How-To

How to Hide Game Activity on Steam

By Ben Stockton

Published September 15, 2022

Don’t want your gameplay secrets shared on Steam? You could hide your game activity instead. This guide will explain how.

With thousands of games to choose from, there’s bound to be a game you want to play on Steam. The problem is—-do you want everyone else to know about it?

Steam makes your game activity public, which isn’t great for your privacy. If you want to hide the games you’re playing; you’ll need to change your settings in your Steam profile.

Unsure what to do next? We’ll explain how to hide game activity on Steam below.

How to Hide Your Currently Played Game on Steam

If you’re online and active on Steam, it means that your Steam friends can view your currently played game. To hide this, you’ll need to change your online activity settings.

To hide your currently played game on Steam:

1. Open the Steam client.
2. Press Friends & Chat at the bottom.
3. In the pop-up chat list, press the arrow next to your username at the top.
4. From the drop-down, press Invisible or Offline.
   

By making yourself invisible or going offline on Steam, your friends won’t be able to see what you’re currently playing.

Choosing Invisible is better if you’re planning on using Steam for online gameplay. If you set yourself Offline, you won’t be able to send or receive messages through the platform.

How to Hide Previously Played Games on Your Steam Profile

Steam is a record of all of the games you’ve played. When you play a game, it’ll record when and for how long. It’ll also log any achievements you have in those games.

A Steam profile is usually private by default (although this wasn’t always the case). If you’re unsure or have made your profile public, you can change what gameplay details are shared with your friends or the wider public.

To hide your gameplay activity on Steam:

1. Open the Steam client (or visit the Steam website) and sign in.
2. Select your username and press View Profile.
3. On your profile page, click the Edit Profile button.
   
4. In your profile settings, click Privacy Settings on the right.
5. Change your My profile privacy setting using the drop-down menu. If it’s set to private, all of your game details will be kept profile (including from friends).
6. If your profile is set to Friends Only or Public, you can hide your gameplay details using the Game details drop-down and selecting Friends Only or Private.
   

Any changes you make will apply automatically to your profile. If you want to change the settings again, repeat these steps.

How to Hide a Game from Your Steam Library

Bought and played a game that you don’t want others to see? You can hide it from your Steam library entirely.

To hide a game on Steam:

1. Open the Steam client.
2. Select Library from the bigger menu bar at the top.
3. Right-click a game on the left and press Manage > Hide this game.
   

The game will disappear from your game list. It won’t be removed—you can still access it at any point.

To view hidden games on Steam:

1. Open the Steam client on your PC or Mac.
2. Select Library at the top.
3. From the menu bar at the very top, choose View > Hidden Games.
   
4. Click the game’s splash image—you’ll be able to see the wider game profile.
5. On the game profile page, select the gear icon (on the right).
6. From the menu, select Manage > Remove from Hidden.
   

When you unhide a game, it’ll return to your main Steam library. You can then access it to install and play the game as usual.

How to Permanently Remove a Game from Your Steam Library

Want to rid yourself of an embarrassing game from your Steam library for good? If you’re sure, you can remove it from your account.

To permanently remove a Steam game from your library:

1. Open the Steam client and sign in.
2. Select Library at the top.
3. From the menu bar (at the very top), select View > Hidden Games.
   
4. Find and click your game’s splash game to view the game profile page.
5. On the game profile page, select the gear icon (visible on the right).
6. From the menu, select Manage > Remove from account.
   
7. You’ll be asked to confirm your choice—press Remove to confirm.
   
8. Follow any additional on-screen instructions.

Once you’ve confirmed the game’s removal from your Steam library, you won’t be able to install or play it again without repurchasing it.

In most cases, you’ll only see this option for free-to-play games. If you see it available for a paid game, however, you’ll still lose the game from your profile. You’ll also lose your money, as the game won’t be refunded.

We’d recommend only considering this option for free games or if you’re really sure about proceeding.

Enjoy Private Gaming on Steam

If you’re embarrassed by your gameplay choices (or just want to stay private), you can hide your gameplay activity on Steam using the steps we’ve outlined above.

Don’t forget—if a game isn’t worth it, you can always ask for a refund (if you’re within Steam’s refund window). If the reverse is true and you’ve found a classic, don’t forget to share your game with your family.

Struggling to download your games on time? You might want to try and boost your Steam download speeds.