Steam is broken: It's still up but some users can't log in

If you're having trouble logging into Steam today, you're not alone: Significant numbers of users are reporting that they're stuck on a "loading user data" screen that's keeping them from logging into the platform.

Despite the issue persisting for several hours now, it's not clear what the problem actually is. SteamDB's Steam Status page indicates that Steam is green across the board. Down Detector, on the other hand, shows that reports of trouble began rolling in around 6 am ET, and continue to grow. Threads on the Steam Support subreddit point to the same.

Some redditors say they've been able to resolve the issue by closing Steam when the "loading user data" screen is displayed, then running it as an administrator; others say they've had no luck with that approach, however.

A theory that the problem may be connected to purchasing and downloading games does seem solid, though: I was able to log in and out of Steam without issue on my own account until I bought and started installing a game for testing purposes. I appeared to be stuck, but after letting it sit for nearly five minutes, Steam did eventually load. My game downloads also appear to be working too. So maybe that's another strategy: have patience?

I've reached out to Valve for more information and will update if I receive a reply, or when Steam starts working again, whichever comes first. In the meantime, if you run into the "loading user data" problem, let us know (along with, ideally, where you are and whether you're using a VPN), and if figure out a better solution to it than 'wait and hope for the best,' fill us in on that too.