Steam Trade Hold Explained (2026): How Long and Why
A Steam trade hold is a delay of up to 15 days during which Steam keeps the items from an accepted trade before delivering them. It applies when your account has not been protected by the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator for at least the last 7 days. Counter-Strike 2 items work differently since July 2025: they are delivered straight away and are marked as Trade Protected for 7 days instead.
What is a trade hold on Steam?
Steam Support defines a trade hold as the period after both sides accept a trade, during which the traded items are held by Steam before they are delivered. A market hold is the same thing for the Steam Community Market: after you create a sell listing, the item waits before it appears on the Market.
The point is protection. If someone steals your password and trades your items away, the hold gives you time to notice, change the password and cancel the transaction before the items leave your account.
How long is a Steam trade hold?
Up to 15 days. Steam does not give one fixed number for every case, but 15 days is the maximum stated on its support page. The hold disappears entirely once the Mobile Authenticator has been active on your account for 7 days.
| Your situation | What Steam does |
|---|---|
| No Mobile Authenticator, or it was added less than 7 days ago | Items leaving your account are held for up to 15 days |
| Mobile Authenticator active for 7 days or more | No trade or market hold |
| You added the authenticator recently | Trades created in its first 7 days can still be held for up to 15 days |
| You removed the authenticator | No trading and no Community Market for 15 days |
| Steam Guard (email or mobile) enabled for less than 15 days | No trading and no Community Market until 15 days pass |
| You cancelled a trade that was on hold | 7-day trading cooldown |
| You log in from a new device (no authenticator) | No trading or Market from that device for 7 days |
| You reset a forgotten password | No trading or Market for 5 days, or 30 days if the account was inactive for over two months |
Only the first three rows are holds in the strict sense: you can still trade, but items are delayed. The other rows are restrictions: trading is blocked for a while. Steam Support states that it cannot modify these restrictions, whatever the circumstances.
How long is a trade hold in CS2?
In Counter-Strike 2 there is usually no trade hold any more. With the July 2025 update Valve switched CS2 items to Trade Protection:
- CS2 items move to the other account immediately after the trade.
- For 7 days they carry a Trade Protected mark. During that time they cannot be traded again, sold on the Market or modified, although they can be used in game.
- Within those 7 days the person who sent the items can reverse the trade from their trade history. Steam then returns the items to both sides. A reversal covers all protected trades from the last 7 days, not just one, and the account that reverses is restricted from trading for a period afterwards.
- After 7 days the trade becomes final.
The account rules above still matter for CS2: without Steam Guard enabled for 15 days you cannot trade at all, and a password reset or a removed authenticator still blocks trading. We explain what Trade Protection means for selling skins in a separate Polish guide: Trade Protection w CS2.
How to remove a trade hold
- Install the Steam app on your phone and turn on the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator (Steam Support lists iOS and Android).
- Keep it on for 7 days. After that, new trades and Market listings are not held.
- Do not remove and re-add the authenticator. Removing it blocks trading for 15 days and starts the 7-day period again.
Adding the authenticator does not shorten holds that already exist. Trades you created before or during the first 7 days keep their hold of up to 15 days.
Can you cancel a trade that is on hold?
Yes. A trade on hold can be cancelled from your trade offers, and the items stay with their original owners. Steam treats a cancellation as a sign that you stopped a hijacker, so your account then gets a 7-day trading cooldown. Steam Support cannot remove it.
If you see a held trade you did not make, cancel it, change your password and check the Steam Web API key page of your account. A key you did not create is a common sign of a scam that intercepts trade offers.
Why does Steam use trade holds?
Steam accounts with items are valuable, so they attract thieves. A hold gives the owner extra time to discover that the account was compromised. The Mobile Authenticator solves the same problem in a different way: every trade has to be confirmed on your phone, so a stolen password alone is not enough to move your items.
FAQ
Do you need Steam Guard to trade?
Yes. Steam requires Steam Guard, by email or by the mobile app, to be enabled for 15 days before you can trade or use the Community Market. Without the Mobile Authenticator your trades are also held for up to 15 days.
Is there a trade hold after enabling the Mobile Authenticator?
For the first 7 days, yes: trades created in that period can still be held for up to 15 days. From day 8 onwards there is no hold.
What is the 7-day trade hold on Steam?
There are three different 7-day rules, which is why people mix them up. The Mobile Authenticator must be active for 7 days before holds stop. Cancelling a held trade gives a 7-day cooldown. And CS2 items are Trade Protected for 7 days after a trade.
Does a trade hold apply to the Steam Market?
Yes, as a market hold. Without the Mobile Authenticator, a new sell listing waits before it appears on the Community Market.
Sources
- Steam Support: Steam Trade and Market Holds
- Steam Support: Trading and Market Restrictions
DaroSkin is a planned CS2 skin buyback with Litecoin payouts. It is not live yet and does not accept any items.