With hundreds of hours logged across multiple games, the last thing you want is to be locked out of your Steam account. Here’s the good news: it’s not hard to reset your password and recover your account if you forget your login details. A Steam password reset takes a few simple steps.
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Steam is an incredibly popular gaming hub where you can buy and play everything from triple-A releases to crowdfunded indie titles. With well over 23,000 entries on the platform, a Steam account is a must-have for most gamers.
Losing your password to any online profile can be annoying. But Steam logs achievements, player data, hours, and purchased games. Losing access to your account would be a disaster. Find out how to change and reset your Steam password and you’ll never be locked out.
How to reset your Steam password
Go to the Steam website and click Login.
Once you’re at the login page, click Help, I can’t sign in.
On the list, click I forgot my Steam account name or password.
Enter your account name, email address, or phone number.
Click Search.
Click Email an account verification code to the associated email address. Alternatively, if you don’t have access to the email account anymore, click I no longer have access to this email and fill out the form with all requested information. The Steam support will contact you.
Open a new tab and check your email. Once the email reaches your inbox, copy the code it contains.
Return to Steam and paste the email code into the input box.
Click Continue and Change my password.
Enter and confirm a new password, and click Change password to finish the process.
How to change your Steam password
If you already know your password, you may still need to change it for a variety of reasons. We often use the same passwords on multiple platforms, so if one is compromised, the hack can spread.
To prevent this, it’s important to be able to change the passwords on other accounts at any time. Here’s how to change a Steam password.
Open Steam and click Settings (on Mac, click Preferences).
Go to Security tab and click Change Password.
Input your current password.
An email will be sent to the account’s associated email address. Open a new tab and check your inbox. Copy the 5-digit code included in the email.
Return to Steam and paste the email code into the input box.
Input a new password in the box provided.
When the process is complete, you’ll receive a confirmation email.
As mentioned, a poorly chosen password can compromise your entire online security. Yet, coming up with long and complex phrases can be a struggle. Luckily, our Password Generator can do it for you.
How to change Steam username
If you are looking to change your Steam username — the name other users see you on the platform — for any reason, the whole process is quick and easy, but coming up with a new username can be tricky. That’s why we invite you to try our Username Generator to quickly create a fun and playful username.
Here’s how you can change your Steam username:
Open the Steam application on your device.
Click your Profile icon at the top of the screen.
From the drop-down menu, select Profile.
Select Edit Profile.
Enter your new username in the Profile Name section.
Click Save Changes.
Password security
Password protection is a cornerstone of personal cybersecurity. If you’re online using social media profiles, email services, and streaming sites, it’s essential that you keep your login details private. It can be tempting to duplicate easy-to-remember passwords across multiple accounts, but there is a better way.
With NordPass, you can use complex, randomized passwords for every application. The best part? You’ll never have to worry about forgetting your details, because our service will remember them for you.
Whether you’re worried about hackers or just tired of forgetting your login details, it’s not worth the risk: protect yourself with NordPass.
Frequently asked questions
According to Steam’s security recommendations, your password should contain no less than 6 characters, including a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters and at least one number. The platform also discourages using names, common words, or series of letters or numbers on the keyboard, such as “qwerty” or “123456”.
We agree with most of Steam’s recommendations, except for the password length, because every additional character significantly increases your account security. A reliable password should be at least 12–15 characters long. And the good news is you don’t have to come up with it yourself. Simply use our Password Generator instead.
There are no limits regarding Steam password change. However, we don’t recommend doing it too often, as it may result in reusing old passwords or settling with a minor variation of the previous one. If no security incidents require immediate reaction, changing passwords once a year is enough.
For safety purposes, Steam restricts users who reset (not change!) their passwords within the last 5 days from trading and the Community Market. If an account had no activity for more than 2 months, the restrictions are extended for 30 days.
Once you set up a new password, you will be automatically logged out of all devices where you were using your Steam account. Simply log back in to your account using your new credentials and continue using Steam as usual.
If you’ve forgotten your login details or suspect that your account was stolen, you can try to self-recover your Steam account using Steam Support. Enter your email address to find the Steam ID related to it. If you remember the ID, you can use it to reset your Steam password and recover your account.
You can also reset the account without an email address or Steam ID if you’ve added a phone number to your account. If the self-recovery process doesn’t work, contact Steam Support directly at help.steampowered.com. They will ask you to provide proof of ownership, so make sure to have it ready.