How to add multiple users and switch between them on the Steam Deck

The Steam Deck has steadily gained a reputation for being the best handheld console on the market ever since its launch in 2022. It works a lot like a portable PC and thanks to its Steam OS, each device can maintain multiple user profiles with the service's well-known Family Share feature.

Over the course of the last year, there have been multiple games that are currently Deck verified, and its library continues to expand with more games getting ported and some newly released titles arriving with complete compatibility.

Interestingly, the device has a quality-of-life feature that allows one to add new users to it, while at the same time making it possible to easily switch between those added users.

Unfortunately, Valve is not very clear on how one can go about adding these user profiles to their Deck. Today's guide will go over the steps that are required to add and switch between multiple profiles on the Steam Deck.

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Adding multiple users on the Steam Deck

To add and switch between multiple accounts on the Steam Deck, you must follow these steps:

• The first step will be to create a secondary Steam account. It’s best to do this on a PC, either through an internet browser or through the Steam Desktop app. Once you have successfully created an account, you will then be required to shift back to the Steam Deck and boot up the device.
• Once the Deck is online, you will then need to press the profile picture that is located in the top right-hand corner of the screen. You can touch the screen to gain access to the settings options of the account.
• After scrolling down, you will need to select the “Change Account” option and then click on the “+” icon. You can then log in through the second Steam account with your newly created credentials and permanently add that account to the device.
• At this point, both the previous user and new user log-ins will be saved on the Deck, and you will be able to pick between the two every time that you boot it up.

By following these steps, you'll be able to freely switch between accounts and activate Family Sharing to share games across all of the profiles on the device.

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Why should you add multiple accounts on the Steam Deck

Being able to enjoy Family Share across all the accounts is not the only positive feature that you can enjoy on the Steam Deck. Users will also be able to customize as well as adjust the system settings to their requirements, which will then be saved onto that particular profile.

Based on the titles that the users play, their system settings will differ quite a bit, and adding different accounts and adjusting them accordingly will save you the trouble of constantly having to readjust the settings every time someone else uses the device.

Considering that the Steam Deck can be used as a portable desktop, being able to switch between users on the fly is certainly a quality-of-life feature that significantly improves the device's ease of use.