THE SHORT ANSWER
Steam Families lets adult members manage parental controls for accounts added as Child members. Those controls include daily playtime allowances, permitted play windows, playtime reports, and requests for additional time.
- Steam Families replaced the former Steam Family Sharing and Family View features.
- Steam Families distinguishes Adult and Child members, and adults can manage parental controls for Child members.
- A Steam Family can be created and a child's account invited as a Child member through the Family section of Steam's settings.
- Playtime Limits combine a daily allowance applying across Steam games with permitted play windows.
- Multiple play windows can be configured within a day, but the cited step-by-step guide says schedules cannot be customized separately for each day of the week.
- Steam Families provides playtime reports that allow an adult to review a child's usage.
- A child can request additional playtime, and a family adult can approve or deny the request.
How to Set Daily Playtime Limits for a Child in Steam Families
Steam Families lets adult members manage parental controls for accounts added as Child members. Those controls include daily playtime allowances, permitted play windows, playtime reports, and requests for additional time.
1. Add the account as a Child member
In the Steam client, open Settings → Family. Create or select your Steam Family, then invite the child's Steam account as a Child member.
The member type matters: parental controls apply to Child members, while Adult members manage the family and its restrictions.
2. Open the child's parental controls
From the Family settings, select the child's account and open its parental-control options.
3. Configure Playtime Limits
Enable Playtime Limits, then configure:
- Daily allowance: the total amount of time the child may spend playing Steam games that day.
- Permitted play windows: the periods during which the child is allowed to play.
Multiple permitted windows can be set within a day. However, the cited step-by-step guide states that the schedule cannot be customized separately for each day of the week.
The controls work together: the allowance limits total playtime, while the permitted windows determine when that time may be used. For example, a two-hour allowance combined with a 4–8 p.m. window permits up to two hours of play during that window. The allowance applies across Steam games, including Counter-Strike; players can find practical Counter-Strike help on Counter-Strike How.
4. Review usage and handle extra-time requests
Steam Families provides playtime reports so an adult can review a child's usage. When the child reaches a limit, they can request additional playtime, which a family adult may approve or deny.
About older Family View instructions
Valve states that Steam Families replaced the former Steam Family Sharing and Family View features. Guides centered on configuring a Family View PIN therefore describe the older system rather than the current Steam Families controls.
Quick recap
- Open Settings → Family.
- Invite the child's account as a Child member.
- Open that account's parental controls.
- Enable Playtime Limits.
- Set a daily allowance and permitted play windows.
- Use playtime reports and additional-time requests for ongoing management.