Steam Trade Confirmation Explained

When Steam shows that additional confirmation is needed for a trade, it means the trade cannot complete until you approve it a second time, usually through the Steam mobile app. This is a security step, not an error. Steam adds it to trades that need an extra check before items move, so a stolen password alone is not enough to take your items.

Steam asks for confirmation when a trade looks riskier than usual. Common triggers include a trade involving valuable items, a recent change to your account such as a new device or a password change, or Steam Guard not being fully active on your account. The system is designed to slow down account thieves, who often try to move items quickly before the real owner notices. If you did not start the trade, treat the confirmation request as a warning and cancel it.

Open the Steam mobile app, go to the confirmations section, and check the trade details carefully before you approve anything. Confirm that the items, the other trader, and the direction of the trade all match what you agreed. If anything looks different from what you expected, cancel the trade and ask the other person about it. Only approve trades you started yourself or agreed to in advance, and never approve a confirmation that appears out of nowhere.

If no confirmation appears, check that Steam Guard with the mobile authenticator is turned on and that you are signed in to the same account on your phone. Trades can also be held for a period after account changes, so waiting out the hold is sometimes the only fix. If the problem keeps happening, check Steam's support pages for trade holds and confirmations. And if you trade game accounts anywhere, use escrow and read the five steps to avoid gaming scams and the gaming account 2FA guide first.