Steam · Independent guide
Forgot Your Steam Password? Reset It the Official Way
Steam handles forgotten passwords through its "Help, I can't sign in" page on help.steampowered.com. You find your account by email, phone number or account name, confirm with a code, and set a new password. If the code never shows up or the account can't be found, the fixes below cover that too.
Show me the reset optionsWe never ask for your password or codes. You type them only on steampowered.com or in the Steam app.
Concept illustration, not a screenshot of the recovery process.
On this page
Steam's own reset
Every step points to help.steampowered.com, the Steam client, or the Steam Mobile app.
No passwords here
We never collect, store, or ask for your password, Steam Guard codes, or reset codes.
Independent guide
Respawnr is not affiliated with Valve; Steam's screens change, so follow what your account shows.
Available methods
Which path works depends on what you still remember and what is saved on the account.
Find account by email
On the Find Account step, enter an email address you use; Steam sends a code to the account's email.
Find account by phone number
Works only if a phone number is saved on the account; Steam can then confirm the reset by text.
Search by account name
Use the link for people who know their account name. That is your sign-in name, not your profile name.
Change password while signed in
If the client is still signed in, change it under Steam > Settings instead, using the code Steam emails you.
Steam Support request
If automatic recovery fails, Steam shows a form to contact Steam Support at the end of the flow.
Reset stuck? Where each dead end leads
Most failed resets come from the wrong inbox, the wrong name, or waiting too little.
The code email never arrives
It went to spam, or Steam's email is delayed; Steam says wait up to 30 minutes.
Next available step: Check spam, add Steam's support and noreply addresses to contacts, then request one new code.
Steam says no account was found
You searched with your profile name or an email that was never on the account.
Next available step: Try each email and phone you might have used, or search by your exact account name.
Not sure what the account name is
The account name never changes and differs from the name friends see.
Next available step: Look through old Steam emails for your sign-in name, or search by an email or phone you used.
The code goes to an email you can't open
Codes go only to the last email address registered on the account.
Next available step: Recover that inbox with its provider first, or contact Steam Support from the Help page.
Steam asks for a Steam Guard code you can't get
The phone with the authenticator is lost, reset or replaced.
Next available step: Use your recovery code if you saved it, or follow our lost-phone guide.
A site or message asks for your code
Steam sign-in only happens on steampowered.com, steamcommunity.com and help.steampowered.com.
Next available step: Close it and type help.steampowered.com into the address bar yourself.
Your email and password were both changed
That is a takeover, not a forgotten password.
Next available step: Follow the changed-email guide; Steam says you can always contact Steam Support, even then.
What changes when the reset goes through
A reset changes more than the password; here is what to expect.
Starting point
Before the reset
- You can't sign in to the Steam client or steampowered.com with the old password.
- You may not be sure which email, phone or account name is on the account.
- A reset code is waiting in the inbox or on the phone saved on the account.
- Devices that stayed signed in may still show your library as usual.
After the change
After the reset
- You sign in with a new password; Steam says it can't be one you used before.
- Steam sends a confirmation email about the change to the address on the account.
- Other devices may ask you to sign in again; review them on your Authorized Devices page.
- Steam says trading and the Market pause for a while after a Help-site reset.
Steam's screens and steps change over time, so follow what the Help page shows for your account.
A few details worth knowing
How do I reset my Steam password if I forgot it?
Go to help.steampowered.com, choose "Help, I can't sign in", then choose "I forgot my Steam Account name or password". Find your account by email, phone number or account name, enter the code Steam sends, and set a new password.
What is the difference between my Steam account name and profile name?
The account name is what you sign in with, and Steam says it can never be changed. The profile name is what friends see and you can change it any time, so it won't find your account in a reset search.
Why isn't the Steam reset code arriving?
Check spam first, and make sure you're looking in the inbox that is actually on the account. Steam says emails can take up to 30 minutes, so request a new code only after waiting.
Can I reset my Steam password with just my phone number?
Yes, if a phone number is saved on your account. Enter it on the Find Account step and confirm with the text Steam sends; if no phone was ever added, use email or your account name instead.
Is it safe to click a Steam password reset email I didn't ask for?
Don't click links in it. Open help.steampowered.com yourself and check your account, since an unrequested reset or code email can mean someone is trying your password.
Go a little deeper
- Steam Account Name vs Profile Name vs Steam ID
What your Steam account name, profile name and SteamID each do, which one you sign in with, why scammers copy profile names and what Support asks for.
Official guidance
Check the platform’s current instructions and the options shown for your own account.