Forgot Your Steam Password? Here’s How to Recover Your Account

Forgot your Steam password -- or need to know how a Steam password reset works? If so, you’ve come to the right place for answers. 

With 69 million daily users, Steam is the largest PC gaming platform in the world.  

In Jan 2025, it delighted users with a more seamless experience in Big Picture Mode and separate progress bars for installations and downloads. And in May 2025, Lenovo’s handheld is set to be powered by SteamOS, marking the first time a non-Valve device will feature the Steam operating system. With its innovative approach, Steam continues to attract new users to the tune of 1.5 million monthly. 

That said, the platform’s large user base makes it an attractive target for hackers: tens of thousands of accounts are hijacked monthly. So, if you’ve lost access to your account, we can help. The first step is to reset your Steam password. 

Step-by-Step Guide to Reset Your Steam Account Password

1. The first step to resetting your password is to navigate to the Steam website or login page. Click “Help, I can’t sign in.” 
2. Alternatively, you can start the password reset process via help.steampowered.com by clicking “Help, I can’t sign in.” 
3. When prompted, choose either “I forgot my Steam account name or password” or “My Steam account was stolen, and I need help recovering it.” 
4. If your account hasn’t been hijacked, choose “I forgot my Steam account name or password.” You’ll be prompted to enter your email address or phone number. Be sure to complete the Captcha challenge before clicking “Search.” 
5. Next, head to your inbox to look for a Steam email with the subject line “Steam Account Recovery.” Click the blue “Resume Recovery” box in the email, and you’ll be prompted to reset your password. You can also reset your email address at this time, if you wish. 
6. If you chose “My Steam account was stolen, and I need help recovering it,” you’ll have to complete two steps before recovering your account. 
7. Once you’ve scanned your computer for viruses, keyloggers, spyware, or other types of malware, be sure to change your email account password. 
8. Finally, scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Reset my password” or return to the login page to begin the password reset process. 

Alternative Recovery Methods 

Want more recovery options? Set up the Steam Guard Mobil Authenticator and add a phone number for a seamless recovery process. 

To set up the authenticator, download the Steam mobile app on the Steam Mobile page. 

Once you've installed the app and logged in with your Steam account credentials, you should see the Steam Guard tab.  

1. Select "Add authenticator" to start. 
2. Next, enter your phone number. 
3. A Steam confirmation code will be sent to your phone. 
4. Enter the code you receive, and Steam will send you a Recovery Code.  
5. After the Steam mobile authenticator is enabled, you'll have three options for Steam logins: 

• Use the mobile app to scan the QR code shown by Steam 
• Enter your name and password before confirming your login through a Steam app notification 
• Enter your name and password and then the Steam Guard account verification code from the mobile app 

Why Use LastPass to Avoid Password Issues 

Do you have more than one gaming account?  

With LastPass, you can: 

• Protect each account with strong, auto-generated passwords
• Securely store all your passwords in a personal vault protected by military-grade encryption. 
• Auto-fill login details for a hassle-free gaming experience (your credentials are only entered on legitimate sites). 
• Use our Dark Web Monitoring to get alerted in real time when your sensitive data is exposed on the dark web.  

Security Tips to Protect Your Steam Account 

As a savvy gamer, you know why you’re a high-value target to scammers. These bad actors can commit identity theft, make unauthorized purchases, steal your game items, and delete thousands of hours of gameplay – just by hijacking your account. 

Using a password manager like LastPass is only the first step in protecting your Steam account. 

The next is to update your password so it complies with the newest NIST guidance on creating strong passwords. You can use the LastPass password generator to create passwords that meet both Steam and NIST length and complexity requirements. 

To complete a password change, open the Steam client and select “Steam” in the upper left and then “Account Details” under your username in the upper right. Next, select “Change my Password” under “Account Security.” 
 
Choose the option to send an account verification code to your email address. You must enter the 5-character code you receive to create a new password. 

Finally, enabling 2FA (two-factor authentication) with Steam Guard email verification or the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator protects your account from unauthorized access by requiring an additional verification code for each login.  

Additional Help and Resources 

Has a bad actor changed your email address, password, and phone number?  

If so, we recommend contacting Steam support. You’ll have to provide the following to help in recovering your account: 

• Proof of account ownership
• Any possible Steam Account login names 
• Any possible email addresses connected to your Steam account   

Final Thoughts 

With new Steam releases on the horizon, you can look forward to a diverse range of titles and immersive experiences. 

But beware: As exciting gameplay opportunities emerge, a new wave of gift card scams is flooding the Steam platform, posing a significant threat to your safety and financial wellbeing. 

The most recent scam targets Steam users on Discord, offering fake $50 Steam gift cards for free. From Discord, users are redirected to a phishing site masquerading as a Steam login page. Once users enter their login credentials, the scammers can hijack their accounts and use those compromised accounts to send out more fake gift card offers.  

Essentially, hijacked accounts are used to distribute phishing links that ensnare yet more Steam users in the elaborate gift card scam. 

The easiest and most effective way to protect yourself, though, is to use a password manager, like LastPass.  

Don’t wait to enjoy peace of mind: Sign up for a free 30-day trial of LastPass Premium (no credit card, no commitments) and join millions of satisfied users worldwide.