Create a Steam account without a phone number in 2026

Yes. Steam's sign-up form asks for an email address, your country and a CAPTCHA. There is no phone field. A phone number is optional after that, and Valve's own setup guide even shows how to add the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator without one.

What changes without a number is account recovery, not access to Steam. Everything below comes from Steam Support and the Steam sign-up page, checked on November 3, 2026.

What Steam asks for when you sign up

The Steam account creation page has these fields:

Step	What Steam asks for	Phone?
1	Email Address and Confirm your Email Address	No
2	Country of Residence	No
3	A CAPTCHA	No
4	A checkbox: "I am 13 years of age or older and agree to the terms of the Steam Subscriber Agreement and the Valve Privacy Policy"	No
5	A verification email, then a Steam Account Name and a password	No

If the email is already on another account, Steam offers to sign you in to that one or recover it, and says "if you prefer, you can make a new, separate Steam account."

How to create a Steam account with just an email

Go to store.steampowered.com/join in a browser.
Enter your email address twice and pick your country of residence.
Complete the CAPTCHA and tick the box confirming you are 13 or older and accept the terms.
Open the email from Steam and confirm it. The page will say "Waiting for you to verify..." until you do.
Choose a Steam account name and password. The account name is what you sign in with, so keep it private. Use a password you don't use anywhere else, especially not for the email account.
Restart Steam twice on your computer. Valve's Steam Guard page says Steam Guard "is enabled by default on your Steam account if your email is verified and you have restarted Steam twice on your computer since verifying your email."

If the verification email doesn't arrive, Steam's page asks you to check for typos, look in spam and trash for mail from "steampowered.com," and wait a few minutes. Valve's Steam Guard page also suggests adding support@steampowered.com and noreply@steampowered.com to your contacts.

Steam Guard by email or by the mobile app

Steam Guard is Valve's second layer of security. With it on, "you'll need to provide a special code to login from an unrecognized device." The code comes one of two ways.

Email codes. This is the default once your email is verified. Each time you sign in on a new device, Steam emails a code. To turn it on manually, in the Steam client go to Steam > Settings > Security > Manage Steam Guard and select "Get Steam Guard codes by email."

The Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator. This lives in the Steam Mobile App for iPhone and Android. According to Valve's authenticator FAQ, it generates a code that "changes every 30 seconds, can be used only once," and also lets you approve sign-ins with a notification or by scanning a QR code. Valve calls getting codes on your phone "the best level of Steam account security."

Email Steam Guard is only as safe as the inbox behind it. Valve says it plainly: "If your verified email account is stolen or compromised, a user can enter your account freely provided they know your account name." Turn on two-factor authentication for the email account too.

Can you add the mobile authenticator without a phone number?

Yes. This is the part most guides get wrong. You need a phone, the device, but not a phone number. Valve's FAQ answers "I don't have a phone. Can I still use the mobile authenticator?" with "Not at this time. A supported phone is required." That means an iPhone on iOS 13.0 or later, or an Android device on Android 5.0 or later.

The number is a separate question. Valve's setup walkthrough says at the phone number step: "if you do not have a phone number, you can still add the authenticator. To do this, select the link 'I don't have access to a phone number' below the 'Next' button."

The steps:

Install the Steam Mobile App and sign in.
On the Steam Guard tab, select Add authenticator.
At the phone number screen, tap "I don't have access to a phone number."
Write down the recovery code Steam shows you. Valve: "This code allows you to recover your account yourself, should you lose your phone or authenticator. Do not skip this step." You can find it later in the app under Steam Guard, the gear icon, then Recovery Code.

What a phone number does and doesn't unlock on Steam

People often assume trading or the Community Market needs a number. Valve's pages tie those features to Steam Guard and the authenticator, not to a phone number.

Feature	What Valve requires	Phone number needed?
Playing and buying games	A Steam account	No
Trading and Community Market	Steam Guard (email or app) enabled for 15 days, plus a purchase older than 7 days	No
Trades and listings without holds	The Mobile Authenticator for at least 7 days	No, the app can be added without one
Community features like adding friends and the Market	At least $5.00 USD spent on Steam (Limited User Accounts)	No
Resetting your password by SMS	A phone number on the account	Yes
Moving the authenticator to a new phone with an SMS code	A phone number on the account	Yes, or use the old authenticator or recovery code
Generating backup codes	"You'll have to enter the SMS code that is sent to your phone number"	Yes

Sources for the table: Valve's pages on trading and Market restrictions, trade and Market holds, Limited User Accounts and the authenticator FAQ.

Without the authenticator, trades are not blocked, just slowed. Valve says items "will be held by Steam for up to 15 days" if you haven't had the authenticator for the last 7 days. Trades and Market listings still need a confirmation, which arrives by email if you don't use the app. Valve says "there is no longer a way to opt out."

One more note from the Limited User Accounts page: one of the restricted features is "adding a phone number from some countries or under certain circumstances." Some new accounts can't add a number until they have spent $5, even if they want to.

Why Steam asks for a phone number

In Valve's words: "Adding a phone to your account gives you more options to recover your account in case you forget your password, or if your account is stolen. You can use SMS messaging to reset your password, or transfer your Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator from one phone to another." Valve "strongly recommends" it for that reason.

That is the honest trade-off. Without a number, your way back in is your email account, your authenticator, and the recovery code you wrote down. If you lose your phone and don't have the recovery code, Valve says you'll need Steam Support to remove the authenticator, and if you've also lost the email, you'll need to prove you own the account, for example with details of a payment method used on it.

If you do add a number, Valve has a few rules:

Mobile numbers only. "We are unable to accept new VoIP phone numbers on Steam," and numbers that cannot receive texts are refused too.
One number per account, though one number can be on several accounts. Valve warns that "accounts with the same phone number may be treated as the same identity" under its policies.
Bans can follow the number. If one account gets a VAC or game ban, "all other accounts that use the same phone number will also receive a ban," in games where the developer has enabled it.

Never put a borrowed or public number on your account. Whoever controls it can receive your SMS reset codes.

How to remove a phone number from Steam

From Valve's authenticator FAQ:

Sign in to Steam in the client or on the website.
Select your profile name at the top right, then Account details.
In the Contact Info section, select Manage your phone number.
Select Remove number and follow the instructions to confirm.

Before you remove it, make sure you have your authenticator recovery code, because SMS will no longer work as a backup. And if you're switching phones and losing the old number, Valve recommends moving the authenticator rather than removing it. Removing it "will prevent you from trading or using the Community Market for 15 days."

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a phone number to make a Steam account?

No. Steam's sign-up page asks for an email address, your country, a CAPTCHA and confirmation that you are at least 13. You then verify the email and pick an account name and password.

Can I use Steam Guard without a phone number?

Yes, both ways. Email Steam Guard needs only a verified email address. The Mobile Authenticator needs a supported phone, but at the phone number step Valve's walkthrough offers "I don't have access to a phone number."

Can I sell on the Steam Community Market without a phone number?

Valve's Market rules don't mention a phone number. They require Steam Guard enabled for 15 days, a purchase older than 7 days but not older than a year, and an account that has spent at least $5. Holds go away after 7 days with the authenticator.

Can I use a Google Voice or other internet number on Steam?

Valve says it is "unable to accept new VoIP phone numbers on Steam" and that you would need "a mobile or prepaid phone number." Steam tells you when you enter a number it considers VoIP.

How do I recover my Steam account without a phone number?

Use the email on the account to reset your password through help.steampowered.com, and your recovery code if you lose the authenticator. If neither works, contact Steam Support through "Help me with my issue" and be ready to show proof of ownership if you no longer have the email.

Make the email behind your Steam account a good one

On Steam, your email is the account's lifeline. It gets your Steam Guard codes, your trade confirmations and your password resets. Gmail and Outlook can ask for a phone during their own sign-up; we cover what each does in creating a Gmail without a phone number and creating an Outlook account without a phone number, and our page on email without a phone number covers the rest.

Secria Mail's sign-up is a name, the address you want and a password, with no phone number and no card. You save a 12-word recovery phrase at sign-up, so getting back into your inbox doesn't depend on a number either. The free plan has 1 GB and 2 email aliases, so Steam can get its own address while your main one stays private.

Steam doesn't need your number, and neither does your email: create a free Secria address.