The steam guard helps prevent unauthorized access to your Steam account by adding an extra layer of security to your account.
However, sometimes when you’re trying to set up the Steam Guard Authenticator on your Steam app, you can’t receive the SMS code to complete the setup. In a few cases, you can’t see the Steam guard even when you have enabled the Authenticator.
It is mainly caused by a bug when your Steam app can’t communicate properly with the Steam servers. If you are experiencing this issue, there are a few ways to fix it. In this article, we will show you the methods to overcome this bug.
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How to Fix Steam Guard Not Showing Code
The first thing you need to do when you can’t receive the code via SMS is to force close the app and try to add Authenticator again. If you can’t still get the code, you can try these methods that have solved this issue for most users.
Through Edit Profile Option
This method is applicable when you can’t receive an SMS code on your phone number when you’re trying to add Steam Guard Authenticator.
To fix this issue, follow these steps:
- Close the Steam app if it’s already opened and relaunch it.
- Tap on the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner.
- Now, tap on your profile picture. This will take you to your profile page.
- Tap on the Edit Profile button.
- Scroll down to the end of the page and tap on the save button. (You don’t need to edit or change anything.)
- Now, tap on the three horizontal lines again and select Steam Guard.
- Tap on Add authenticator.
- This will take you to the next screen, where you’ll be asked to enter a code sent to your mobile number.
Now, you’ll receive an SMS message with a code on your phone. You can enable the Steam Guard by entering this code on the Steam app. Check if you can see the Steam guard after adding the Authenticator. If you can’t see the code, then you can try the next method.
Remove Authenticator on Your Old Phone
If you have purchased a new phone and are using the Steam app on your new phone, you might not be able to use the Steam guard as it is still tied to your old device. To use the Steam guard on the new phone, you first need to remove the Steam Guard Authenticator from your old device.
To remove the Steam Guard Authenticator from your old phone:
- Open the Steam mobile app on your old phone.
- Tap on the three horizontal lines to open the Steam menu.
- Tap on Steam Guard, then Remove Authenticator.
- Now, you’ll be asked if you really want to remove the Authenticator or not. Tap on Remove Authenticator.
This will remove the Steam Guard Authenticator from your old phone.
To add Authenticator on your new phone:
- Force stop the Steam app and relaunch it.
- Tap on three horizontal lines, then select Steam Guard.
- Tap on the Add authenticator button.
- Enter your phone number and tap on the Add phone button.
- Now, you’ll be asked to verify your email.
- Check your email and click Next after verifying it.
After verifying your email, Steam will send you a code on your mobile phone. You can add Steam Guard Authenticator by entering this code on the app. Now, check if you can see the Steam guard. If it still doesn’t show the code, you can move on to the next method.
Update Your Android System WebView
Since the Steam mobile application emulates the version of Steam in WebView, having an older version of WebView may prevent your app from accessing the latest contents from Steam’s servers.
To update the WebView:
- Open Google Play Store app.
- Tap on your profile picture to open the Google Play menu window.
- Tap on Manage apps & device option.
- Tap on See details option under the Updates available menu,
- Now, locate a program called Android System WebView and tap the Update button next to it.
Once your WebView is updated, launch the Steam app on your phone and check if you can see the Steam guard. If you still cannot see it, then try the next method.
Update Your Default Mobile Browser
Having older versions of web browsers may also be the cause of this issue. So to make sure that your Steam mobile app is working properly and is in sync with the web version of Steam, it is important to have the latest versions of browsers on your phone.
To update your Web browser:
- Launch Google Play Store on your phone.
- Tap on your profile picture to bring the Google Play menu window.
- Then tap on Manage apps & device option.
- Under the Updates available menu, tap on See details option.
- Now, scroll down till you see the web browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.) installed on your phone and tap on Update.
Once all the web browsers have been updated, open the Steam app and check if you can see the Steam guard now.