Steam Friends Network Unreachable Error – 4 Methods

Steam is a gaming platform where users can download, play and manage all the games in one place. It is no doubt the best video game digital distribution platform with millions of monthly active users. However, recently some Steam users reported that they have been facing friends Network Unreachable error when they try to access the friends list in Steam.

The error goes like “FRIENDS NETWORK UNREACHABLE” (This failure may indicate that your local network is offline or that the Steam Friends servers are currently offline) RETRY CONNECTION.

As per the error statement, the friends Network Unreachable error is caused because of an internet connectivity issue. However, it’s not the case every time. Most users are facing this error even though they have a stable and fast internet connection.

So, what are the other causes for this error? and How we can fix this error? If these questions are coming to your mind then you must surely check the article below. We have given answers to all your questions in the below article. Stay tuned!!

Introduction to Steam:

Steam is a digital distribution platform developed by Valve. Initially Steam does not use to be a video game distribution platform instead it was designed as standalone software to give automatic updates to the game developed by Valve. But later it started publishing games from third-party publishers.

The services provided by Steam include Digital Rights Management(DRM), video streaming, server hosting, social networking services, etc. The Steam client application is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android operating systems.

It was first released 17 years ago on September 12, 2003. Since then it has been growing and has become one of the largest distribution platforms for PC games. In 2017, 18% of the total games purchased worldwide were bought through Steam.

Valve has also launched the function limited version of a Steam client called Steam for school that is available for free. It was launched to support the Valves initiative of gamification of learning.

Steam has been releasing updates to provide an error-free and better user experience to its customers. The most recent update was released on April 12, 2021. But, despite the efforts, some errors just don’t go easily just like the friends network unreachable error in Steam.

However, this error can be fixed from the users end. So let us see how we can fix this error but before that let us see the causes for this error.

What are the causes for the Steam friends network unreachable error?

Here are a few factors that might be responsible for the friends network unreachable in Steam.

Slow Internet connection: This is the most common cause for this error. So make sure you have a stable internet connection to fix this error.

Steam Cache files: The cache files help up fasten up the process however when corrupted can cause issues. So to fix it you need to clear the Steam cache files.

Steam Beta version: If you use the beta version of the Steam client application then make sure you keep it updated to the latest version. Steam rolls out updates to fix the bugs in the previous versions. So if the application is not updated you might face the Steam friend network unreachable error.

Also read: How you share Robux to friends on Roblox

How to fix the Steam friends network unreachable error:

As we know one of the causes for the Steam friends down error is a slow internet connection. So, before we start with the solutions to fix the error, Restart your router and check if the error persists. Also, connect to a different network and check for the error.

If you still face the error then here are few solutions that will help you fix the Steam friends network unreachable error.

Solution1: Leave the Beta programs

The beta versions of an application are unstable and can contain a lot of bugs. The company fixes the bugs through updates. So one needs to keep the Steam client application up to date. However, if your Steam application is updated to the latest version and you still face the friends network unreachable error then you must leave the beta program.

If you don’t know how to opt-out for the beta program in Steam then follow the below steps:

1. Open the Steam client application and log in to your account.
2. Click on the Steam tab on the top left corner and select the settings option from the dropdown menu.
3. In the Settings window, click on the Accounts option on the left navigation pane and click on the change button in the beta participation section
4. A new window will appear, in that select “NONE – Opt out of all beta programs” option from the dropdown menu and click on OK. to save the changes. Exit the Steam application
5. After that, you will be removed from all the beta programs and you will no longer receive any beta updates. Now, open the Steam client application if the error exists.

Solution 2: Change Steam properties

A lot of users on the forums reported that changing the steam properties helped them solve the friends network unreachable error on Steam. All you have to do is add -nofirendsui in the Target area. If you don’t know how to do it follow the below steps:

1. Hover your cursor on the Steam client application and right-click on it and select the properties option.
2. A new window will appear. In that add “-nofriendsui” in the target window and click on Ok to save the changes. for eg: “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe -nofriendsui“
3. Lastly, open the steam client application and check for the error. You must be able to access the friends list.

Note: If you still face the error i.e. -nofriendsui does not work then try writing -nofriendsui -nochatui in the target window. If that also does not work then try “-steamos“.

 

Solution 3: Delete the web browser cache from Steam:

Some users also reported that clearing the web browser cache and browser cookies helped them solve the friend unreachable error in Steam. To do it follow the below steps:

1. Open the Steam client application and log in to your account.
2. Click on Steam on the top left corner and select the option settings
3. In the settings window, select the Web Browser option from the left navigation pane.
4. Next, click the “DELETE WEB BROWSER CACHE” and “DELETE ALL BROWSER COOKIES” button and click on Ok.

After this, the friends network unreachable error must be resolved. However, if you still face the error then you can move on to the next method.

Solution 4: Delete the Steam local and roaming folders

If the above methods do not help you solve the error then another method that you can try to fix the can’t connect to friends error on Steam is deleting the local and roaming folders. Here are the steps to do it.

To delete the Steam local app data:

1. Press Windows + R on your keyboard to open the run prompt and type “%localappdata%” and hit enter.
2. Search the Steam folder
3. After you find the folder right-click on it and select delete. This will delete the Steam local folder.

To delete Steam Roaming data:

1. Open the run prompt and type “%appdata%” and hit enter.
2. Search the Steam folder and tap on it.
3. Then right-click and select the option delete to clear the Steam roaming data.

After this open the Steam client application and check for the error. You must be able to access the friends list without any issue.

Conclusion:

So in this article, we have successfully discussed the Steam friends network unreachable error. We discussed the causes of this error and the possible solution to fix this particular error. I hope, the above solutions helped you solve this Steam error. If you face any difficulty reach out in the comment box.

Happy Gaming!!!