Skip to main content

Updated Steam mobile app lets you download games from your phone

Valve has released the updated Steam mobile app on Android and iOS, revamped with improvements to its framework and user interface design. The new and improved app also comes with new features, including the ability to download Steam games remotely from your phone and log in with a QR code.

Introducing the updated Steam Mobile app

Remote game downloading is the most notable feature to come with the revamped Steam mobile app, and it works the same way as the PlayStation app. You can download games directly to your PC so that they will be ready for you to play once you get home. An added bonus to this feature is that the Steam app now displays all the games in your library.

The Steam remote mobile app shows details for Control.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The QR code option helps you log into Steam immediately instead of manually with your username and password. It uses two-factor authentication. A confirmation page will pop up in the app after scanning the code with your phone, giving you details like a map and geolocation of the device you’re using Steam on to verify your identity and ensure that only you are approving your own login attempt. And if your password is leaked in some way and someone tries to log into your Steam account, you can decline that attempt.

Recommended Videos

Even if you still want to sign into Steam the old-fashioned way, the Steam app will still ask if you want to accept or decline the login attempt. Valve said it is working on bringing the QR code login to the Steam Deck but hasn’t given a timetable to integrate that.

Cristina Alexander
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Cristina Alexander is a gaming and mobile writer at Digital Trends. She blends fair coverage of games industry topics that…
You can try a radical new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game on Steam right now
The Ninja Turtles pose together in key art from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown.

Steam Next Fest is here and you're likely about to be up to your eyeballs in video game demos. There are plenty of promising indies you can try for free during the event, and we'll coming at you with some recommendations as we uncover the gems. If you need a place to start, though, look no further than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown.

The Turtles' latest adventure is unlike any they've embarked on before. It's not some form of beat-em-up, but a turn-based strategy game by I Am Your Beast developer Strange Scaffold. The tactics genre may sound like an odd fit for our reptilian friends on paper, but it works surprisingly well. That's thanks to a new spin on the genre that gives players much more to do on a single turn. It's a fast-paced tactics game that feels spiritually linked to the Turtles' arcade days in ways you may not see coming.

Read more
Steam Next Fest: what it is, start times, games, and more
The Steam Next Fest logo.

We all have a list of upcoming video games that we're eagerly awaiting getting our hands on. Waiting is always the hardest part, but Valve tries to make that wait a little bit more bearable with its Steam Next Fest events. Hosted multiple times a year, this gives PC players a chance to play demos for a ton of upcoming PC games while the celebration is going on. This is the perfect chance to get an early look at some games you have on your wishlist, but also get exposed to some new games you hadn't heard of before. This is a major event with tons to do and not a lot of time to do it, so here are all the details you need about Steam Next Fest to make the most of it.
What is Steam Next Fest?
Steam Next Fest - February 2024 Edition Official Trailer

In short, Steam Next Fest is an event Valve hosts during select times during the year where developers can all release demos for their upcoming games at once for everyone to see. The entire Steam page will be taken over with featured demos, streams, and more to encourage people to check out these projects and add them to their wishlists.

Read more
Like T-Mobile? You can pay your phone bill by playing games
T-Mobile REVVL 7 PRO 5G back.

How much time do you spend playing mobile games on your phone? A lot of people use them to pass the time, but Metro by T-Mobile customers could double down and work toward paying off their monthly bill. The carrier has partnered with the Ad It Up app to let users earn points by shopping, playing games, and answering surveys. All those points can be placed toward your next month's bill.

This only works for a few specific carriers, including Cricket and T-Mobile. Anyone can download the app, but will receive an alert that their carrier isn't supported if it's any besides these. The available games include Coin Master, Traffic Puzzle, and Cube Master, but there are others to choose from if none of those fit your tastes. For example, you can play the wildly popular 2048 puzzle game to earn points.

Read more