Got a Microsoft 365 subscription? Your storage is about to shrink

Microsoft announced changes to its Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium, and Pro subscriptions that will replace individual OneDrive storage and Copilot credit allowances with shared pools. The changes are scheduled to roll out "in the coming months." According to a Microsoft spokesperson, new and upgraded subscriptions will include shared storage starting Oct. 8, 2026. Customers with an existing subscription will move to shared storage at their first renewal on or after May 2, 2027, and will be notified in advance.

Currently, Microsoft 365 Family, Premium, and Pro plans give each member a fixed OneDrive allowance of 1 TB. A Family plan owner who has used all five shared slots can have a total of 6 TB available. After the change, these plans will share one storage pool across the subscription. Each member's accounts and files remain private, but usage counts against the shared pool. Family and Premium plans will receive a total of 2 TB of shared storage instead of 6 TB. Microsoft 365 Pro, launched quietly in September, will get 5 TB of shared storage and the highest available AI usage limits, priced at $100 per month.

Subscribers who use more than 2 TB across all accounts and don't reduce usage could pay more. The Microsoft 365 Family plan costs $130 per year, and each additional 1 TB of OneDrive storage costs $10 per month, so a family using about half of its current total allowance could see its bill double or triple.

The AI benefit change is different. Copilot usage credits are currently available only to the subscription owner and cannot be shared with family members. After the changes, family members can share AI usage credits, and the subscription owner can manage AI access for younger family members. Plans will switch to a single AI usage allowance shared by all members. Premium and Pro subscribers can buy additional AI usage credits.

Why it matters: Existing subscribers using more than 2 TB of total storage may need to move data or pay for additional storage, and the bill can increase substantially. Family members gain the ability to share AI credits for the first time, and subscription owners gain controls for younger members' AI access.