In short
How do I recover a stolen Steam account?
Steam Support says to do two things first: scan your computer for viruses, keyloggers and spyware, and change the password of the email account linked to Steam. Then reset your Steam password at help.steampowered.com. If you've lost your Steam Guard authenticator and its recovery code, you need Steam Support's help through the same site. Steam Support never asks for your password or authenticator codes.
How Steam accounts get stolen
- Through the email: whoever controls the verified email can reset the Steam password, so they only need your account name.
- Malware: it can sign in from your own, already authorized computer, so the hijacker doesn't need to know anything about the account.
- Phishing: fake sites and people posing as Steam or Valve staff. Steam says support is handled only through help.steampowered.com.
- Steam Guard files: Steam never asks for them. Someone with your .ssfn file, account name and password can get in without your email.
Recover it in Steam Support's order
- 1Scan your computer for viruses, keyloggers and spyware before you change anything, so the new password isn't stolen too.
- 2Change the password of the email account linked to Steam, and don't use the same password for your email and Steam.
- 3Go to help.steampowered.com, choose Help, I can't sign in, and reset your Steam password.
- 4Once you're back in, deauthorize all other devices from Manage Steam Guard on your Account Details page, and check the email address and phone number on the account.
Lost phone or Steam Guard authenticator
- If you can, get a replacement phone with the same number from your mobile provider: Steam can then send SMS codes to it.
- To move the authenticator to a new phone, sign in to the Steam Mobile App and choose Move Authenticator, or, without the old phone, I no longer have access to my authenticator, and confirm with an SMS code.
- Without the phone and without your recovery code, you need Steam Support's help to remove the authenticator. If you can't open the account's email either, Steam asks you to include proof of account ownership in the ticket.
- For emergencies, you can get backup codes from Manage Steam Guard. Steam suggests printing them rather than keeping them on your computer.
Trade and Market holds
- Trades or Market listings created before you add a mobile authenticator, or in its first 7 days, are held for 15 days.
- Moving the authenticator to a new phone places a 2-day trade and Market restriction.
- Removing the authenticator means 15 days without trading or the Community Market, so Steam recommends moving it instead.
- Adding an authenticator doesn't shorten holds that are already in place.
What doesn't help
- Giving your password, a Steam Guard code or an SMS recovery code to anyone: Steam Support and Valve employees never ask for them
- Running a program someone sends you to “fix” or “optimize” Steam: Steam says it's almost certainly malware
- Entering your login on any site other than steampowered.com or steamcommunity.com, even if the link looks like Steam
- Paying a “Steam admin” who contacts you: Steam Support works only through help.steampowered.com
Frequently asked questions
The Steam Guard email doesn't arrive.
Make sure you're checking the inbox of the email on the account, look in spam, and add support@steampowered.com and noreply@steampowered.com to your trusted senders. Exit Steam and sign in again for a new code. Steam asks you to contact it if the email still hasn't arrived after 3 hours.
Someone from “Steam Support” asked for my code.
That's a scam. Steam says its support representatives never ask for your password or authenticator codes, and that support is handled only through help.steampowered.com. You can paste the message into our message checker.
Why are my items on hold?
Steam holds trades and Market listings for 15 days when they're created before you add a mobile authenticator or in its first 7 days. After that, they're no longer held.
Official sources
The platforms' own help and policy pages. We are not affiliated with them.