It's been a long time coming, but Valve has finally made some major updates to the Steam app for Android and iOS, as well as the Standalone APK (opens in new tab). Changes include improvements to the user interface and underlying framework, as well as some interesting new features.
“We’ve completely revamped the Steam Mobile app,” Valve says. “You’ll still be able to browse the store, get Steam Guard codes, and confirm trades – with additions like QR code scanning for PC login, smarter notifications, a new Library view with remote downloads, and customizable guides.”
Users can now log into multiple accounts on the mobile app, as well as manage device access, so you can rest assured you're not still logged into your ex-best friend's machine.
You can also use the app to remotely start Steam downloads on your PC, so you can have them ready for you when you get home. You can even customize the tabs now located at the bottom of the UI and customize which page you see as your home page.
I took a look at the app myself this morning, and the UI looks a lot better than it did before. There’s less of that “we built this in the 90s using HTML” vibe. The fact that you can now point your phone at your PC and use a QR code to log in, like you do on Discord and WhatsApp, is a huge usability win. It’s especially useful if, like me, your partner whose machine you intermittently need to log in to share your library is using some obscure keyboard layout. (opens in new tab).
One of my main issues with the app, however – and someone please correct me if I’m doing something wrong – is that when you’re scrolling through a long list of games and decide to click on one, using the phone’s back button will take you back to the top of the list again, or to a different section entirely. It’s a similar case with Valve’s Steam Deck, where Steam OS will send you back to the top almost at random, and it’s very difficult to scroll back to where you were in the list.
The ability to go back to where you were when scrolling through the store, something that has been missing in every iteration and is bugging me. Just wanted to put this out there, but overall the update is great.
From yesterday Steam News Hub Post (opens in new tab) has more details on how to get the most out of the app update, and for now, it's good to know that Valve's focus on making the Steam Deck more user-friendly has spread.
Next up, Valve says it will be working on bringing QR login to the Steam Deck, tinkering with new types of notifications, and making it possible to change device authorization in the Steam Client as well as in the browser.
