Why won’t Steam open on my Macbook Pro?

Answered by Douglas Hiatt

I’ve had a similar issue with Steam not opening on my MacBook Pro before, so I can definitely understand your frustration. There are a few possible reasons why this might be happening, and I’ll walk you through some troubleshooting steps that might help resolve the issue.

Firstly, it’s worth checking if there are any updates available for your Mac operating system. Sometimes, outdated software can cause compatibility issues with certain applications like Steam. To check for updates, you can go to the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen, select “System Preferences,” and then click on “Software Update.” If there are any updates available, go ahead and install them.

If your operating system is up to date and Steam still won’t open, the next step is to try deleting and re-downloading the Steam application. To do this, you’ll need to locate the Steam application in your Applications folder. Simply click on the Finder icon in your Dock, select “Applications” from the sidebar, and look for the Steam icon. Once you’ve found it, drag the Steam icon to the Trash.

After deleting Steam, you might also want to remove any remaining files associated with the application. These files are typically stored in the Library folder on your Mac. To access this folder, you can open a Finder window, click on “Go” in the menu bar, and then select “Go to Folder.” In the dialog box that appears, type “~/Library” (without quotes) and hit Enter.

Once you’re in the Library folder, navigate to the “Application Support” folder and look for the “Steam” folder. Drag this folder to the Trash as well. Please note that the Library folder may be hidden by default in newer versions of macOS. If you don’t see the Library folder, you can access it by holding down the Option key on your keyboard while clicking on the “Go” menu in Finder, and then selecting “Library.”

Now that you’ve deleted both the Steam application and its associated files, you can proceed to re-download and install Steam. To do this, simply visit the official Steam website (store.steampowered.com) and click on the “Install Steam” button. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

Once Steam is installed, try launching it again and see if it opens successfully. If it still doesn’t open, there may be some other underlying issue that requires further investigation. In that case, you might want to consider reaching out to Steam support or seeking assistance from an Apple Genius Bar or a knowledgeable friend or technician.

I hope these troubleshooting steps help you get Steam up and running on your MacBook Pro again. Good luck!