Do you use Steam Guards Mobile Authenticator?
I don't use it, cause I don't have a smart phone and therefore don't use the app :-)
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I highly recommend you use Winauth. It's safe and it emulates authenticators for many games to include Steam. I use it personally for 6 things and I have separate hotkeys which copy and paste the code for me for stuff like battle.net and steam. It's worth the extra protection and I've been using Withauth for around 4 or 5 years now. It's open source, so the code is transparent. In short, you don't need a smartphone to have the security you deserve.
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I used it to add an extra layer of security on my account but will be removing it if they're going to use it for trading.
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Well, when I activated the mobile authentification I recieved a code via SMS (from a number that also sends SMS' from Microsoft). I guess that is how it will work.
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I'm not using it ... but from what i've getting is this:
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from 23rd on you'd have to confirm trades from the Steam Mobile App > so the text says in the screenshot
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if you wan't to disable: it you'd have to use that smartphone and probably the same sim (not sure for the sim) * see FAQ
but it may only require using the same phone + installed app WHILE having access to the interwebs on the phone (not sure either ...) -
^ that if it works out, or you have to contact steam support to disable it ... according to the FAQ
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You use the mobile steam app. If you have it activated. everytime you purchase something or want to send a gift or anything that affects your inventory or steam wallet (except puting card(icons in the market) steam ask for an additional 5 letter/digit code that is shown in the bottom part of the steam app in your mobile. (you only have to launch the app its not necesary to be logged into steam in the mobile app).
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Actually it doesn't even need internet.
When you open the app it shows a code which regenerates every 30 secs
This code has to be entered whenever you sign in to Steam
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Well it still isn't clear if there will be an alert within the app asking you to confirm trade or it will be the regular insert code in browser to confirm trade (like when logging in)
The former will require internet but not the latter
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I've added the phone number for the 2 step authentication, which worries me is the "steam mobile app", will they send a sms or I'll have to use the app? Because I would be fucked with windows phone :p
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hi, the text points clearly @ having to use the s.m.app for the confirmation. also deactivating the authenticator
requires using the app or in case you lost/trashed your phone > contacting support.(according to the faq)
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Well, I did give Valve my phone for some protection. But if I'll have to confirm every trade, then I'll either have to stop trading and exchanging duplicate cards, or I'll have to cancel Steam Mobile Auth., as apparently I have to pay for all messages from Valve.
Or are those two different things?
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I don't think it will require any payment. There will be either an additional confirmation dialog in the app or we have to use code to confirm trade like when logging in.
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From Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator FAQ:
"Do the SMS messages you send cost me anything?
Standard messaging charges may apply; check your wireless phone plan to confirm".
I don't have problem paying for one SMS once in a years, when I need to login somewhere else/buy new PC. But trading is something much more often...
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Receiving rarely ever costs unless you live in some undeveloped country.
Googling "-phone provider- sms fees" would answer the question fairly quick as well.
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I have to pay for 3rd+ or 5th+ SMS I receive from my bank when I do Internet Payments and need code to authorize (I barely need 2 a month, so not exactly sure when it starts).
And those "Horoscopes" and other stuff that has "subscribe and receive SMS a day about stuff" also take money out of your phone for every SMS received.
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Wow I didn't know receiving SMS still costs in some places
The above text says we'll have to confirm trades using Steam mobile App so I don't think it will be SMS based
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It's mostly for subscriptions (like "Daily Horoscopes"), but yes, it happens.
I gave Valve my phone number and received SMS with code, no idea if those two things are treated as same Valve Mobile Auth., or something completely different.
...hmmm, maybe I'll try to login on laptop, just to see what will happen...
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I have Windows Phone and is bad beacause Steam app is not available in WP Store
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some info from a steam mod
"Seems you got the rumor wrong.
After the 22nd if you are using steam mobile to authenticate you will need to use steam guard mobile auth to confirm.
If you dont use steam mobile auth you dont need to confirm with a mobile.
in layman terms: people who dont use the app wont be affected by this
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thanks for info
never think to give valve my phone number
but maybe very useful for people who set their alts as storage massive amount of expensive items
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This won't stop people from running a mile with yet another "GRR, ARG, STEAM DID A THING, LETS BE ANGRY FOR NO APPARENT REASON" deal.
I really can't understand why some folks are so quick to assume the worst of Valve with their track record.
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Because, yeah, it's Volvo. Even when they try to help users to protect their accounts that's a ground to raise torch and pitchforks. xD
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I just hope they won't require having this mobile authenticator in order to trade. Just like they've done it with Steam Guards a few years ago. For now they can sod off.
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i dont have a smarthphone to use the app, just an old cell phone to recived sms from work or study mates and YEAH it pisses me off steam is asking for my phone number every time i login into my account.
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None of the choices apply. :3
Mobile authentication is important, but I wish there would be an option to turn it off. Like, right now, I can turn off e-mail trade confirmation.
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Whew this scared me for a moment. I don't have a mobile and even if I did, it wouldn't work at my home. I hope they don't make it necessary at some point.. Many things are requiring a mobile now.
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Just let me use third-party apps for 2FA. I don't want to use the Steam app when I have a perfectly working Authy.
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I'm just going to do what most of the other people here will do : Just not use mobile authentication as an extra layer of security for marketplace trades. A bit like how you don't have to do email confirmation on all trades.
I guess life would be boring without yet another doomsday meteor to chant about.
It's not like the article itself explains how to disable it if you don't want it or anything. \:3/
People are so quick to rail on Steam. It's almost like they WANT to be angry at something, a bit like how (happily) excited the certain people get whenever they hear rumours of yet another doomsday meteor.
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Have fun when your account gets stolen - Support will not give you anything back.
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Well i'd say that will be perfectly reasonable - have you seen anywhere an announcement being made?
Except for the pop up asking for your phone number, and if you trade you'd might have seen the Note in the Window.
Much like the changes with Gifts > they happened OVER NIGHT with 0 announcements. Sure this isn't as important,
but will fuck with lots o' folks and make them angry why? Their not expecting it, and will prove as an unpleasant
surprise in one or another way.
From what i'm getting you need a interwebs connection + steam app on your phone ... for the trade confirmations if you'd use Mobile Auth. And deactivating it requires that phone, interwebs and use of the steam app > if you don't have those > steam support.
^ Easy to figure what could become an obstacle ...
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Being annoyed at not enough information is different to gathering up in united, open anger on Valve/Steam as a whole. Adding a new layer of optional security doesn't effect anybody who doesn't want to use it, hence why I couldn't understand the sudden wave of anger. Not expecting something doesn't really validate anger beyond a certain level (surprise birthday parties? heh). Unexpected or not, it's still a positive and optional thing they added.
And yeah, as far as I can tell, it's just a mobile confirmation layer. Still optional though, and no, it seems that you need an internet-enabled mobile device to ENABLE it, and it starts off disabled. See, these are the kinds of things that people should check before they start dropping tantrums. Having a collective stomping fit just in case they maybe do something really dumb, and not actually checking to see if they did? Yeah, that still makes the kneejerk "OMFG STEAM U SO BAD" deal still pointless bandwagonry.
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You're obviously unable to relate ... yet willing to debate about something pointless and insulting outside the subject, that doesn't even exist (here & YET) - namely that tantrum/hysteria/bandwagon of "united open anger". Good luck finding one after the 23rd October i'd guess you won't have a hard time doing so.
Oh and since you bothered to point this out:
Still optional though, and no, it seems that you need an internet-enabled mobile device to ENABLE it, and it starts off disabled.
"And no" - what? Eager to disagree, aren't we?
Starting on 23rd October people using SGMA - Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator will have to confirm their trades with the Steam Mobile App.
^ Doesn't that go without saying - its in the very first sentence i put up and even highlighted the "crucial" part?
(using it = having it ENABLED)
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Interesting. There's only one page to this thread? I could have sworn there were several, and looking back on the comments they do all seem pretty chill/neutral. I could have sworn it there were more pages, and there was the (usual) "omfg steam is the worst" / "this is just another middle finger to us customers!" / "boycott XYZ!" bandwagon rolling. I'm not even sure how I made this mistake, and a bit perplexed at that. Paranoid, even. :s
"Eager to disagree, aren't we?"
Eager to be passive aggressive, aren't we?
Seriously, cut that out. :P
My point was that if you were using the mobile authenticator, it should be an absolute and complete non-issue because that very prerequisite establishes that you have a mobile device and connection to begin with, which seems to be the entirety of the criticism it is drawing. "But what if I don't have a mobile device that can use an authenticator app?". It wouldn't apply. Unless there is something vital I'm missing here? Because at the time of my previous post I really didn't pick up on any other subtleties.
To summarise what seems to be the central gripe going down here with a sloppy example :
"Starting next week, people who use a horse-drawn carriage to access to this road will have to pet their horse on the head on each time they trade!"
"But what if I don't have a horse-drawn carriage or use this road? THEN WHAT!?"
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"Starting next week, people who use a horse-drawn carriage to access to this road will have to pet their horse on the head on each time they trade!" "But what if I don't have a horse-drawn carriage or use this road? THEN WHAT!?"
And here i thought you didn't understand, but you do - only you don't see the (potential) problem, good for you ...
e. added Note1 and Note2 - your posts inspired me, that people might want to read a more foolproof text,
that takes you gently by the hand and leads you straight to that Dreamland, with the horse-drawn carriage
(oi, thx m8te - you're aye riel loif saver)
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Well, feel free to outline the potential problem then. :U
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Alrighty:
- 1 lost, broken, miss-placed, left, stolen phone > you're fucked temporarily or severely
enjoy your glorious steam support (yet again you likely won't care if you don't trade
nor that confirmation is required for anything else)
- 2 disabling works only with that phone + steam app + interwebs combine that with - 1
and there we go + why in 7 hells would i require my smart-phone to disable that,
unless i'm uber pc-noob installing everything i come across
- 3 so STEAM is ASKING even though i don't give a crap about their SGMA nor Steam-App
for my phone-number to prep me for that ... while I'm aware of it, and don't want to use,
nor give them my phone-number - wth ...
- 4 you see ... last "Security Update" namely activating Steam-Trade-Confirmations (E-Mail)
was a condition for ANY support of Steam in case your steam-inventory ITEMS get stolen or simply "disappear"
(and god forbid you'd need them) . . . now guess where this is going (soon enough)?
- 5 the smart-phone (not to mention that of the average derpson) is the LEAST secure device i could think of ...
- 6 so confirming mails isn't enough time wasting pain (for cards and low value items)
if i'd use that i'd have to pick up the damn phone up and confirm some code in the steam app
to get my trades/confirmation done - hell no; yeah it would be substituted with confirming with the app
... but i don't consider that neither more secure, nor easier/faster to use
- 7 from what i read in the FAQ, and that is my only source of information, confirming trades works through the app
for which you need interwebs on your phone for the app to work - in my case i barely use it to look up
anything except for maps and i don't leave WiFi on - wasting the battery and having to recharge it even sooner
^ not that big a deal still ... boils down to > using 2 devices (personal computer any kind + device with simcard)
for what? > Steam lol, slow down there buddy (steam) its only games, but if you trade or would require in future it for regular confirmations a pain in the arse ...
Currently i can't think of more reasons ... some might be personal preference, which is why i didn't put them up if you can't foresee potential the problem its likely you're not affected in the first place, if you can, you're likely able to prevent those unpleasantries.
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1) Hmm, that would suck. Normally I would just call that a trade-off for the extra security, but I imagine being unable to use the marketplace until steam support eventually gets around to responding would be something worth grumping about. But that's just it, grumping, not hating. An awful lot of the people who have been harsh on new security measures have also in the same breath complained about items going missing and that steam aren't doing enough. It's either one or the other. Security or convenience. It's rare to find a solution that has both. The system could use some tweaking though.
2) I believe that's to make sure the verification is successful. Consider that if someone hijacked your account and was trying to feed your gear off out to a launderer, if they could simply disable the mobile confirmation from wherever they log in, it kind of undermines the reason for the mobile authentication step. Still, I agree, that's a pain. Perhaps a second password could have been used to disable it from within the client?
3) Yeah, a little annoying but easily shrugged off. Pretty sure there's a button that says 'not now' or 'no thanks', and Steam have asked for this information long before these changes came about (SMS verification, account reset, etc?).
4) They won't ever make that step mandatory simply because not everyone will own a smartphone (or a supporting smartphone).
6) I didn't really see that as an issue, until I considered what it would be like trying to trade for a batch of single items (like a card set). Though the email trade confirmation thing only triggered when you were trading directly with someone. Using the marketplace itself circumvented that, and really unless an item is rare or something more expensive, the marketplace is far quicker and usually cheaper than trying to find an individual trader manually.
7) It seems Valve's reasoning here, is that if you're already using your mobile to use steam services to begin with, then the mandatory mobile verification step wouldn't be too much of a problem. It relies on the physicality of the phone to serve as a form of identification, whereas any other hijacker is pure digital in nature and highly unlikely to have also stolen your phone. The only people these kinds of tiny delays are likely to impact are people who systematically try to turn a profit off trading, and that was never really the intention of the marketplace. Still, Valve could have perhaps toyed with the idea more before going through with it. Community input might have yielded some good ideas, but it really comes down to either having quick and convenient transactions, or secure transactions and more resistance against hostile efforts.
I'm sure Valve will rethink it after they get swamped with trouble tickets, though! >:3
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Good arguments - yeah, no matter whats to come its unlikely to stay
in a "unfavorable/vulnerable" state, until updated again.
- 4 hadn't considered it well enough - you're right, that can't to become a premise - even if one used SGMA before
- 3 Can't remember - if at all once a year, just recently though, quite often clicked "no thanks" ~ 3 - 4 times already.
- 2 Hadn't read anything else in the FAQ and not using it myself (nor knowing the exact new features as there is no info) sure doesn't help figuring. What very likely can be done without the phone, is simply disabling steam-guard -> account is unable to do any trades for 2 weeks. That and a part of the trade will be still on your computer to accept/decline with
a further selection.
Wouldn't make SGMA the devil or anything ... still doesn't appear
to be what i'd want to use from what i've seen/read so far.
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The way I see it, Valve (or if you prefer to them as Steam) have the worst record when it comes to big store support. Make a ticket and hope you get feedback within 2 weeks. Just my experience with Valve (sorry, if you insist: Steam).
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That's a completely different subject to Valve adding a new (optional) level of security, though.
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Pretty sure using the app to get Steam Guard codes and only giving your phone number to Steam are different things...
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I wouldn't mind this... but they really should add more options to generate codes. Being able to use the Google Authenticator app would go a long way to support more devices for example. It's a solid app that has sort of become standard for a lot of services.
Also, it would be really nice if they had hardware authenticators similar to what Blizzard has with Battle.net. Basically a cheap little keyring that can generate codes. I'd get one of those for Steam in an instant if they were available.
They can do a lot more than what they are doing currently to make it easier to use.
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Well, I have shitty Bada (Samsung GT-S8500) and Steam Mobile App dont support it, so idk if this new rule good or not.
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No need to worry, you can't be affected - you'd have to enable the SGMA protection first,
which requires to my "FAQ-knowledge using a phone with the Steam Mobile App.
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Not using it and probably wont. Even more now that they plan on bothering us for every trade we make.
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Starting on 23rd October people using SGMA - Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator
will have to confirm their trades with the Steam Mobile App.
Note1: Giving your phone number is just a step to prepare you for its optional use.
Note2: using SGMA = having it enabled - if you did not enable it, you're not using it ...
Not that i'd know but if they do that for trades, then it'll be pretty much used for
everything that requires a confirmation, if not yet in due time - i'd guess.
Added a poll just for clicks ... might explain why the steam community is/was sporadically offline since yesterday.
Personally i don't, and don't care much for it, as long they don't request a phone number or to have M.A. in general for confirmations.
Android/snapple os phones aren't exactly known to be safe Systems (even though i don't "fuck around", on my phones)
safe(r)(st) are probably the ones that aren't very popular: BrokeBerry, Tizen?, Bada?, Windows ...
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