Microsoft sets shared storage pools for Microsoft 365 Family, Premium and Pro

On October 8, 2026, Microsoft announced a shift to shared OneDrive storage pools for Microsoft 365 Family, Premium and Pro. Family and Premium each have 2 TB per subscription, while Pro has 5 TB. The capacity belongs to the subscription rather than being set aside as a separate pool for each member. Microsoft’s storage-change page lists the plan amounts and rules.

The shared storage pools

For Family and Premium, the subscriber and up to five additional members can draw from the same pool. Microsoft says this arrangement lets members use capacity where it is needed, rather than tying storage to separate individual allowances. Purchased storage add-ons can contribute to the pool, which can be expanded to a total of 10 TB.

Who can use the pool—and who can see the files

Pooling storage does not pool file access. Microsoft says each member’s files remain private unless that person explicitly shares them with someone else. In other words, using the same capacity limit does not itself give family members permission to browse one another’s OneDrive files.

When a subscription exceeds its storage

Microsoft says subscribers receive notices when they exceed their storage pool. They can free up space, purchase more storage or change plans. Existing files may remain accessible for up to one year while the subscriber manages the overage.

Individual plans and Education storage are different

Microsoft 365 Basic has an individual 100 GB allocation, while Microsoft 365 Personal has an individual 1 TB allocation. Those plans are distinct from the shared pools for Family, Premium and Pro.

Microsoft 365 Education uses a separate, organization-wide storage pool across OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange. Its base allocation is 100 TB for an institution; it is not part of a consumer Microsoft 365 subscription’s storage pool.