How to access Steam chat logs?

How can I read my old conversations with my Steam friends?

Facebook and Google Chat (whatever it's called now) let me review old conversations

steam

Colonel Panic

Posted 2012-09-09T12:27:53.777

Reputation: 9 529

Answers

Steam does not log your chats, at least not on your local machine, though their new EULA agreement does allow them to review your chat logs, they are stored on their servers or hidden in encrypted files on your desktop as no one has yet discovered them.

It is possible to log your chat via 3rd party support however as it requires some of your steam details, I cannot guarantee it's security and therefore will not post a link to it.

David McGowan

Posted 2012-09-09T12:27:53.777

Reputation: 462

2Can definitely access message history now, via mobile app - at least on iOS. This is 2017 though, not 2012 :) – Rob Gray – 2017-01-26T01:15:51.653

@Dmitriy Per your proposed edit: that Steam has added a new method for obtaining recent chat logs is worthy of a new answer

– bertieb – 2018-06-23T21:10:11.037

9Giving a 3rd party your Steam login details (which are required to gain access to your conversations) is very bad. Don't even consider doing it. – speakr – 2012-09-09T13:06:56.043

1I agree, I'm not sure it needs all your log-in details, I think just your username but it sounds dodgy so while in the interest of full disclosure I have referenced it, I wont post a link to one as showing preference could suggest endorsement which I do not. – David McGowan – 2012-09-09T13:13:24.907

If you have the Steam mobile app, you can access previous messages sent to and from Steam friends in chat.

Once you install the mobile app and log in, select the hamburger menu (on iOS and Android, click the friends tab on Windows Phone), and then press chat.

Select the user you want to chat with.

Justin Krejcha

Posted 2012-09-09T12:27:53.777

Reputation: 1 923

1iOS user here. I got to it by opening the hamburger menu and then going Friends -> {click on friend in list of friends} -> Send a Message. This included messages sent from my PC (I never use the mobile app for chat). So I'm assuming messages are stored on the Steam servers. – Rob Gray – 2017-01-26T01:14:06.597

1This won't show your entire history, just the most recent ~200 messages – xjcl – 2017-07-17T09:31:44.887

Chat Logger++ is able to capture and log your Steam chats, without requiring any account info.

The author explains that it is able to access the chats via Steam's standard (and locally accessible) communication methods.

The application does not require administrator rights and its source code is available. I'd say it's a pretty safe solution (except for the privacy issues arising from storing log files of chat messages of course).

Ishmaeel

Posted 2012-09-09T12:27:53.777

Reputation: 435