Steam lets you change your password from the client’s Security tab after verifying a 5-character code sent to your account email.
Steam rejects a previous password as the replacement, so learning how to change a Steam password also means having access to the email tied to the account. If that email still works, the desktop client gives you a direct password-change flow; if you cannot sign in, Steam Support provides account recovery instead.
The steps below follow Steam’s current support instructions. The most common snag is not the password field itself but the verification message, so check your spam folder before assuming the process failed.
How Do You Change A Steam Password In The Client?
Steam changes an account password through the desktop client’s Security settings. You verify the request with a 5-character email code, then enter a password Steam has not accepted for that account before.
- Open the Steam desktop client and sign in.
- Select Steam in the upper-left corner, then choose Settings. On a Mac, Steam labels this menu Preferences.
- Open the Security tab and select Change Password.
- Choose the option to send a verification email to the address associated with your Steam account.
- Open the message from Steam Support and enter the 5-character code it contains.
- Enter a new password that meets Steam’s strength requirements and has not been used previously on the account.
Steam sends a confirmation email after the password change is completed. That message is your confirmation that the new password is active.
Steam Password Changes: What Steam Requires
A Steam password change depends on account access, email verification, and an acceptable replacement password. Knowing those requirements before you start prevents most interruptions.
Steam’s security guidance says a password should contain at least six characters, mix uppercase and lowercase letters, and include at least one number. Steam also advises using different passwords for Steam and the email account attached to it.
Forgotten Passwords Use Account Recovery
A forgotten Steam password belongs in the recovery flow, not the signed-in settings flow. Steam Support can identify the account from an email address or phone number, and it also provides an account-name search when you remember the login name.
If automatic recovery cannot restore the account, Steam says the process can present a support form. Be ready to provide proof of account ownership, possible Steam Account login names, and email addresses that may have been used on the account. This is the correct process when the current password is completely unknown.
| Part Of The Change | Steam Requirement | What To Check |
|---|---|---|
| Signed-in account | Access to the Steam client | Use recovery if you cannot sign in |
| Settings menu | Settings on Windows | Mac uses Preferences |
| Security page | Security tab | Select Change Password |
| Verification | Code sent by email | Use the account’s associated email |
| Email code | 5 characters | Copy the code from Steam Support’s message |
| New password | Must meet strength rules | Do not reuse a previous Steam password |
| Completion | Confirmation email | Check for Steam’s notice after the change |
What If You Cannot Access Your Email?
Steam’s normal password-change flow needs the email address associated with the account. If you cannot receive the code, use Steam Support’s recovery process rather than repeatedly requesting messages you cannot open.
If the linked mailbox is no longer available, follow the recovery prompts until Steam offers the support path available for that account. Account ownership details matter here because the normal verification message cannot reach you.
Steam’s official password change and recovery instructions cover both the signed-in client process and the fallback when you have forgotten the password.
When The Password Change Fails
Password changes usually stop at one of three points: the email never appears, the verification code is rejected, or Steam refuses the new password. Fix the point where the process stopped instead of restarting every step.
For a missing verification message, check spam or junk mail and confirm that you are looking at the email tied to the Steam account. If Steam rejects the replacement password, use a password that has not been used on that account before and that meets the current strength rules.
| Problem | Likely Reason | Next Move |
|---|---|---|
| No verification email | Message filtered or wrong inbox | Check spam and the account’s associated email |
| Code does not work | Entry does not match the email code | Re-enter the 5-character code exactly as shown |
| New password rejected | Previous password or weak format | Create a different password that meets Steam’s rules |
| Cannot sign in | Current password unavailable | Use Steam Support account recovery |
| No email access | Associated mailbox unavailable | Use recovery and provide ownership details if asked |
| Unexpected password email | Someone may be trying to alter the account | Review account security and authorized devices |
| Account was hijacked | Credentials or device may be compromised | Secure the email and scan the computer before recovery |
Secure The Account After A Password Change
A new Steam password fixes the credential, but a compromised account may need more work. Steam Support advises checking Authorized Devices, using Sign out everywhere when something looks unfamiliar, reviewing the attached email account, and scanning the computer for malicious software.
- Use a password you do not use on any other site or service.
- Give the linked email account its own different password.
- Enable Steam Guard two-factor authentication if it is not already active.
- Never enter Steam credentials on a site outside Steam’s official domains.
If the account was stolen, secure the email account and scan the computer before resetting Steam again. That sequence reduces the chance that the same stolen email session or malicious software will capture the replacement password.
Finish The Change Without Missing A Step
The full process is short: open Steam’s security settings, verify the request through email, choose a new password, and confirm the change. Use account recovery only when the normal signed-in flow is unavailable.
- Open Steam > Settings on Windows, or Steam > Preferences on Mac.
- Select Security > Change Password.
- Send the verification email to the account’s associated address.
- Enter Steam’s 5-character verification code.
- Create a new, unused password that meets Steam’s strength requirements.
- Check for the confirmation email, then review Steam Guard and authorized devices if the change followed a security concern.
References & Sources
- Steam Support.“How do I change my Steam account password?”Provides Steam’s current client steps, email verification process, password requirements, and recovery direction.