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Steam · Independent guide

Steam Trade Hold After a Security Change: Why It Happens and When It Ends

Concept illustration of game items and an hourglass representing a trade hold.

Steam holds items leaving your account when it cannot be sure the owner approved the trade, most often because the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator has not been on the account for the last 7 days. The hold gives you time to cancel a trade you did not make. It runs out on its own, and nobody, including Steam Support, can skip it for you.

See what each hold means

We never ask for your password, Steam Guard codes or trade links. Everything here happens in your own Steam account.

Concept illustration, not a screenshot of the recovery process.

On this page

Steam's own rules

Hold lengths come from Steam Support's trade and Market restriction pages, read September 2026.

No codes, no passwords

We never collect your sign-in details, Steam Guard codes or recovery code.

Independent guide

Respawnr is not affiliated with Valve or Steam; check your current account settings.

Access, trading and play are different

Match the wording in Steam’s notice. Recovering your account does not automatically remove another restriction.

Account access

Can’t sign in?

Start with the login or recovery route for your account.

Check sign-in options

Trading & Market

Items held or trading restricted?

A hold delays item delivery. A restriction may stop you from trading or using the Market.

Compare the notice

VAC / game ban

A ban named in the notice?

Check the specific ban policy. Password recovery is a separate process.

Understand VAC bans

Check Steam’s current hold guidance ↗, restriction rules ↗

The words Steam uses around a trade hold

Steam uses several similar words; each one works differently and ends differently.

Trade hold
After both sides accept a trade, Steam keeps the items for up to 15 days, according to Steam Support, before delivering them.
Market hold
After you create a Community Market sell listing, the item waits before it appears on the Market for buyers.
Trade Protection (Counter-Strike 2)
CS2 items are not held; they arrive at once but stay Trade Protected for 7 days, and the sender can reverse the trade, which restricts the sender's account for 30 days, according to Steam Support.
Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator
The Steam Guard in the official Steam Mobile app; once both people in a trade have had it active for at least 7 days, the trade is not held, according to Steam Support.
Other trade notices
Other trade notices (cooldowns, security restrictions, trade bans): see the trade ban guide.
Explore the glossary

From your first hold to trades without holds

Adding the authenticator ends future holds after 7 days; holds already running finish on their own.

You have your own phone with the official Steam Mobile app and can sign in to your own Steam account.

  1. A trade or listing goes on hold

    Steam holds items leaving the account because the authenticator was not active for the last 7 days.

    What to check: Steam shows when the held items will be delivered.

  2. Add the Mobile Authenticator

    In the Steam Mobile app, turn on the Steam Guard authenticator and save the recovery code it shows.

    What to check: The app shows a Steam Guard code and your trades ask for confirmation in the app.

  3. Wait out the first 7 days

    New trades and listings made in this window are still held; the authenticator does not shorten existing holds.

    What to check: Held items from before keep their original delivery date.

  4. Confirm trades in the app

    Once the authenticator has been on for 7 days, you confirm trades and listings in the app instead of waiting.

    What to check: New trades are delivered without a hold date.

  5. A security change restarts a restriction

    A password reset, or removing or moving the authenticator, blocks trading and the Market again for a set time.

    What to check: Steam explains the restriction when you try to trade or list an item.

These lengths are what Steam Support states today and can change. Steam Support cannot shorten or lift a hold or restriction, and there is no legitimate way to skip one, so any site or person offering to remove your hold is a scam.

Your account before and after 7 days of the authenticator

What changes once the Mobile Authenticator has been on your account for 7 days, according to Steam Support.

Starting point

Without the authenticator, or added less than 7 days ago

  • Items you trade away are held for up to 15 days, according to Steam Support.
  • Market listings wait before they appear to buyers.
  • A new device confirmed by email cannot trade or use the Market for 7 days.
  • Sign-in codes for new devices come by email, and trades wait out a hold instead of an in-app confirmation.

After the change

Authenticator active for 7 days or more

  • You confirm each trade and listing in the Steam Mobile app on your own phone.
  • Confirmed trades are no longer held for security reasons.
  • Signing in on a new device does not add the 7-day device block.
  • A trade you did not make would need your phone, not just your password.

The switch happens by itself after 7 days. It does not undo holds already running, and a later password reset or authenticator change can bring a restriction back.

A few details worth knowing

How long is a Steam trade hold?

Steam Support says items leaving an account without 7 days of Mobile Authenticator protection are held for up to 15 days. Steam shows when your held items will be delivered.

Why do I have a trade hold after resetting my password?

Steam restricts trading and the Market after a password reset: 5 days, or 30 days if the account had no activity for more than two months, according to Steam Support. A password change made from the Steam client's settings does not count as a reset.

Can Steam Support remove or shorten my trade hold?

No. Steam Support says it cannot modify trading or Community Market restrictions, regardless of the circumstances. Anyone promising to remove a hold is running a scam.

I see a held trade I did not make. What should I do?

Cancel it while it is still on hold; that is exactly what the hold is for. Steam will then block trading for 7 days. Secure your account right away with the hacked-account guide linked below.

Does adding the authenticator end my current hold?

No. Adding it only stops holds on trades made after it has been active for 7 days. Holds already running end on their original date.