Signing in to Steam for the first time

Every Steam account has a verification system called Steam Guard. The first time you sign in, Steam always asks for a 5-character code. This guide shows you where that code is and how to request it.

Takes about 3-5 minutes.

Before you start

Keep the order page for that account open in another tab — every credential you need is there. Go to My orders and open the item.

You will see two boxes:

  • Steam Login Data — the account's Username and Password
  • Email Login Data — the email address tied to the account, and its password

Steps

Step 1 — Open the Steam sign-in page

Click Login Page in the Steam Login Data box, or open store.steampowered.com/login yourself.

Sign in through a web browser first, not the Steam desktop client. The browser shows far more detailed error messages, so you will know exactly what went wrong.

Step 2 — Enter the username and password

Use the copy icon next to each value on the order page and paste it into Steam.

Do not type them by hand. Generated passwords mix upper and lower case and contain characters that look alike (zero and letter O, lowercase L and the digit one).

Step 3 — Steam asks for a Steam Guard code

After you submit, Steam asks for a 5-character code. Go back to the order page and look at which buttons are there.

If you see two buttons (blue and green), this account has Steam Guard Mobile attached:

  • Get OTP from Steam Mobile — try this one first. It is the code from the Steam app currently linked to the account.
  • Get OTP from email — use this when Steam sends the code by email instead.

If you only see one button (Get OTP from email), the account verifies by email only. Click it.

Step 4 — Copy the code and enter it

The code appears under the button along with the time it arrived. Click the copy icon and paste it into Steam.

Codes expire quickly. If yours expires before you paste it, just request a new one.

Step 5 — You are in. Do these two things right away

  1. Remove the old Steam Guard Mobile and link your own
  2. Change the email address and password

These two steps are what actually make the account yours. Do not put them off.

If you get stuck

The button says "code is not ready yet, wait and try again"

The system has not finished fetching the code — that is not a failure. Wait 10-20 seconds and click again.

You clicked Get OTP from email but no code appeared

Try opening the account's mailbox in full. Steam sometimes sends a confirmation link instead of a numeric code, which the OTP button cannot pick up, but you will see it in the mailbox.

Steam says the password is incorrect

Almost always this is a typo, or a trailing space copied along with the value. Copy it again using the copy icon rather than selecting the text with your mouse.

Steam asks for confirmation from another device and gives you no code to enter

See the Steam Guard confirmation box.

Last updated 2026-08-23