Steamworks — Overlay Troubleshooting

This guide documents how to troubleshoot Steam in-app overlay display issues.

Steam Client Settings

If the end user has disabled overlays within the Steam client’s In-Game settings/preferences window, Steam overlays and popup notifications will not appear within the application window for any Steam-based game. This setting is controlled by the end user and is normally enabled by default. If overlays are not appearing as expected, this should be the first thing to check, following these steps:

  1. Display the Steam client window.
  2. On Windows, click the Steam → Settings menu item. On Mac, click the Steam → Preferences menu item.
  3. Select In-Game in the Settings/Preferences window’s left sidebar.
  4. Check the Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game checkbox.
  5. Click the OK button.

Mac System Preferences

On Mac, Steam cannot display overlays and popup notifications within an application window until the end user has given the Steam client permission in the System Preferences window. This can be done as follows:

  1. Open the System Preferences window.
  2. Select Security & Privacy.
  3. Click on the Privacy tab.
  4. Select Accessibility in the list on the left.
  5. Click the [+] button.
  6. Select the Steam application.
  7. Make sure that the Steam.app item is checked in the Accessibility list.
  8. Restart the Steam client application.

Mac App Testing

On Mac, Steam can only show overlays and popup notifications in applications that have been launched from the Steam client. Applications purchased, downloaded, and installed by Steam are normally launched in this fashion.

In order for developers to test Steam overlay support, the application using the Steamworks plugin must be added to the Steam client as a Non-Steam Game and then launched from the Steam client. For example, to test Steam overlay support within the Corona Simulator, the Corona Simulator application must be added and launched from the Steam client. The same must be done with Mac applications built from the Corona Simulator as well.

  1. Display the Steam client window.
  2. Click the LIBRARY item at the top of the Window.
  3. Select MAC from the drop-down menu.
  4. Click the ADD A GAME… button in the bottom-left corner.
  5. Select Add a Non-Steam Game… from the popup menu.

  1. Browse for the app in the Add a Game window.
  2. Check the app and click the ADD SELECTED PROGRAMS button.

  1. Now that the selected application has been added to the Steam client’s library, you can launch it from the Steam client by clicking the PLAY button. The application will then be able to display Steam overlays and popup notifications within the application window, but only if In-Game overlays are enabled by the user within the Steam client as documented above.