How To Enable & Disable Steam Overlay (All Games) in 2022

Do you want to Enable or Disable Steam Overlay feature?

On Steam, you can turn on and turn off the overlay feature. Once you enable the overlay feature on Steam, you can use it on top of Steam games and play steam games without opening the steam software application on your device. At the same time, you can chat with Steam friends, browser, or talk with friends while playing the Steam games.

But sometimes, you can feel the game is not running smoothly, or it’s lagging while rendering the game for a few minutes. If you face an issue or problem while enabling the overlay feature then you can turn off the overlay feature to disable it from Steam.

If you don’t know how to enable & disable the steam overlay feature and what is steam overlay then don’t worry because in this article you will know everything about the Steam Overlay feature.

So, stay with us and read the full article stated below.

What is Steam Overlay?

Steam overlay is the feature on Steam that allows you to play the games without opening the steam software application on your MAC and Windows. It allows you to use it on top of steam games, but it only works with steam games somehow you won’t be able to use it over other games on your PC or Laptop.

To chat with Steam friends, browser, or talk with friends while playing the Steam games, you can enable the Steam overlay feature but if you are feeling lag or the game is rendering slow then you can turn it off to play smooth games on Steam.

So below are the steps to enable & disable the steam overlay feature on your Windows and MAC. If you don’t have Steam on your Windows or Mac you can download Steam to disable and enable the overlay feature.

How to Disable Steam Overlay on Windows PC

To disable/turn off steam overlay on your Windows PC, follow the steps mentioned below:

  1. Open the Steam software app on your Windows laptop or PC.
  2. If asked, log in to your Steam account.
  3. Now, click on Steam from the top navigation bar.
  4. After that, choose Settings under Steam Menu.
  5. Now, click on In-Game under settings.
  6. Untick the check box of Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
  7. Finally, click on the Ok button to disable overlay.

So these are the quick steps to turn off the Steam overlay feature on your Windows PC or Laptop.

How to Disable Steam overlay for a particular game?

On Steam, you can turn on and turn off the Steam overlay for a particular game. If you want to disable the Steam overlay feature for a specific game only then follow the steps mentioned below

  1. Open the Steam app on your Laptop or PC.
  2. Now, go to the Library from the navigation bar.
  3. After that, right-click the game from the Library.
  4. Now, choose Game Properties.
  5. After that, you will see General Properties.
  6. And, untick the check box of Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
  7. Finally, click on the Ok button to stop the overlay for the specific game.

So these are the steps to turn off Steam overlay for a particular game.

Should You disable Steam Overlay?

It depends on you whether you should enable or disable the Steam overlay feature on Steam.

Since, the overlay feature helps you to chat, talk, and browser at the same time while playing the games on Steam,  it depends on how would love love to play the Steam games.

So, if you are a silent player or you don’t have to coordinate with your teammates you can disable the steam overlay feature and if you have to chat, talk or have to coordinate with your teammates then you can enable the Steam overlay feature.

How do I Enable Steam Overlay?

To enable the steam overlay feature on your PC and Laptop, follow the steps mentioned below to do so

  1. Open the Steam software app on your Mac or Windows.
  2. If asked, log in to your Steam account.
  3. Now, click on Steam from the top navigation bar.
  4. After that, select Settings under Steam Menu.
  5. Now, click on In-Game under settings.
  6. And click/tap the check box of Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
  7. Finally, click on the Ok button to turn on the Steam overlay.

So these are the steps to enable the steam overlay feature.

How do I Change the Steam Overlay shortcut?

To change the Steam overlay shortcut, follow the steps mentioned below

  1. Open the steam app on your Window Laptop or PC.
  2. Go to the Steam menu from the top navigation.
  3. Now, choose Settings from the Steam Menu.
  4. After that, click on the In-Game option.
  5. Now, click on the overlay shortcut key text box.
  6. After that, change the shortcut key from the Keyboard.
  7. Finally, save the change to create a shortcut for Steam overlay and change the Key.

So these are the steps to create and change the Steam overlay shortcut key.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

How to disable steam overlay for non-steam games

You can’t enable or disable steam overlay for non-steam games from Steam. Somehow you can disable the feature from the specific game settings if the game allows you to use the overlay feature.

How do I turn off the Steam overlay shortcut?

You can go to Settings and choose the In-Game option and key the overlay shortcut key to blank or simply clear the Key from the text box.

Does removing Steam overlay affect FPS?

No, removing the Steam overlay won’t affect the FPS of your game.

How does Steam overlay affect your gaming experience?

No, but you can see some changes in the game experience when you turn on the Steam overlay features, like slow rendering and lagging games.

Can you stop overlaying for a specific game?

Yes, you can stop overlaying features for a specific game on Steam from the Library> Game Properties.

Final Words

On steam, if you love to play the game by chatting with your friend or having a voice call conversation to make coordinate with your team players then you have to turn on the Steam overlay feature. But if you love to concentrate on the game and want to play on your strategy then you can disable the feature to overplay on Steam.

If you have gone through this article then we can assure you that now you know how to enable & disable the Steam overlay feature, if you have any confusion or questions regarding this article then you can leave us a comment down below.

If you want to explore more tricks & tips and guides on Steam Software App, you can go to the Steam sub-category from our official website Fixing Guides.

Thank You for reading this article.

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