--- title: Steam's best power-user tricks are buried so deep most... description: A long-time Steam user shares lesser-known power-user features discovered after nearly twenty years on the platform. Highlights include running Big Picture... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/steam-s-best-power-user-tricks-are-buried-so-deep-most-gamers-never-find-them-ysktrw2ju twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Steam's best power-user tricks are buried so deep most gamers never find them | daily.dev og:description: A long-time Steam user shares lesser-known power-user features discovered after nearly twenty years on the platform. Highlights include running Big Picture... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/steam-s-best-power-user-tricks-are-buried-so-deep-most-gamers-never-find-them-ysktrw2ju og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/YsKTrW2JU.png og:image:alt: Steam's best power-user tricks are buried so deep most gamers never find them og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Steam's best power-user tricks are buried so deep most gamers never find them **[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 5 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A long-time Steam user shares lesser-known power-user features discovered after nearly twenty years on the platform. Highlights include running Big Picture mode on a TV while using normal Steam on a monitor, disabling friend activity notifications, using Dynamic Collections to auto-organize a large library, browsing community controller configurations for specific games and controllers, using the built-in notes editor and browser in the Steam overlay, and transferring game files over a local network instead of re-downloading from Steam's servers (useful for roommates, dorms, or second PCs, provided the receiving account owns a license). ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### How do I transfer a Steam game to another PC over my local network instead of downloading it again? Steam supports local network game file transfers between devices. Go to Steam > Settings > Downloads > Game File Transfer and choose whether transfers are allowed between your own devices, Steam friends, or anyone on the local network. The receiving PC automatically checks for usable local files before downloading from Steam's servers, and the receiving account must already own a license for the game. _Track platform features like this alongside the rest of your gaming and dev news on daily.dev._ ### How do I stop Steam from notifying me every time a friend starts playing a game? Steam has a setting to disable 'friend started playing' notifications, which normally alert you every time a friend launches a game, even if they crash and relaunch repeatedly. Turning this off removes the constant stream of activity pings while still letting you check friends' online status manually. _Developers and gamers alike managing notification fatigue can find similar tips on daily.dev._ ### Does Steam have a notes feature I can use while playing a game without alt-tabbing out? Yes, the Steam overlay includes a built-in notes editor as well as a web browser, so players can jot down clues, locations, or other information and pull up guides without leaving the game. This is accessed through the same overlay used for inviting friends or accessing chat. _Keep discovering practical software tricks like this by following related coverage on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [I've used Steam for years, and Valve is still hiding its most useful settings from me](https://daily.dev/posts/i-ve-used-steam-for-years-and-valve-is-still-hiding-its-most-useful-settings-from-me-8s6vsubjq) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Steam Client Beta Improves Big Picture Mode, Several Linux Enhancements](https://daily.dev/posts/steam-client-beta-improves-big-picture-mode-several-linux-enhancements-jiasd7qgy) · Phoronix · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [I've been running SteamOS on a non-Steam mini PC, and it makes a better living room console than I expected](https://daily.dev/posts/i-ve-been-running-steamos-on-a-non-steam-mini-pc-and-it-makes-a-better-living-room-console-than-i-e-3eochpr30) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#gaming](https://daily.dev/tags/gaming), [#steam](https://daily.dev/tags/steam) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/steam-s-best-power-user-tricks-are-buried-so-deep-most-gamers-never-find-them-ysktrw2ju) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Steam's best power-user tricks are buried so deep most gamers never find them","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/steam-s-best-power-user-tricks-are-buried-so-deep-most-gamers-never-find-them-ysktrw2ju","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/steam-s-best-power-user-tricks-are-buried-so-deep-most-gamers-never-find-them-ysktrw2ju"},"datePublished":"2026-09-02T22:00:21.959Z","dateModified":"2026-09-03T00:23:33.668Z","description":"A long-time Steam user shares lesser-known power-user features discovered after nearly twenty years on the platform. 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