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To add someone to your Steam friends list, open Friends & Chat and select Add a Friend. To invite someone who is already your friend into a game, use that game’s multiplayer or party menu; some games also offer an invite through the Steam Overlay. For supported local co-op games, you can invite a friend with Remote Play Together.
Add someone as a Steam friend
On the desktop Steam client, sign in and open Friends & Chat, usually from the lower-right corner. Select the plus-shaped Add a Friend control at the top of the Friends list. Steam’s Friends & Chat help page documents this entry point; labels and layout can vary somewhat across desktop, web, and handheld interfaces.
You can then find the person in a few ways:
- Search the Steam Community: Search for their account and open the right profile. Display names are not unique, so check the profile carefully rather than choosing the first matching name.
- Open their profile: If they sent you a profile page or Steam ID, open it and select Add Friend.
- Share an invite link: Create a friend invite link from the add-friend controls and send it privately. Steam documents searching, profile requests, and invite links in its Friends List FAQ.
Sending the request does not add the person automatically. They need to accept it. The recipient should open Friends & Chat and check for a pending request, then accept, ignore, or block it.
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In the Steam mobile app, open the menu in the upper-left, tap Add a Friend, then choose Invite Link. Generate the link and share it by text, email, or another messaging service. The documented path is in Steam’s mobile chat support information. Send the link directly to the intended person rather than posting it publicly, where strangers could use it to send requests.
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Invite a Steam friend into a game
If the person is already on your friends list, launch the game and open its multiplayer, party, lobby, or invite menu. Choose your friend and have them accept the invitation or join from the notification. Some games use Steam’s own overlay instead: on a PC, press Shift+Tab to open it (unless you changed the shortcut), select the friend, and use the invite option if the game provides one.
There is no single Steam invitation button that works for every game. A game may use its own friends list, require a lobby code or publisher account, or have no Steam Overlay invitation at all. If you do not see an invite option in the Overlay, check the game’s multiplayer menu and support information.
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Invite someone with Remote Play Together
Remote Play Together is for supported local multiplayer or co-op games: the host runs the game on their computer and streams the session to invited friends. In a supported game, the guest does not need to own or launch a separate copy. This is different from ordinary online multiplayer, where participants generally need their own copy unless the game has another access arrangement. Check the game’s Steam Store page for the Remote Play Together feature before troubleshooting; not every local multiplayer game supports it.
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- Start the supported game on the host computer. Steam recommends having launched the game at least once on that computer.
- Make sure your friend is signed in to Steam and online.
- Open the Steam Overlay with Shift+Tab on a PC keyboard.
- Open the Friends list, right-click your friend, and select Remote Play Together.
- Your friend accepts the invitation to join the session.
Steam’s Remote Play FAQ explains the feature and its compatibility requirements. Remote Play Together is not the same as Remote Play Anywhere, which streams a game from one computer to another device.
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Why can’t I add or invite my friend?
- Your account is limited: Limited accounts cannot send friend invitations, but they can accept a request from a non-limited account and use quick invite links. Ask the other person to send the request. Steam says accounts become unrestricted after qualifying Steam purchases totaling at least the equivalent of US$5; not every payment or purchase necessarily qualifies. See the Limited User Accounts FAQ.
- You or the other person is at the friend limit: The initial list limit is 250, and each Steam profile level adds five slots. Pending outgoing invitations count toward the limit, so cancel requests you no longer need. Steam explains the limit in its Friends List FAQ.
- You found the wrong profile: Search results can include people with identical display names. Verify the profile or ask your friend to share a direct link.
- The request is missing: Ask the recipient to check pending invitations in Friends & Chat. Confirm both of you are signed into the expected accounts, and check whether either account has blocked the other. Steam does not disclose whether a user blocked someone or bypass that user’s block.
- The game invite is absent: Confirm the game supports the kind of multiplayer you want and use its own lobby or party system if the Overlay has no invite control. Both players may also need to be online, on a supported platform, and able to join an available lobby.
- Remote Play Together is missing: Confirm support on the game’s Store page, start the game on the host computer, check that the friend is online, update Steam and the game, and ensure the Steam Overlay is enabled.
If a request seems stuck, verify the profiles, check pending requests, remove stale outgoing invitations if you are near the limit, then try an invite link. If the Friends interface itself is not loading, restart Steam and install available client updates.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep friend invitations safe
A friend request is not proof that the sender is trustworthy. Never share your password, Steam Guard code, or recovery codes. Steam warns users about people impersonating Steam Support through Discord or other external chat services; do not follow account-security instructions from unsolicited messages. See Steam’s account security recommendations.
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