Top 7 Ways to Fix Steam Friends Network Unreachable on Windows

Steam is a one-stop shop to buy games and even claim free ones. You can also add friends and play with them. But some users face the ‘Steam Friends Network Unreachable’ issue and cannot play with their friends.

The reasons for this issue include a glitched Steam client, misconfigured Steam settings, and outdated Steam web browser data, to name a few. We will discuss fixes to solve this issue and help you connect with your friends.

1. Terminate and Restart Steam

Steam’s app and related processes can sometimes face a glitch and stop working properly. Before trying out advanced fixes, you must completely close the Steam app and restart it with admin rights. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut to open the Task Manager.

Step 2: Type Steam in the search bar at the top. Press Enter to find all the associated processes.

Step 3: Right-click on a process and select the End task option. Repeat the same for all related processes.

Step 4: Close the Task Manager window.

Step 5: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu, type Steam in the search bar, and click on the Run as administrator option.

Step 6: The User Account Control window will open. Click on the Yes button.

2. Modify Steam Executable File

If you are facing the ‘friends list says disconnected and not showing up’ issue in Steam, you can modify the executable file to not launch certain features at startup. Here’s how:

Step 1: Press the Windows key the open the Start menu, type Steam in the search bar, and click on the Open file location option.

Step 2: Select the Steam executable file and press the Alt + Enter keyboard shortcut to open the Properties.

Step 3: Go to the Target field and click on it. Type -nofriendsui -nochatui at the end of the path. The final path will look like this:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -nofriendsui -nochatui

Step 4: Click on the Apply button and then click on the OK button.

Step 5: Close the Properties window. Launch Steam to check if the Steam friend list is blacked out or not.

3. Customize Friends and Chat Settings

Misconfigured Friends and Chat settings in Steam can also be the reason for the ‘friends list says disconnected and not showing up’ issue. Repeat the following steps to adjust these settings:

Step 1: Launch Steam. Click the Steam menu at the top-left corner. Select the Settings option from the drop-down menu.

Step 2: Click on the Friends & Chat option in the vertical menu.

Step 3: Locate the ‘Sign in to friends when the Steam client starts’ option. Click on the toggle next to it to enable the setting.

Step 4: Close the Settings section. Completely close and relaunch the Steam app on your PC. Check if the friends network is still unreachable.

4. Opt-out Of the Beta Program

Beta builds of Steam enable you to try out new features but can be the reason behind the blacked-out or blank friends list. So, you must opt out of the Beta program and check if you are able to connect with your friends again. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Navigate to the top left area and click on the Steam icon. Select the Settings option.

Step 2: Click on the Interface option in the vertical menu.

Step 3: Locate the Client Beta Participation option. Expand the drop-down list and select the No beta chosen option.

Step 4: Click on the Restart Now button.

Step 5: Wait for Steam to relaunch and check if your Steam friends list and chat box are blank.

5. Delete Steam AppData Folder

You can also try deleting the Steam folder present in the AppData to rule out any corruption issues. Steam will recreate the folder contents when you launch it. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to launch the Run dialog box. Type the following path and press Enter.

C:\Users\Asus\AppData\Local\

Step 2: Locate and select the Steam folder. Press the Delete key.

Step 3: Launch Steam on your PC.

6. Wipe Steam Web Browser Data

Many users have succeeded in fixing the Steam friends network unreachable issue by deleting the web browser data in Steam. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Click the Steam menu at the top-right corner. Select the Settings option.

Step 2: Click on the In Game from the left sidebar..

Step 3: Locate the ‘Delete Web Browser Data’ option. Click on the Delete button.

Step 4: Click on the Confirm button. Restart the Steam app.

7. Reset Steam Without Losing Your Games

Uninstalling and then reinstalling Steam and all your games is a chore. If you can’t connect with friends, you can reset Steam without losing your installed games. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Terminate the Steam app. Press the Windows + E keyboard shortcut to open the File Explorer.

Step 2: Click on the address bar, paste the following path, and press Enter:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\

Step 3: Press the Ctrl + A keyboard shortcut to select all the files. Hold the Ctrl key and click on the steamapps folder and steam.exe application file to unselect them.

Step 4: Press the Delete key.

Step 5: Launch the Steam app. It will automatically start updating and recreate all the folders. After that, log in to your account.

Play Games With Friends Again

Steam’s Friends and Chat feature helps you to connect with your gaming group and have a good time. But when the ‘Steam Friends Network Unreachable’ error pops up, relaunch Steam and modify the executable file. After that, purge the Local folder and web browsing data and opt out of the Beta program. If that doesn’t help, reset Steam without losing your games.