Summary
- Adding another account to your Steam Deck is easy, just tap your account icon in Game Mode then select “Change Account” and use the plus “+” button to sign in.
- Switching between accounts is simple using the same “Change Account” button or by selecting an account when your Steam Deck restarts.
- Because of the way SteamOS currently handles save data, there is a chance that one user could get access to another user’s save data (or even overwrite it, resulting in data loss).
You can share your Steam Deck with other members of your household, and you can add each member’s Steam account. It’s easy to set up, but the process isn’t without its issues.
How to Add Another Account to the Steam Deck
Adding another account to the Steam Deck is easy. This assumes that your secondary account is ready to go, but just in case it isn’t head over to the Steam website and register for an account. Once verified, grab your Steam Deck.
Access your profile by highlighting and selecting (or tapping using the touchscreen) your user icon in the top-right corner of the screen while in Game Mode.
Scroll down and tap on the “Change Account” button and confirm the action if prompted to close any games or apps you have open.
You’ll be greeted with the login screen you saw when your Steam Deck was brand new. Tap on the “+” plus button and sign in with your secondary account.
Once you’ve verified with a code from the Steam app or your email address, you’re good to go!
How to Switch Between Accounts on the Steam Deck
To switch between accounts, access your profile using the button in the top-right corner of the screen in Game Mode and tap “Change Account.”
You’ll also be prompted with the user selection screen whenever you restart your Steam Deck. To remove an account, highlight it on the login screen and hit the “X” button on the Steam Deck.
Sharing a Steam Deck Is a Flawed Experience
While the multiple-user experience should be as smooth as it is on the Switch or a Windows PC running Steam, there are some issues with Valve’s implementation. These stem from the fact that the Steam Deck uses a single account for its underlying Linux operating system.
Since most games save data to a common location, this can introduce an issue where a previous user’s save data is accessible to a different account holder. The issue can even result in data loss, particularly if Steam’s cloud saves feature doesn’t work correctly.
This issue has been extensively documented online, notably in one very long and detailed Reddit post. Though the issue has been known since 2022, a bug report thread on Steam has evidence of data loss happening as recently as a few weeks ago (January 2025) at the time of writing.
This is despite a Valve employee claiming “We fixed this a couple of years ago because it already affected Windows as well.”
If you’re thinking of sharing a Steam Deck, consider the potential for data loss and wonky save file behavior if you intend to play the same games (and honestly, why wouldn’t you?). Otherwise, maybe it’s time for everyone in the family to get their own Steam Decks.
Don’t Forget to Enable Steam Family Too
If you’re not put off by the save data bug, and you still want to share your Deck with multiple people, you should take the extra step of enabling Steam Family to share your library. This lets other account holders access games you’ve purchased.
Be aware that only one user can access the library at a time (and the account owner is given priority), so you can’t use your Steam Account on Windows while someone else plays on the Steam Deck. You should also be aware of the privacy implications of sharing your Steam Replay with family members.
