How to Fix the "Error from ValidatePassword2" Message on the Steam Mobile App

As an avid PC gamer, I rely on the Steam mobile app to stay connected to my gaming community on the go. But changing your Steam password can cause frustrating errors like the "Error from ValidatePassword2" message.

After dealing with this issue myself, I figured out how to troubleshoot it. In this guide, you‘ll learn what causes the Steam validation error and how to easily fix it step-by-step. I‘ll also provide some tips to avoid similar authentication issues down the road.

What is Steam and Why Does the App Require Password Verification?

For the uninitiated, Steam is a popular digital distribution platform developed by Valve Corporation. It allows you to purchase, play, and discuss PC games online.

The free Steam mobile app enables key account management features like:

Browsing the Steam game store
Buying and downloading games remotely
Chatting with friends and joining group discussions
Posting screenshots and reviews
Accessing your game library
Getting notifications and announcements
Participating in the Steam trading market
Enabling two-factor authentication via Steam Guard

As of 2022, Steam has over 120 million monthly active users. The platform processes almost 34 million daily transactions, according to Valve.

With access to payment information and valuable gaming inventories, Steam accounts are prime targets for hijacking. That‘s why Steam requires password verification when logging in, especially on new devices.

The "Error from ValidatePassword2" pops up when the mobile app fails to validate your password after an update. Next, let‘s look at exactly why this happens.

What Causes the "Error from ValidatePassword2" Message on Steam Mobile?

You‘ll encounter the "Error from ValidatePassword2" under one specific circumstance — after changing your Steam account password.

Here‘s a likely scenario:

You update your Steam password for security purposes.
You attempt to log into the Steam mobile app as usual.
Steam tries to verify your login using the old password still stored on your phone.
The password mismatch causes the validation error, blocking access to your account.

Resetting your password also impacts Steam Guard, the two-factor authentication system that provides an extra security layer. After a password change, Steam requires you to sync the new password with Steam Guard before you can access account functions.

That‘s where the "ValidatePassword2" issue stems from. Your Steam app doesn‘t have your new password synced up yet. Note that this only happens on mobile — the desktop Steam client recognizes the change immediately.

Now let‘s get into the solutions so you can get back to accessing Steam on your iPhone or Android phone.

Method 1: Re-Add Your Account to Steam Guard

The most straightforward fix is to re-add your account to Steam Guard in the mobile app. This forces a re-sync and clears up the password verification error.

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

Launch the Steam app on your mobile device.
Tap the Steam Guard icon in the bottom menu. This looks like a green shield badge.
Select your Steam account name from the list.
Tap "Add an account" even though yours already exists. This essentially re-registers your account.
Enter your Steam credentials when prompted and tap "Sign in."
On the next screen, tap "Move Authenticator."
Enter the one-time passcode that Steam sends to your phone via text or email. This is used to verify the device.
Type in the confirmation code and tap "Verify."
Steam will generate a new Steam Guard access code. Write this down and store it somewhere secure like a password manager.
Finally, tap "Done" to complete the Steam Guard re-activation process.

This forces Steam to re-validate your account credentials with the new password. Assuming you entered the correct password, the "Error from ValidatePassword2" should disappear after a few minutes.

If it doesn‘t, try restarting the Steam app and logging back in. The password sync isn‘t instantaneous.

Below are some visual guides to help illustrate the step-by-step process:

[Step-by-step diagram of re-adding account to Steam Guard] [Example screenshot of Steam Guard code] [Example screenshot of verification text/email]

Re-activating Steam Guard essentially "resets" the two-factor login process which was desynchronized after the password change.

There are a few other methods of two-factor authentication that provide similar security:

Method	Pros	Cons
App-based (Steam Guard)	Convenient, built into Steam	Requires mobile device access
SMS/Text message	No extra apps required	Less secure, SIM swapping risk
Hardware token	Very secure, physical key	Costly, must carry token

For most Steam users, Steam Guard is the happy medium – secure yet convenient. But it only works properly when synchronized with your current login credentials.

Now let‘s go over the nuclear option…

Method 2: Uninstall and Reinstall the Steam Mobile App

If re-adding your account to Steam Guard fails to fix the error, you can try fully reinstalling the Steam app:

Press and hold the Steam app icon until a menu pops up.
Select "Uninstall" or "Remove app" depending on your device.
Open the Apple App Store on iOS or Google Play Store on Android.
Search for "Steam" and reinstall the latest version of the app.
Once installed, open the Steam app and log back in with your account.
Confirm that the "Error from ValidatePassword2" no longer appears when authenticating.

Uninstalling and reinstalling forces Steam to completely reload on your device. This can reset any lingering data or files related to your old password that are causing verification issues.

However, you may lose some app data in the process:

Local Steam Guard codes – Be sure to backup your recovery code!
Notification preferences
Saved login usernames/passwords
Downloaded offline content

So only use the nuclear uninstall option if you can‘t resolve the error through Steam Guard.

What to Do If Neither Fix Works

In rare cases, you may still see the pesky "Error from ValidatePassword2" after trying both fixes. Here are a few tips for additional troubleshooting:

Log out of the Steam app completely, restart your phone, then log back in. This clears any data cached in the background.
Try clearing the app data or cache before reinstalling Steam. Look in your device Settings > Apps > Steam for these options.
Contact Steam Support with your issue if you‘ve made multiple reinstallation attempts without success.
As a last resort, create a brand new Steam account and migrate your games over. You can submit proof of ownership to have your library transferred over to the new account.

How to Avoid "ValidatePassword2" Errors When Updating Passwords

Changing passwords is an important security practice, especially for a gaming account with valuable items and payment info. But incorrect password updates can clearly cause headaches.

Here are some tips to ensure a smooth process next time you reset your Steam credentials:

Update your password directly through the Steam website, then sync the mobile app after. Changing passwords via the mobile app seems more prone to issues.
Log into Steam via a browser to verify the change before attempting mobile login.
Make sure 2FA is enabled on both mobile and desktop. Having Steam Guard active on all devices avoids sync errors.
Use a password manager to save the new credentials if you have trouble recalling them.
Sign out and back in once on mobile before declaring an error. The password sync can take some time.

In Summary: Causes and Fixes for the Steam "ValidatePassword2" Error

In this extensive guide, you learned what causes the "Error from ValidatePassword2" message and how to resolve it. To recap:

The error stems from Steam failing to validate your new password after an update.
It only occurs in the Steam mobile app, not desktop clients.
Re-adding your account to Steam Guard is the best fix, forcing a re-sync.
Uninstalling and reinstalling Steam also works if the first method fails.
Avoid future verification errors by changing passwords carefully across all Steam clients.

I hope these tips help you get back to accessing your Steam library and community forums on the go. Game on!