Microsoft to Pool 365 Storage Limits and Expand Family Copilot Access
Family and Premium tiers will transition from separate 1 TB per-user allowances to a shared 2 TB data pool while enabling multi-user AI credits.
Microsoft is restructuring cloud storage and artificial intelligence allowances across its consumer tiers, replacing individual per-user OneDrive quotas with centralized shared storage pools while broadening Copilot access across family accounts. The changes apply to Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium, and Pro subscriptions.
Under the current framework, Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscriptions offer up to six users 1 TB of dedicated storage each, providing up to 6 TB of cumulative capacity per plan. Under the updated policy, those tiers will receive a single 2 TB shared storage pool. Individual account files will remain private, but all uploaded data will draw from the collective 2 TB ceiling.
Subscribers requiring more than 2 TB across all registered users will face additional costs. The Microsoft 365 Family plan carries a base price of $130 annually, with supplemental OneDrive storage priced at $10 monthly per terabyte. The Microsoft 365 Pro tier, introduced in September at $100 per month, will provide a 5 TB shared storage pool alongside higher AI usage thresholds.
The policy change also alters how subscribers access generative AI tools. Copilot credits, previously restricted to the primary subscription owner, will now be pooled and accessible to all family members on a plan. Subscription owners will also receive controls to manage AI access for younger household members, and Premium and Pro subscribers can purchase extra AI usage credits.
According to a report by ZDNET (https://www.zdnet.com/tech/microsoft-365-subscription-storage-limits/), a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that new and upgraded subscriptions will implement pooled storage starting Oct. 8, 2026. Existing subscribers will shift to shared storage during their first renewal on or after May 2, 2027, following advance notification.
The shift aligns Microsoft's storage architecture with shared models offered by Google One and Apple iCloud+. It also curtails practices where single users claimed multiple family slots to amass up to 6 TB of individual storage, following historical precedents such as Microsoft's 2015 discontinuation of unlimited OneDrive plans.
Sources
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