PSA: Downgrading (Obsolete!)

[lightwo]

No longer works

The old app versions cannot authenticate to Steam any longer. So long.

However, read along and you will find potential solutions under the I don't want to use a mobile app section. It is possible that the desktop utilities no longer work, but feel free to test.

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This post is mirrored from here.

Attention!

Please avoid relying on the recovery code the newer app versions provide, it may be incorrect due to a bug! This can be identified if the code is of a different length than R##### (R-5 digits). If you wrote down your code before the app update, it shouldn't be an issue.

Also note that legacy chat the entire app has become unusable.

Android

1. Disable automatic updates for Steam app in Google Play or Aurora Store (i.e. add to blacklist), depending on what you use
   
2. If you want to keep using mobile Steam Guard and still use the phone number, skip this step. If you have it enabled but no longer want to use it, disable it now (note: disabling in any case causes a 15-day Community Market cooldown; transferring may not take as long, reportedly only 2 days)
   
3. Uninstall the app; while it wipes the data, including Steam Guard information, transferring authenticator to another device doesn't require the original to be intact
   
4. Obtain the old version
   
   • Universal: Download old version of the app directly from Steam here (archived[web.archive.org]) (2.3.12), or from APKMirror here[www.apkmirror.com] (2.3.13).
     
   • Aurora Store: Enter the Steam app page, under the [...] menu press Manual download, enter 6549178 (2.3.13) and press Check.
     
5. Install the app (in the case of Aurora Store, it should be installed automatically)
   
6. If you had mobile Steam Guard enabled previously, enter your credentials, hit "I no longer have access to my authenticator." instead of entering the code, follow the steps (typically involving a confirmation SMS) and you're done! However, don't forget about the 2 day cooldown outlined previously

iOS

WIP; I have no iOS device to test on, it probably involves jailbreaking. Anyone willing to help, please comment.

I don't want to use a mobile app

Either:

• Disable Steam Guard entirely (not recommended) or enable Steam Guard over email on this page. Note that neither of these are as secure, and in the case of email-based authentication, trade and Market holds will be introduced
  
• Use a desktop utility
  
  • Windows: Steam Desktop Authenticator[github.com]
    
  • Linux: steamguard-cli[github.com]
    

[ツ]

Originally posted by cridus:

a minute ago I tried opening the app and I found myself logged out. logging in doesn't work.
could this be the end for the previous version of the app?

mee too, i opened this morning and i got my account logged out and can't sign in back, crap, what to do now? i hate the new version.

[ツ]

Originally posted by Be Gay, Do Crimes, Smoke Weed!:

Originally posted by cridus:

a minute ago I tried opening the app and I found myself logged out. logging in doesn't work.
could this be the end for the previous version of the app?

Looks like it. Keeps logging me in for a second, then kicks me back out. This sucks.

same, it's like bouncing, it doesn't work, cannot login anymore, damn

[Taylor Swift's private jet]

Originally posted by Be Gay, Do Crimes, Smoke Weed!:

Originally posted by cridus:

a minute ago I tried opening the app and I found myself logged out. logging in doesn't work.
could this be the end for the previous version of the app?

Looks like it. Keeps logging me in for a second, then kicks me back out. This sucks.

So it's not just me. This is so annoying. I don't want to use the laggy new app.

[Jayden]

happening to me too...

luckily steam authenticator still intact but if I update then steam will probably delete thousands of steam messages that i have going back all the way to 2021...

[ツ]

Originally posted by Jayden:

happening to me too...

luckily steam authenticator still intact but if I update then steam will probably delete thousands of steam messages that i have going back all the way to 2021...

right steam guard code still there, but we can't confirm trade/ item selling on market, it's a mess...

[↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect]

Originally posted by Jayden:

happening to me too...

luckily steam authenticator still intact but if I update then steam will probably delete thousands of steam messages that i have going back all the way to 2021...

But if we can no longer sign in the chat messages are good as gone.

[Rich]

Same problem. Sad to see the app go, the new one is terrible.

[lightwo]

They bricked it.

It seems that the new login flow is now enforced. Considering that it's probably only authentication that is affected, any updated third-party Steam software should still work, but I will try to confirm if what I use still works.

[lightwo]

The good news is that there are two Android apps in development that may be able to substitute both major Steam apps in the future.

Note that neither app is in a reliable state yet!

Consider them alpha quality for now. Feel free to contribute, but don't be surprised if most features are unfinished.

Namely, for chat, Lossy's Vapulla fork[github.com] aims to be in line with the latest features, and for everything else, Jetisteam[github.com] tries to re-implement the modern Steam app itself.

Both apps use native libraries as opposed to exclusively using WebViews (React).

[Jayden]

Originally posted by lightwo:

The good news is that there are two Android apps in development that may be able to substitute both major Steam apps in the future.

Note that neither app is in a reliable state yet!

Consider them alpha quality for now. Feel free to contribute, but don't be surprised if most features are unfinished.

Namely, for chat, Lossy's Vapulla fork[github.com] aims to be in line with the latest features, and for everything else, Jetisteam[github.com] tries to re-implement the modern Steam app itself.

Both apps use native libraries as opposed to exclusively using WebViews (React).

is there common knowledge on the specific file that steam mobile app stores their chats on?

i may just store the file where my steam chats are stored and update the app

however it is most likely encrypted or unreadable so all i can do is pray that somebody makes a reader at this point :/

[lightwo]

Originally posted by Jayden:

is there common knowledge on the specific file that steam mobile app stores their chats on?

i may just store the file where my steam chats are stored and update the app

however it is most likely encrypted or unreadable so all i can do is pray that somebody makes a reader at this point :/

Steam app stores an SQLite database that contains chat messages among many other things.

/data/data/com.valvesoftware.android.steam.community/databases/SteamLocal.db

An SQLite reader is enough to go through the data.

[Auftragsmoerder]

I can now use the authenticator without logging in? Sounds like all i wanted :D

The rest sounds like a mess tho, i think i wait and hope all the newest problems get flattened out first. Thanks for keeping us updated

[lightwo]

Originally posted by Auftragsmoerder:

I can now use the authenticator without logging in? Sounds like all i wanted :D

The rest sounds like a mess tho, i think i wait and hope all the newest problems get flattened out first. Thanks for keeping us updated

It isn't that simple. On the legacy app, not only are trade confirmations unavailable now, but password change confirmations too, and possibly other high risk operations. 2FA is far from the only Steam Guard feature.

[Auftragsmoerder]

Originally posted by lightwo:

It isn't that simple.

Apparently. I was just happy that something is happening, hopefully leading to the app being fixed soon

I was not happy about WHAT was happening, as it sounds like breaking the app for most - as it was broken for me the update before...

[lightwo]

Originally posted by Auftragsmoerder:

Originally posted by lightwo:

It isn't that simple.

Apparently. I was just happy that something is happening, hopefully leading to the app being fixed soon

I was not happy about WHAT was happening, as it sounds like breaking the app for most - as it was broken for me the update before...

No, the TOTP codes were always available as long as you had at least one active instance of Mobile Authenticator regardless of whether an account was logged in.

Valve isn't fixing the old versions, they are getting rid of all the legacy backend services that powered them, which means the app is now as useful as a brick.

Sure, you could keep using it just to generate codes, but this is a huge risk if you have no access to Confirmations since changing the password won't be possible as long as you keep the Mobile Authenticator intact.