If you share a Microsoft 365 Family or Premium plan, your cloud storage is about to work differently. Microsoft 365 Family storage is moving from 1 TB for each person to one 2 TB pool that everyone on the plan shares, so a full six-person plan goes from 6 TB in total to 2 TB.
The short version
Microsoft has switched Family and Premium plans to 2 TB of shared OneDrive storage. New plans got it on Oct. 8, 2026, and existing plans change at their first renewal on or after May 2, 2027.
- A full six-person Family plan drops from 6 TB to 2 TB, about 333 GB per person if split evenly.
- If your yearly plan renews on March 1, your first renewal on or after May 2, 2027 falls on March 1, 2028.
- Microsoft says anyone over the limit keeps access to their files for up to one year while they clear space or buy more.
- Files stay private, and the plan’s total can be raised to as much as 10 TB with paid add-ons.
- Reports of Microsoft’s emails to subscribers say every member will also get Copilot AI features, but Microsoft’s own Copilot help page still says AI features are for the plan owner only.
The upshot: most families will never notice, because few households use more than 2 TB between them. But if one person on your plan backs up years of phone video, that person can now fill the space everyone else depends on. The time to check is before your renewal, not after.
What changes in Microsoft 365 Family storage
Here is what Microsoft’s support page, Changes to Microsoft 365 storage, says about each consumer plan now:
- Microsoft 365 Personal ($99.99 a year): 1 TB for one person, unchanged.
- Microsoft 365 Family ($129.99 a year): 2 TB shared by the owner and up to five other people.
- Microsoft 365 Premium ($199.99 a year): 2 TB shared, the same as Family.
- Microsoft 365 Pro: 5 TB shared among members.
- Microsoft 365 Basic: 100 GB for one person.
Until now, each person on a Family plan had their own 1 TB. Microsoft’s own plan page for existing subscribers still lists Premium that way on Oct. 10, as “up to 6 TB of secure cloud storage (1 TB per person),” while listing Family at the new 2 TB shared.
Storage add-ons that members already bought, and some free storage grants, go into the shared pool. Microsoft also says some existing Family and Premium customers who meet its eligibility rules may get bonus storage at renewal, though it has not said who qualifies or how much.
When does it hit your plan?
It depends on when you joined and when you renew.
- New or upgraded plans: shared storage since Oct. 8, 2026.
- Existing plans: at the first renewal on or after May 2, 2027. Microsoft says this is when the change “generally” takes effect, and that you will get an email before it happens.
- Upgrading before May 2, 2027 (for example, Family to Premium) moves you to shared storage straight away.
- Downgrading before May 2, 2027 does not change anything until that first renewal.
Our math on the timing: a yearly plan that renews on Aug. 15 switches on Aug. 15, 2027. One that renews on March 1 skips the 2027 renewal, because that comes before May 2, and switches on March 1, 2028. Check your renewal date in your Microsoft account to see which side of the line you are on.
How to check your family’s storage
Sign in to your Microsoft account and open the storage dashboard, which shows how much space you are using. Each person on the plan should check their own, because only they can see their files. Add the numbers up. If the total is under 2 TB, nothing changes for you in practice.
If you are close to or over 2 TB, you have time. Microsoft says you will get warnings as you near the limit, and that if you go over, you can still open your files for up to one year while you sort it out.
What to do if your family uses more than 2 TB
- Clear the big stuff first. Old phone video and duplicate photo backups are usually the largest files. Our phone backup guide shows how to keep one good copy instead of three.
- Give the heaviest user their own plan. A Personal plan at $99.99 a year comes with its own 1 TB, separate from the family pool.
- Buy more storage. Microsoft lets you add storage up to a 10 TB total for the plan.
- Compare other services. If cloud space is the main reason you pay, our beginner’s guide to cloud storage explains how the options compare.
What about Copilot for family members?
Reports of Microsoft’s emails to subscribers say every member of a Family or Premium plan will get Copilot AI features, sharing one usage allowance. Microsoft has not confirmed that on its own pages. As of Oct. 10, 2026, its Copilot help page still says AI features in Family and Premium “are only available to the subscription owner and cannot be shared,” and its plan page carries the same note. We will update this story when Microsoft’s pages confirm the change and the date.
What to watch
Watch your inbox for Microsoft’s email before your renewal, and look for details on the bonus storage. If you share your plan, a two-minute storage check with everyone now saves an argument over who filled the cloud later.
