senn-techMicrosoft 365 Family: OneDrive shrinks from 6 TB to a shared 2 TB
Microsoft is cutting the OneDrive storage included in the Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscriptions. Until now each of up to six users got one terabyte, six in total. In future it is two terabytes for everyone together. Dr. Windows and Guru3D reported on it on 9 October 2026, and Dr. Windows points to Microsoft's support document. For new customers the change applies already; existing customers feel it at renewal in 2027.
What changes
The pool has two effects. Light users barely notice, and unused space of one family member now benefits everyone. Heavy users eat into the others' space: if one member needs a lot of OneDrive storage, little is left for the rest. Additional storage bought on top is added to the shared pool, according to Guru3D. Files stay private per account unless they are shared.
Dates
New subscriptions follow the new model since October 2026. Existing subscriptions keep their storage until renewal. The dates differ between sources. Dr. Windows gives 2 May 2027 as the start, but what counts is the subscription's own expiry date. Anyone who has paid until August 2027 keeps the six terabytes until then. Guru3D writes that Microsoft's own announcement names 2 May 2027, while another official document names 1 April 2027. If you need the date, rely on Microsoft's email about your own subscription, which Microsoft says, per Dr. Windows, it will send in good time before the cut. According to Guru3D, switching from Family to Premium can trigger the new model earlier.
What an extra terabyte costs
Dr. Windows does the arithmetic: one terabyte of additional OneDrive storage costs 96 euros a year. The price difference between Microsoft 365 Single and Family is 30 euros a year. For someone who needs a lot of storage but uses it alone, upgrading to Family is therefore cheaper than buying extra storage.
On Microsoft's justification: the company speaks of more flexibility through the shared pool. The Dr. Windows author agrees as far as the pool goes, but criticizes that two thirds of the quota disappear. His guess that EU law could treat the cut as an impermissible unilateral change of contract, with an exception for EU customers to follow, is his own assessment. It is not documented, and Microsoft's note on bonus storage names neither markets nor conditions.
What families should check now
First the actual usage: how much sits on the six accounts together, and how unevenly? If the total is below two terabytes, practically nothing changes. Above that there are three paths: clean up, buy storage, or move part of the data elsewhere. Anyone using OneDrive as a backup for photos and videos should keep a second copy outside Microsoft, independent of the subscription. A self-hosted cloud based on Nextcloud or OpenCloud is a possible target, and we run a cloud on OpenCloud ourselves. It does not replace a family subscription, but the questions about backup and access are similar.
Further reading
- Microsoft 365: Deutlich weniger OneDrive-Speicher für Familien (Dr. Windows, 9 October 2026, German): numbers, cut-off date, cost calculation
- Microsoft Cuts Microsoft 365 Family and Premium OneDrive Storage by 67% (Guru3D, 9 October 2026): second source, differing dates, pool rules
- Microsoft logo on Wikimedia Commons: logo
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How much OneDrive storage will Microsoft 365 Family include?+
Two terabytes shared by everyone on the subscription. Until now each of up to six users got one terabyte, six in total. That is a cut of roughly two thirds. Users' files stay separate and private, only the quota is shared.
When does the cut apply to existing subscriptions?+
For new customers it applies already. Existing customers keep their storage until the first renewal in 2027. Dr. Windows gives 2 May 2027 as the start, while Microsoft's documents partly say 1 April 2027, according to Guru3D. What counts is the subscription's own expiry date, and Microsoft says it will notify customers by email.
Are there exceptions or bonus storage?+
Microsoft writes that existing customers in supported markets who meet the requirements may receive bonus storage. Which requirements and markets, and how large the bonus is, is not stated. Dr. Windows guesses at an exception for EU customers, but that is not documented.