7.
After entering the special code, clicking on the "Next" button and logging into your account, you can happily use Steam.
Remember that by allowing the entrance to Steam from a new PC or device, purchases and the Community Market will be unavailable for 15 days!
Causes of problems
It may happen that when you log into your Steam account from the same computer or device, you constantly need to enter the code. This issue could be caused by an authentication file. In order to solve it, you can try the following:
- logout and re-login to Steam;
- deleting the file below log out of Steam and log back in.
To find this file go to the address below:
In the event that none of the above did not solve your problem, try another method. Calmly delete any files that are associated with Steam. Don't worry about the game files, as they won't be affected. After deleting the files, exit Steam and open the folders that were listed above.
In these folders, you must delete everything except the SteamApps folder, steam.exe (Windows), and UserData (Mac OS). Log in to Steam, and it will already download everything required files in automatic mode.
Steam is a client application installed on computers and laptops under windows management, Mac, Linux and on mobile devices with operating room android system or iOS. This Russian development is one of the best entertainment platforms on the Russian Internet. Steam supports 26 languages. It lets you play online, use design and animation software, develop games, watch movies, make new friends, and more. Apps, games and other content are mostly paid. The platform provides an opportunity for users to protect their account using Steam Guard. How to enable this option and what to do in case of problems, you will learn from our article.
What is Steam Guard and what is it for
Anytime your steam account must be protected from intruders. It does this with an additional layer of security called. When using it, access to your account data for unauthorized persons will be significantly complicated. When the Steam Guard function is activated on your account, it will be impossible to enter it without a special access code, which is sent, depending on the settings, to your contact email or to the Steam application on your mobile device.
How to enable Steam Guard on a computer or laptop
In all operating systemsinstalled on computers, laptops and tablets, Steam Guard connects in the same way, except for one detail - in MacOS in Steam instead of menu item name "Settings" header is used"Options". The protection function in the program is included initially, but not activated. To activate Steam Guard, you need to confirm the address email (email).
- After installing Steam, it will automatic update and running the program. Next, you will need to go through the registration procedure, after which a window will open, where opposite your email click "Yes" and then select "Next" in the pop-up window.
Email confirmation
- Now click "Finish" and you will be sent an email confirming your registration.
Sending a message
- The program remains open. If you look at the settings, for which you need to select the appropriate item after clicking the left mouse button on the menu item called Steam in the upper corner, you will see that Steam Guard is not enabled and there is no button to control it.
account settings
- Open your mailbox with the received message and follow the specified link by clicking on it with the left mouse button.
Email verification
- You will be redirected to the Steam developer's site with a successful registration message.
Registration message
- Restart the program, after which Steam Guard will be automatically activated and when you go to the account settings menu you will see the following window.
Type of account protected with Steam Guard
What to do if protection does not turn on and the Steam Guard button does not appear
In this case, you can use two connection options.
First option
Refusal to participate in testing
Second option
- In the upper right corner of the program, left-click on your login and select the "About account" tab from the list that opens, where click the "Steam Guard Settings" link. Enter the copied access code in the appropriate field open window programs and click Next.
Go to Steam Guard Settings
- Check the box "Receive Steam Guard codes by email" and restart the program. After starting the program, a confirmation window will first open for receiving a message with a code, which should come to your email at this time. This will be automatically noted. Click Next.
Choosing a way to get a code
- After starting the program, a window will first open to confirm the receipt of a message with a code, which at this time should come to your e-mail. This will be automatically noted. Click Next.
Confirmation of message receipt
- Find and copy the access code in the message that came.
Tolerance code
- Enter the copied access code into the corresponding field of the open program window and click "Next".
Entering the access code
- Click the Finish button in the alert window.
The program will start and you will see that the account is protected by Steam Guard and a button for managing its settings has appeared, as already shown above. Note that the access code needs to be entered only once and the program will remember it.
If you change the registration email, you will need to confirm the new address by clicking on the link in the received message. In this case, activation of Steam Guard occurs immediately, and not after 15 days, as it was before.
Disabling and re-enabling Steam Guard changes the access code, which must be re-entered.
Video: Enabling and Activating Steam Guard on a Computer
What to do if you don't receive a confirmation email or message with an access code
First of all, make sure that the email you check matches your registered Steam account. After that, check if the spam filter is connected and the spam folder. Add to your list of contacts or trusted email addresses of Steam developers: [email protected], [email protected] If all else fails, contact the support service on the program website.
How to enable Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator
This feature is enabled on devices under android or iOS and is configured the same regardless of the system used. In this case, the access code is generated by the Steam application itself, which must be installed on your smartphone or other mobile device.
- Open the Steam application installed on your mobile device, for which use your account data, and select the Steam Guard item.
Steam Guard menu selection
- Go to the "Settings" menu.
Go to settings
- Check the "Receive Steam Guard Codes on Phone" box.
Choosing a way to get a code
- In the window that opens, notifying about the further inclusion of two-factor protection Steam Guard, click the "Next" button.
We think that almost all gamers know the wonderful Steam service. At one time, it made a splash, as Valve created not just another DRM service, but a first-class game store, which soon acquired all the characteristics of a social network as well.
Of course, the number of players who used it more or less regularly was constantly growing. Gradually, professional fraudsters appeared who were engaged in mass "hijacking" of player accounts. Considering that thousands of rubles were invested in many of them, this promised huge losses to users.
That's when Steam Guard came in.
What it is?
This is the name of the system for linking an account to a specific hardware. Do not worry! Unlike other DRM services, Valve's program does not limit you in the number of computers used: you only need to confirm your E-Mail, after which you can safely play even on a friend's computer, even on a work machine. Here is the Guard.
As you can see, this service is extremely useful as it allows you to prevent the theft of your account without interfering with it. normal work... Practice shows that if your mailbox is in your mailbox, the probability of "hijacking" an account protected by this technology is reduced to almost zero.
If protection is not enabled, the attacker will only have to guess the password for your account, which will not be difficult for a professional.
How do I enable it?
How do you activate Steam Guard? This is very easy to do. Launch Steam, then click on the button of the same name located at the top in the left part of the application's working window. In the list that opens, select the "Settings" item, and then click on it with the left mouse button. You will see a working window in which you can configure the "Defender" options.
In the first tab (Account) there is a button "Confirm email address". Click on it with the left mouse button, after which the client will automatically send a special letter to that email addressthat you specified during registration. Go to mail program or log into your mailbox through the web interface.
Open the message sent to you, then follow the link in it. Everything! Your email address will be verified. Steam client also ask you to choose the option to use Steam Guard: whether to enable it or not on this computer.
How to re-enable the service
What to do if you refused to enable this option at the beginning, but later the need for it arose again? It's okay, it's easy to turn it on again. This is how it is done. First, go back to the Steam menu, then to the "Settings" item, which should have the "Security Status" option. If Steam Guard is not enabled, then there will be no icon in this line. In the case when there is an icon in the form of a green shield, everything is in order.
When you need to enable this service, you need to left-click on the "Manage settings" button. It will open in which there will be two options: "Protect my account" and "Disable account protection". Of course, you should be interested in the first point.
You have almost done everything. It remains only to click on the "Next" button, after which the service will be activated. In general, setting up Steam Guard is over here: the user cannot do anything else with this service.
What else is it for?
Inexperienced players often believe that this service is only for the security of their account. This is not entirely true. Realizing that users should be rewarded for making their account more secure, Valve came up with a clever plan.
Almost since the appearance of "Guard", only those players who have linked to an email address can participate in all internal exchanges. Among other things, this is how the company protects itself from fraudsters. It has been noticed that more often Steam Guard is not enabled on the computers of those users who are engaged in "leftist" machinations with the purchase of games with stolen plastic cards.
Important nuances
It would seem that everything is as simple as possible. Alas, some users face problems that they are unable to overcome. Let's discuss them so that the likelihood of unpleasant situations is somewhat less.
Firstly, there are often troubles awaiting those gamers who use mail from Yandex. Firstly, letters from Guard are often sent straight to Spam. It is generally difficult for novice users to navigate the interface of the web version of mail, and "seasoned" users often prefer it at all. Of course, a message sorted on the server will not get into it.
Thus, if you do not receive a letter from Valve, go through the browser to your mailbox, and then delve into the subfolders. There should be a "Spam" directory where you can most likely find your missing mail. By the way, the same recommendations can be given to those users who have registered their mailbox with the domestic company Mail.ru.
That's if you are having difficulty accepting confirmation codes.
About hacks and crackers
But this is not all the hardships of life that may fall to the lot of users who prefer mail from a Russian search engine. The fact is that a couple of years ago information appeared on the Internet (including on the forums of the Valve company itself) that accounts that are tied to Yandex are too often “taken away”.
It is not clear what this is connected with, but the fact remains: to this day, many experienced gamers prefer not to work with this mail server... We would also recommend not using this service to link to your account. You never know what.
Important!
Don't be naive! There are a lot of "tools to disable Guard" on the network now. Allegedly, these programs allow you to use your Steam account without verifying your mailbox.
They are all either viruses or password thieves. First, such an application actually disables the security service, writes in it the mail address that belongs to its creator, and then steals the user password. The next time you turn on Steam, such an unlucky player can no longer log into his account, since it is already registered for a completely different person. The support service will not help you in any way: at the mere mention of the fact that you have used some third party programs, you will be automatically denied support.
If you have lost access to your mailbox
What should you do if, for some reason, you have lost access to your mailbox, and the support service (of the mailer himself) could not help you with anything? Don't get discouraged!
If you have bought games at Steam at least once, you can easily register a new box. To do this, you should contact technical support Valve by providing them with information on the card (number and dates of transactions) with which you paid for your purchases. Information about dates and amounts can be easily obtained using the online banking service, which almost all organizations of this kind have today.
Here we hope that you learned about all the positive nuances of using this service, and therefore you will not turn it off. In many cases, it really protects your game account from the actions of intruders, so in no case should you abandon it.
Also, don't forget about strong passwords not only for your account, but also for your mailbox.
Millions of users daily to purchase computer games, as well as their subsequent launch. Naturally, the service attracted not only gamers, but also scammers who steal their accounts from users, in which, as a rule, serious money is invested. In order to strengthen account protection, the Steam Guard function was developed.
What is Steam Guard for?
Steam Guard is a built-in feature that will not allow you to access your account from a new computer or other device without confirmation by your email or via the Steam application on your smartphone.
If you are logged into the system on an unregistered computer, then to complete the login you will need to enter a special verification code, which will be sent to the Steam application on your smartphone (depending on what you install).
Thus, fraudsters will not be able to gain access to purchased games, deserved awards, as well as data payment systemthrough which.
How do I activate Steam Guard?
As a rule, in new versions of Steam this feature is activated by default. If you doubt its activity, then you can check this by following these simple steps:
1. Launch Steam on your computer and log in with your credentials.
2. In the main program window, open the tab "Steam" and go to section "Settings" .
3. Without leaving the first tab, click on the item "Manage Steam Guard Settings" .
4. Check any box: "Receive Steam Guard codes from the Steam app on your phone" or "Receive Steam Guard Codes by Email" .
5. If you checked the first item, then you will need to download the Steam application to your phone, in the same way go to the Steam Guard settings and follow the further instructions.
This completes the activation of Steam Guard. From this moment on, your account is reliably protected from possible fraudulent attacks.
Almost every gamer knows what is his mobile authenticator in one way or another? Why is this component needed? How exactly do you set it up? The answers to all these questions will certainly be presented below.
In fact, everything is simpler than it seems. required mainly by those users whose profiles are of any value. For example, if you have a large number of purchased games or if a person has high level questionnaires. In any case, the authenticator under study will not be superfluous.
Description
How do I connect a Steam Mobile Authenticator? First, let's try to understand what is at stake.
The thing is, Steam Guard is a security system developed by Valve for Steam. It turns on when you enter the program. To authorize, the user will have to go through additional check - comes to a smartphone (or mailbox) secret code... It opens access to the account. Very comfortably! But how do you connect the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator?
Loading
The first step is downloading the mentioned application. To install a mobile authenticator, you need to download and install Steam on your mobile device. It can be found in the AppStore, GooglePlay, and PlayMarket.
After the program is installed, you can start taking decisive action. But before that, the user must be authorized in the "Steam". Otherwise, all further actions are meaningless.
Inclusion
How do I connect the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator? This is easier than it sounds. Not very convenient and a little unusual, but it will be possible to bring the idea to life in a few minutes.
So, "Steam" is installed on the mobile device, and authorization was successful. What's next?
The following instruction will help with this:
- Click on the button with three horizontal lines. It is located on the right side of the application.
- Select Steam Guard from the list that appears.
- Click on "Settings".
- Click on the checkbox opposite "Receive on phone".
- Click on "Next".
- Indicate the number you want to bind.
- Click on the "Add phone" button.
- Dial a secret combination in a specially designated field. It will be sent in a message to your mobile device.
- Click on "Send".
- Write down somewhere the secret code that appears on the screen. It is needed to enter the Steam. Occasionally given password will change.
Done! You can complete the work and pass authorization in "Steam" using an additional verification code.
Via PC
Now it is clear how to connect the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator. The proposed instruction, as you might guess, works only on mobile devices. But "Steam Guard" can be run on a PC.
How to do it? It is enough to follow the instructions:
- Pass authorization in "Steam" on the computer.
- Open the menu "Steam" - "Settings".
- Go to the "Accounts" tab.
- Click on the "Manage Steam Guard Settings" button.
- Set "Receive codes to mobile" in the appeared window.
- Further instructions will be exactly the same as in the previous case. Need to indicate mobile phone and enter the secret code.
Done! It is worth paying attention to the fact that "Steam Guard" works not only with mobile devices, but also with e-mail. In this case, the verification code will be sent to the specified email address. Not everyone is comfortable with this approach, but it takes place in practice.
Settings problems
From now on, it is clear how to connect the Steam Guard mobile authenticator via a phone or computer. Some users complain that they do not have the appropriate settings in the application. Why does this happen? And how to fix the situation?
There are no exact reasons for the loss of the Steam Guard settings. But it is recommended:
- reinstall "Steam";
- restart the program;
- re-authorize.
Most likely the setting will appear. If this does not happen, you should make sure that the account is confirmed by e-mail, and then contact Steam technical support. How do I enable the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator? This question won't be a hassle anymore!
