Microsoft to Allow Shared Copilot AI Access on Family 365 Plans

Microsoft is preparing to expand access to its artificial intelligence features across family subscriptions. According to an email sent to Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscribers seen by The Verge, the tech giant will soon permit primary account holders to share Copilot benefits and AI usage limits with up to five other people on their plan.

When Microsoft integrated AI-powered Office features into its personal and family tiers last year, access to the tools was limited strictly to the primary account holder. The upcoming overhaul addresses that restriction, giving all members of a family tier access to Copilot alongside standard Office apps.

Shared AI Pools and Parental Controls

Under the new policy, subscribers will be able to distribute their AI benefits across everyone included on the subscription. Primary account owners will also receive controls to manage and restrict AI access for younger family members.

Alongside the expanded distribution, Microsoft is changing how usage limits operate. Rather than enforcing fixed caps on individual AI features, subscriptions will transition to a single shared AI usage allowance. Users can apply this combined pool toward the advanced AI capabilities they use most frequently, with the option to purchase additional AI usage if the shared quota runs out.

Cloud Storage Downsized to a Shared Pool

While the expansion of Copilot access delivers added utility to multi-user plans, it comes with a substantial trade-off in OneDrive cloud storage.

Currently, Microsoft 365 Family plans allocate 1 TB of dedicated cloud storage per individual user. Under the planned terms, Microsoft will replace that system with a unified 2 TB shared storage pool for the entire subscription, while keeping individual accounts and files private. Microsoft describes the move as an effort to offer more flexible storage if a single member requires more than 1 TB, though it significantly reduces the overall total capacity available to families with several members.

Microsoft noted that the storage modification will take effect following each subscriber's first renewal after May 2, 2027, giving existing users time to adapt to the restructured capacity limits.