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]
    

[Devsman]

I don't understand how they screwed up so badly with this new version.

I'll try this. Thanks!

[hypercybermegatron]

I've got a feeling that Valve will some how break this workaround on the server end, but that's probably a while off yet.

[TKOdarkshadow]

This new app is terrible. Who tested this?

[Devsman]

Publicado originalmente por TKOdarkshadow:

This new app is terrible. Who tested this? :sad_creep:

Nobody, from the looks of it.

[Vashh]

You sir are awesome really appreciated, this works perfectly. <3

[Hamsterchen VR]

This post needs a pinning ...

[jerk store]

Publicado originalmente por TKOdarkshadow:

This new app is terrible. Who tested this? :sad_creep:

Contractors did it, Steam went cheap they used to develop in house...they are all about profit...and now we are stuck with something they don't seem to concerned about considering it's been out 2 months now after forcing it on everyone that auto updates and doesn't want a 15 day trade hold downgrading to old app.

[Alcoholic]

Publicado originalmente por jerk store:

Publicado originalmente por TKOdarkshadow:

This new app is terrible. Who tested this? :sad_creep:

Contractors did it, Steam went cheap they used to develop in house...they are all about profit...and now we are stuck with something they don't seem to concerned about considering it's been out 2 months now after forcing it on everyone that auto updates and doesn't want a 15 day trade hold downgrading to old app.

Well the best case scenario is to downgrade and sacrifice 15 days

[<eVa> Boss Llama]

What a horrifyingly stupid update. Thank you for this rollback info.

Came home from a trip, booted up with intention to log in and play, and the app gives me 5 tabs of unskippable crap followed by logging me out and trying to demand always-online access along with use of my camera. Absolutely not. I will remove Steam from my phone entirely before I allow them that kind of access.

This is the kind of crap that everybody was yelling about when Steam first showed up with always-online DRM for our games. Valve put people at ease with many years of just quietly working and not being intrusive, but the recent changes to make a disgusting social media-like interface and this intrusive app nonsense is a shift in a terrible direction.

[Soap]

Thanks for this as it gave me some advanced warning.

I know it’s fairly standard procedure these days for tech companies to update things without putting much/any effort into informing users in advance, or giving them justification, or even knowing the audience at all. But the changes are too big for that. Not that it’s ever been a good method for those with communications responsibilities.

If I wasn’t patient enough to dig through the app to find where things are tucked away, like the refreshing authentication code, then I would’ve uninstalled it immediately on the first load when it said it needed to access my camera. Valve would do well to remember it exists because of its users, NOT the other way around. This isn’t the sort of thing that it’s better to apologize for after and only if you upset/annoy people.

With the new app, there’re both negatives and positives (which don’t yet outweigh the negatives). I’ll try it for a bit and hope it’s improved in those areas. But I cannot express strongly enough, how poorly this change was conducted.

The old app was definitely better for the majority of my uses.

[Captain Chirac]

I can't believe you've spent so much time writing this. While I agree 100%:

- Valve doesn't care (consumers will keep consuming, and nobody can pretend they'll be buying "less Valve stuff" at this point);
- 90% of all Valve consumers are clueless in general and will say this app is good because it is shinier and looks more modern and it's good to have a separate chat app (yes, I've actually seen people saying stuff like that);
- Biden and Macron got (re-)elected.

Nope, nothing will change. Thankfully, unhappy users, meanwhile, can always find alternative ways.

[Pesebrero]

Kudos for this, the new app is just terrible.

[Lord Condemort]

The previous versions of the application are not sending the SMS with the keys needed to activate steam guard.

I'm getting an "i don't know what... blah blah blah, invalid session blah blah blah" error when i try to ask a new SMS with the key. (I'm loged in)

Any tip?

[lastbreath]

I have old Steam installed on my previous device but it looks like Steam Guard codes don't work anymore and I can't login

[lightwo]

Publicado originalmente por Lord Condemort:

The previous versions of the application are not sending the SMS with the keys needed to activate steam guard.

I'm getting an "i don't know what... blah blah blah, invalid session blah blah blah" error when i try to ask a new SMS with the key. (I'm loged in)

Any tip?

I believe you don't need the app for that at all, go to Account Details > Contact Info in an external browser or the desktop client and try it from there.