How to Use Steam Notes

You may have noticed that Steam’s overlay system now looks different thanks to the June 2023 update. But what you might not have noticed is the brand new Steam Notes feature, which lets you place detailed notes for each and every game in your library.

Steam Notes is one of those features that you don’t actually realize how useful it is until you’ve tried it. There have been so many times in games where I’ve needed reminding of directions, safe codes, or other information that I can simply jot down on the go now.

How to Turn On Steam Notes

Steam Notes should be turned on by default, but if something has gone wrong or you’ve disabled them by accident, it’s quick and easy to turn them back on.

To turn Steam Notes back on, head on over to the Steam settings page and press in-game, within the Steam overlay section, you should see the toolbar preferences button; click it.

From the toolbar preferences, you will see a bunch of Steam overlay tools you can toggle on or off. Find the Notes toggle and make sure it has been toggled on.

Not only can you make sure Notes is turned on here, but you can also remove or turn on any other overlay features, personalizing the overlay to your liking and making it easier to navigate.

How to Use Steam Notes

Now that you have Steam Notes enabled, using the feature is straightforward. When in-game, simply press Shift+Tab to access the Steam overlay and look for the pencil icon at the bottom of your screen.

As well as notes, you will also notice other new buttons at the bottom of the overlay, such as a web browser, guides, achievements, and more.

Once you’ve found the Steam Notes, you will be able to add multiple notes that can be saved and accessed at any time. You will notice you can also do basic formatting, such as bolding, italics, and strikethrough. You can even add headings and code to your notes.

One of the more interesting features of Steam Notes is the ability to add screenshots. This comes in extremely handy when you are trying to remember a door code or location in games, and can save you time needing to write down the code or pointlessly getting lost.

Steam Notes are tied to the game you are playing, too, so whatever notes you write for the current game you are playing will only show on that game, which makes it easier to locate them when you need them most.