☁️ Microsoft 365 Family storage

Microsoft 365 Family Storage Changes: 6TB vs 2TB

Microsoft is replacing the old 1 TB per person OneDrive allowance on Family and Premium with 2 TB shared by up to six people. Check your household against the new pool and find which renewal date applies to you.

Updated October 13, 2026. Built by R.K., Creator and Business Economics Analyst.

Microsoft updated its storage quotas page on October 13, 2026 (the change guide was last updated October 8), and the two US pages now agree that existing Family and Premium subscriptions move at their first renewal on or after May 2, 2027. They still differ on what happens if you go over the limit and on who can buy added storage, and both versions are shown below.

Regional guidance: this page follows Microsoft’s US-English support pages. Localized Microsoft pages have shown different dates from the US pages at times and may lag behind updates. If your Microsoft account is in another market, check your local support page and the notice on your account before relying on a date.

Quick answer

Microsoft 365 Family and Premium used to give each of up to six people 1 TB of OneDrive, which is where the “6 TB” comes from. The new model gives the whole subscription 2 TB to share (Pro gets 5 TB). New and repurchased subscriptions get shared storage from October 8, 2026. Existing Family and Premium subscriptions move at their first renewal on or after May 2, 2027, and an eligible plan change such as an upgrade can move you earlier. Existing Pro moves on November 1, 2027. Files stay private. A household using more than 2 TB combined, such as three people at 900 GB each, would be over the new limit. You can add storage up to a 10 TB total.

6 × 1 TB to 2 TBSeparate allowances become one shared pool
Oct 8, 2026New and repurchased subscriptions
May 2, 2027First renewal on or after, for existing Family and Premium
10 TBMaximum total with added storage

Microsoft 365 Family storage checker

How to use this checker

  1. Get each person’s number. Ask every member to sign in to the Microsoft storage dashboard with their own account and note their OneDrive usage.
  2. Pick GB or TB before you type. If you switch later, your numbers convert automatically.
  3. Replace the example numbers. The member boxes start with an example household. Type each member’s usage over it, or press Clear all. Leave unused boxes empty. Choose your plan, and add any extra storage you bought.
  4. Answer the subscription questions. If it started before October 8, 2026, add your next renewal date and billing cycle to see when it could switch, and say whether you upgraded.
  5. Read the result. The headline shows whether you fit. Below it you get the old-versus-new comparison and your renewal estimate.

Use OneDrive cloud usage only, not the disk usage of your computer. The boxes start with an example household. Replace it with your own numbers, or press Clear all.

Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere, and the tool never touches your Microsoft account.

1. Household usage
Enter each person’s OneDrive cloud usage, not the disk usage of their computer. The boxes start with an example household so you can see how it works. Replace the numbers with your own, or press Clear all.
1 TB is treated as 1,000 GB.
Total pool is capped at 10 TB.
2. Your subscription
Shown in your Microsoft account.

Example values. Replace them with your household’s usage.

Enter each member’s usage to see your result.

Combined household usage–
Shared pool size–
Left or over–

Old model vs new model

When does it apply to you?

Estimate only. The date result is an estimate, not a guaranteed migration date. It does not include any transitional bonus storage Microsoft may give some existing subscribers, and Microsoft’s storage dashboard is the source of truth.

What is changing with Microsoft 365 Family storage?

Microsoft says Family and Premium subscriptions now include 2 TB of shared cloud storage and Pro includes 5 TB. The primary subscriber and up to five other members draw from the same pool. Added storage joins the pool, and Microsoft says eligible family members’ free storage grants also contribute to it.

PlanOld model (started before October 8, 2026)New shared model
Family1 TB per person, up to 6 people2 TB shared, up to 6 people
Premium1 TB per person, up to 6 people2 TB shared, up to 6 people
Pro1 TB per person, up to 6 people5 TB shared, up to 6 people
Personal1 TB for one person, unchanged in Microsoft’s table
Basic100 GB for one person
Free account5 GB

The “6 TB” in the headline is a theoretical maximum: six people each using a separate 1 TB allowance. It was never one pool that a single person could draw on. Microsoft describes the new model as more flexible, since one heavy user is no longer capped at 1 TB, but for a household whose combined use is over 2 TB it is a real cut in total capacity.

Who gains and who loses from shared Microsoft 365 Family storage

The answer depends on how usage is spread. These are example households, not Microsoft data.

HouseholdTotalOld per-person limitNew 2 TB pool
One person at 1,500 GB, three others at 100 GB each1,800 GBOne person is 500 GB overFits, 200 GB left
Three people at 900 GB each2,700 GBNobody over700 GB over
Four people at 400 GB each1,600 GBNobody overFits, 400 GB left

Heavy single users tend to gain. Households where several people each use most of their 1 TB tend to lose.

When does the Microsoft 365 Family storage change start?

WhoDateWhere Microsoft says it
New Family and Premium, including expired ones you repurchaseOctober 8, 2026Change guide and quotas page
Existing Family and PremiumFirst renewal on or after May 2, 2027Change guide and quotas page
Existing Family or Premium that upgrades earlierCan move before that renewalChange guide
New ProOctober 8, 2026Quotas page and change guide
Existing ProNovember 1, 2027Quotas page. The change guide gives no Pro date.

If you saw April 1, 2027 somewhere, that was the old version. Until Microsoft updated its quotas page on October 13, 2026, that page listed April 1, 2027 for existing renewals, and some news reports and older copies still repeat it. Both US pages now say May 2, 2027. Microsoft says it will email you before your renewal, so rely on that notice for your own date.

Upgrades and downgrades

  • Upgrade before May 2, 2027: the change guide says an existing subscriber who upgrades, for example from Family to Premium, moves to the shared model. Elsewhere on the same page it says the shared model might be applied as part of that change, so confirm what your account shows.
  • Downgrade before May 2, 2027: a downgrade alone does not move you. Your current model stays until your renewal on or after that date.
  • Bonus storage: existing Family and Premium subscribers in eligible markets might get bonus storage at the transition, at no extra cost. Microsoft does not say everyone qualifies.

What happens if your family is over the Microsoft 365 Family storage limit?

Microsoft’s two pages describe this differently.

  • Change guide: you do not immediately lose access. You get notifications as you approach 2 TB, and if you exceed the limit you can keep accessing files for up to one year while you manage storage.
  • Quotas page: when you are over, OneDrive stops accepting uploads, edits and sync, and existing files become read-only. Outlook.com email stops sending and receiving, and Teams messages with attachments stop. After three months over, OneDrive is frozen. After six months, Microsoft might delete OneDrive and its files, which cannot be recovered.

Do not count on a grace period. The one-year figure and the three and six month figures are both on Microsoft’s pages today. Free up space or add storage before your plan moves, and keep a separate backup of anything you cannot lose.

Ways to get under the limit

  • Add storage. Microsoft says you can add storage up to a 10 TB total. Its quotas page says only the subscription account holder can add storage, while its change guide says add-ons bought by subscription members join the shared pool, so check what your own account allows. A new quota can take up to 24 hours to appear.
  • Find the biggest files and old backups and move or delete them, after you have a copy. Microsoft has a view of your largest OneDrive files.
  • Check Loop and Designer projects, which Microsoft lists as storage users.
  • Consider upgrading your plan, which per Microsoft moves you to the shared model immediately.

Is shared Microsoft 365 Family storage private?

Yes. Microsoft says shared storage changes how capacity is allocated, not who can see files. Each person’s files, photos and mailbox stay private unless they share them. Mailbox storage is separate: every Microsoft 365 plan includes 100 GB of mailbox storage, and going over either the cloud or mailbox limit can stop Outlook.com email.

What to do before your Microsoft 365 Family storage changes

  1. Measure. Ask each member for their OneDrive usage and enter it in the checker above.
  2. Find your date. Add your renewal date in the checker. Then watch for Microsoft’s email, which it says will arrive before the change.
  3. Decide. If you are over 2 TB, compare cleanup, added storage and a plan change.
  4. Back up. Copy irreplaceable photos and documents to another drive or service first.
  5. Recheck. Microsoft changed these pages as recently as October 13, so open the sources below again before you act.

Microsoft 365 Family storage FAQ

Is Microsoft 365 Family storage going from 6 TB to 2 TB?
Not exactly. Before, up to six people each had a separate 1 TB allowance. Now the subscription has 2 TB to share. For a household using more than 2 TB combined it is a reduction. For one heavy user it can be an increase over their old 1 TB cap.
When do existing Family subscribers move to shared storage?
Microsoft says the first renewal on or after May 2, 2027, and that nothing changes before then. An eligible upgrade before that date can move you earlier. Microsoft says it will email you before your renewal. An older version of its quotas page said April 1, 2027, which has since been corrected.
Can family members see each other’s files?
No. Files stay private unless a person shares them. Shared storage is only a shared quota.
What if we use more than 2 TB?
Microsoft’s change guide says up to one year of continued access, while its quotas page describes read-only files, a freeze after three months and possible deletion after six. Do not rely on a grace period. Free up space or add storage.
Can I buy more storage?
Yes. Microsoft says you can add storage up to a 10 TB total, and that members share it. Its pages are not fully aligned on who can buy it: the quotas page says only the account holder, and the change guide says add-ons bought by members join the pool. Check the options in your own account. A new quota can take up to 24 hours to show.
Does upgrading early change things?
Per the change guide, upgrading an existing subscription before May 2, 2027 moves you to the shared model, though it also says the model might be applied as part of the change, so confirm in your account. A downgrade alone does not move you.
Will I get bonus storage?
Possibly. Microsoft says existing Family and Premium subscribers in eligible markets might receive bonus storage at no extra cost. It does not promise it to everyone.
Does this checker connect to my Microsoft account?
No. It only does arithmetic on the numbers you type, in your browser.

How this page is built

Every Microsoft fact here comes from two Microsoft Support pages that I opened on October 13, 2026: the quotas page, updated that day, and the change guide, updated October 8. Where they still disagree, both versions are shown. The checker makes these assumptions:

  • 1 TB equals 1,000 GB, and the base pool is 2,000 GB for Family and Premium and 5,000 GB for Pro.
  • Added storage is added to the base pool, with a 10 TB total cap.
  • The old model is a 1,000 GB limit per person.
  • For renewal dates, the checker finds your first renewal on or after May 2, 2027 by stepping your billing cycle forward from the date you enter.

Built and checked by R.K., Creator and Business Economics Analyst. Last checked October 13, 2026.

Disclaimer: This page is for general information and is not legal or financial advice. Ultimate Info Guide is independent and is not affiliated with Microsoft. Policies and dates can change, so rely on Microsoft’s notices to your account for decisions about your subscription.
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