Handling of focus is done by the window manager. Steam does not set any special focus hints/flags on its login windows if I'm not mistaken, only on the chat and bottom-right notifications per user preference.

If your window manager doesn't let you change how it handles focus of new windows, you might want to switch to one that does. I use i3-gaps-next with my own modifications for focus-handling and placement.

I use openbox, and also have the steam client stealing focus on start, both "stable" and beta steam clients steals focus upon startup.

My window manager (openbox) is configured to not set focus to newly opened windows, but do mouse-follow, and it actually works quite well on well-designed/implemented applications.

steps to reproduce:

1. launch the steam client (i personnally start it from an xterm, so i can see the various stdout/stderr outputs).
2. switch to another x11 window (i personally move my mouse to another xterm/app/monitor) ; newly selected window get the focus
3. continue working in newly selected window, which has focus.
4. the steam client opens up, and ... STEALS FOCUS

expected behaviour:
my currently "selected"/used x11 window keeps the mouse focus

obtained behaviour:
the steam client just steals focus ...

No option within the steam client allows me to change this steam clietn behaviour.

Unfortunately with a backlog of 2K issues I'm very pessimistic about this issue ever getting fixed.

@mojangsta sorry for the year late response. It's not a window manager issue. This is a steam client-only problem.

The claim that the window manager can stop Steam is bogus... I am running Cinnamon (and used to run Xfce) and neither of these WM's could stop Steam stealing focus. My current window handling settings in Cinnamon (3.2.7) are:
Window Focus Mode: Mouse
Automatically raise focused windows: OFF
Bring windows which require attention to the current workspace: OFF
Prevent focus stealing: ON

Those are pretty explicit options to stop focus stealing in many contexts but Steam still manages it, THREE times! rude

My updated details (since the problem is still present in what is quite a different setup since I first submitted this problem - I've shifted distribution and moved up a version on both the old one and the new one plus got a much newer kernel and been shifted to open source graphics drivers and changed window manager but this is still an issue!):

uname:
4.4.0-71-generic #92-Ubuntu SMP Fri Mar 24 12:59:01 UTC 2017 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Steam client application
Built: Mar 22 2017, at 23:45:04
Steam API: v017
Steam package version: 1490228413

Cinnnamon versions (latest for Linux Mint 18.1):
cinnamon 3.2.7+serena
cinnamon-common 3.2.7+serena
cinnamon-control-center 3.2.1+serena
cinnamon-control-center-data 3.2.1+serena
cinnamon-desktop-data 3.2.4+serena
cinnamon-I10n 3.2.2
cinnamon-screensaver 3.2.13+serena
cinnamon-session 3.2.0+serena
cinnamon-session-common 3.2.0+serena
cinnamon-settings-daemon 3.2.1+serena
cinnamon-themes 2016.12.07

P.S. I don't expect that this will be fixed (as with many other issues e.g. hugely dated libraries being used) and it's all the more reason to use better platforms like itch - it's just a pity that there are fewer professional dev's using others at the moment; though it will change in time as new dev's build themselves up on other more hospitable platforms.

Still a pretty annoying issue. Launch a game using Steam, Steam decides to run an update, then it finishes the update a few minutes later and minimizes the game to ask if I want to restart Steam...

It's been 3 years. Oh god please fix this issue and save our souls from rotting with rage.
How hard can it be to disable a focus stealing window, how?

Lol, @kisak-valve keeps closing new issues over the years as duplicates and referencing this one, so they're aware it still exists, but they just won't spend the time to fix it.

Also, I initially didn't realize this was the Steam for Linux repo (found this issue on Google), and I actually have the issue on the Windows client. Doesn't look like they have a repo for that one though.

It's not just the main Steam window, the Friends window also steals focus repeatedly. While we have the current issues with connecting to the Friends network it is extra annoying - after you click 'RETRY CONNECTION' and try to go back to what you were doing the window will steal focus a few seconds later, then it will steal focus again when it fails to connect. This basically makes it very annoying to do anything else with your PC except click the button and wait.

This continues to be an issue. especially during updates, where the update window pops up, then once you click it, two zenity windows, followed by the loading window, followed by the library and news, followed by chat. All of which steal focus. It is infuriating while trying to write code or type a message.

Valve, get it together and fix this.

I would very much appreciate a fix for this issue too.

Thought this was a bug in GNOME Shell or mutter when it happened during updates, which was not fun to try and troubleshoot. Steam is the only software on my system that steals focus like this.

Agree with the reasoning already stated here. Would appreciate a fix or a temporary DIY workaround; can give any information needed.

Steam needs to forward to initial program-launch time, or the time of the interaction that caused a window to open
to GTK, and relevant window managing protocols. Instead, by not forwarding the time, the window manager just has to take the current time as it is, breaking focus-stealing prevention.
https://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2004-December/msg00306.html

7 years later and Steam still STEALS FOCUS.

fix this, Valve.

I have just made a dirty hack into the Ubuntu Desktop Environment to prevent most focus stealing issues (including Steam ones). However it involves modifying & recompiling system core libraries, so maybe too hard/dangerous for people lacking technical background. Have a try if you really hate focus stealing and could understand the hacking instructions.
https://github.com/USN484259/persistent-focus

+1 for this. This is very annoying.

Why is this still an issue? It shouldn't take this long to fix. I no longer let steam run in the background, and rarely use it unless I'm required for some sort of interaction. Please fix this.

Oh, so not just me, then! Yes, agree with all of this - it's really, really annoying, no way to stop it happening and there are umpteen windows steals. I'm running XFCE on MX-Linux. Really hate the Steam client, it's horrible. Way too much crap in it.

Please fix the windows focus stealing!

@kisak-valve You have just referenced this issue once again from the now-closed issue #9783. Incidentally, this means that there have been literally 6000 issues since this one (#3783).

I believe that anyone would agree that this is a lot. It's been a long time now.

We'd all like to hear of any plan to solve the steal focus issue at last.
Sometime before we get to issue #15783 maybe? Thanks for your time.

This is VERY annoying issue, but to be fair if it is not fixed yet it is because this is very low priority due to the severeness of the issue.

I have found a setting in Xfce4 which you could disable focus stealing
Go to Applications>Settings>Tune Window Manager>Focus>Turn on prevent focus stealing
I have not tried this yet,but if it doesnt work i will delete this or Write under it that it doesnt work. :]

It looks like after changing that setting made it not steal focus,but made the game unplayable for me due to lags and windows where still opening in the background (error windows and friend window)
I recommed to use Kde plasma if you have problems with steam stealing focus,when useing kde plasma i have never had a focus stealing issue. :]

Plasma had the issue.

//EDIT: since when are you using Plasma?

Weird. 🤔

Plasma had the issue.

//EDIT: since when are you using Plasma?

Around a month ago.

The absolute state of closed-source software

The absolute state of closed-source software

The best workaround is disable autostart or add -silent to the ~/.config/autostart/steam.desktop

The absolute state of closed-source software

The best workaround is disable autostart or add -silent to the ~/.config/autostart/steam.desktop

That isn't a workaround considering the issue is about the events that happen when Steam is opened, not just autostarts.

In fact, while we are discussing this under the steam-for-linux repo, this issue also happens on Windows, in much the same way - which is precisely why I don't understand why the devs won't even give us the actual reason they ignore the issue.

this issue also happens on Windows, in much the same way

Mh I had no idea. Then the best workaround is to buy games on GOG.

I consider this an issue too, but I found this especially annoying when steam is closing.
Steps to reproduce :

1. play a game
2. end the game
3. quit steam
4. maximize your browser
5. steam steals focus to inform you (because that's obviously important to know) that it is - indeed - closing now.
6. user wants to kill steam.

Valve pls fix

Yep same issue,steam hugging the focus on kde plasma, have to do some witch voodoo magic switching tab process to restore my focus. Feel free to to use some of the money i spend on your platform to pay someone to fix that bug,or me actually if you cant do it.

similar issue on multimonitor i3wm on Void Linux; steam not only steals focus on startup and completely randomly, but in the process also forces itself into the currently active workspace, regardless of monitor

Same issue on both macos and gnome. How is this 8 years old ?

Same on Windows. Quite old unwanted behaviour but let's make more steam cards!

Please review the priority of this. The impact may only be brief irritation but the frequency is every client launch. I think that should make it "fix for next release" priority.

Does it affect steam link? If not, expect a "fix" with the next major redesign.

Yes pls fix this windows and linux, that's sooooo anoying you can't imagine

Hey there,
not sure if this fixes your problem, it fixed mine: Adding the '-silent' option for starting steam.
For example: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -silent

See additional information at the steam help page

What the! It works! It's a compromise I'm gladly accepting. Steam starts in the system tray and you'll have to click the tray to open whichever Steam window you want (fiends, library, whatever). Thanks for the hint I didn't know that startup switch.

Hey there, not sure if this fixes your problem, it fixed mine: Adding the '-silent' option for starting steam. For example: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -silent

See additional information at the steam help page

Yeah, it works, thanks. Maybe too silent for me now haha. I have to wait and click the client shortcut again (or traybar icon) for it to show up

Hey there, not sure if this fixes your problem, it fixed mine: Adding the '-silent' option for starting steam. For example: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -silent

See additional information at the steam help page

Many thanks @marcokloeckler ; it's perfect in my case as well (on Linux), it finally solves this for me (after an update).
EDIT: btw, on my Linux distribution, I for instance updated the existing shortcut to /usr/games/steam -silent %U.

I would have been nice if we had been informed earlier e.g. by @kisak-valve. I wonder how long this option has been there without us here being informed... At least since 2021.

Hey there, not sure if this fixes your problem, it fixed mine: Adding the '-silent' option for starting steam. For example: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -silent

See additional information at the steam help page

This is not a fix but a workaround that works for many users. It has been posted, now please stop posting "this fixes it for me" or the like since it is spam for people interested in any (unlikely) progress.

Was this fixed on March 18th or is the issue still present?
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1675200/view/529841158837241541?l=english

Fixed Steam Client window focusing multiple times on startup.

Nope, not for me
Ubuntu 22.04

Also for me. This is super annoying and I wish it would get fixed.