To hide online games on Steam, you can control your online visibility, manage game visibility within your library, and adjust your profile's privacy settings. Each method serves a different purpose for ensuring your gaming activity is hidden as you desire.
Methods to Hide Games on Steam
Here are the primary ways to hide your online status or specific games on Steam:
1. Appear Offline with Invisible Mode
The most direct way to hide your online activity, including what game you're playing, is to set your Steam status to Invisible. This allows you to play games and chat with friends as usual, but you'll appear offline to everyone else.
- How to Activate Invisible Mode:
- Launch the Steam client on your computer.
- In the top menu, click on Friends.
- From the dropdown menu, hover over your current status (e.g., "Online") and then select Invisible.
- Benefits: You can still play any game, including online multiplayer games, and send messages, but your friends will not see you as online or currently playing a game.
- To Revert: Simply go back to the "Friends" menu and select Online or Away to change your status.
2. Hide Games from Your Steam Library
If you wish to declutter your game library or keep certain games from being easily seen by others who might use your computer, you can hide them from your personal library view.
- How to Hide a Game in Your Library:
- Open your Steam Library.
- Locate the game you wish to hide.
- Right-click on the game title.
- Select Manage > Hide this game.
- The game will no longer appear in your main game list.
- How to View and Unhide Hidden Games:
- In your Steam Library, click on View at the top.
- Select Hidden Games.
- To unhide a game, right-click on it and select Manage > Unhide this game.
- Important Note: Hiding a game from your library only removes it from your personal view. It does not prevent others from seeing it on your public Steam profile if your profile privacy settings allow it.
3. Adjust Your Profile Privacy Settings
For comprehensive control over who sees your game details, playtime, and entire game library, you need to configure your Steam profile's privacy settings.
- How to Change Profile Privacy Settings:
- Open the Steam client or go to the Steam website.
- Click on your profile name at the top right and select View profile.
- On your profile page, click the Edit Profile button.
- Select the Privacy Settings tab on the left-hand side.
- Here, you can adjust settings for:
- My profile: Controls who can see your profile page (e.g., Public, Friends Only, Private).
- Game details: Controls who can see your game list, games you own, playtime, and achievements. Setting this to "Private" or "Friends Only" will hide your game activity from public view.
- Friends List: Controls who can see your list of friends.
- Benefits: This is the most effective way to prevent others from seeing your entire game collection, your game activity, and playtime on your public profile.
Summary of Hiding Options
| Method | What it Hides | Primary Benefit | Impact on Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invisible Mode | Your online status and current game activity | Play games and chat while appearing offline. | Friends see you as offline; no "playing" status. |
| Hide Game (Library) | Selected games from your personal Steam library. | Declutter your library; prevents casual discovery on your PC. | Only affects your view; doesn't hide from public profiles. |
| Profile Privacy | Your game list, playtime, and achievements. | Full control over who sees your entire gaming history/library. | Prevents non-friends or public from seeing your game details. |
By utilizing these methods, you can effectively manage and hide your online games and activity on Steam according to your preferences.
