Steam’s Revamped Mobile App

Valve just updated the Steam mobile app on Android and iOS, and it’s vastly different (in a good way) than the previous version. In addition to a new redesign, it comes with a couple of new features that are supposed to make it easier to sign in on Steam without having to enter a Steam Guard code.

For one, the app lets you view your entire game library, which appears in a grid-like format, showing game covers and titles that you can sort through with the included filters. You remotely update and download games on your PC and receive notifications for sales, friend requests, and more. The app also introduces a new “store browsing experience for mobile screens,” as well as a way to search for and purchase games, complete with the community and news items you’re used to in the desktop version. With the update, you can scan a QR code to get into your account on your computer or laptop, eliminating the need for you to enter your username, password, or Steam Guard code. When you sign in with a QR code, Steam says the app will display a confirmation page along with a map and geolocation of where your device is located. From here, you can verify that you’re the person who’s signing into your account, not a hacker.

If you don’t want to use your camera to sign in, you can also confirm that you’re signing in with an “Approve” or “Deny” prompt that will appear on the app. While this lets you skip entering a Steam Guard code, you’ll still have to enter your username and password. The app will also display a list of authorized devices, allowing you to sign out of Steam remotely if you left your account logged in on someone else’s PC, find out when it last used your account, or revoke access altogether. Steam first rolled out the beta version of the app in August. As someone who can never keep track of their Steam password (and finds Steam Guard codes annoying), this all comes as a welcome change. Steam says it’s also working on bringing its new QR code sign-ins to the Steam Deck and is updating its Chat app with “various bug fixes” too, which is coming to Android today, with iOS “soon to follow.”