Abstract:
Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscribers may be able to open Copilot and related AI functions to family group members in the future. Neowin reported that Microsoft is preparing to remove the current restriction that only subscription holders can use some AI rights; subscription holders will also be able to manage AI access rights for younger family members.
However, Microsoft's current support page still states that the Copilot function in the Family and Premium packages is only available to subscription holders and cannot be shared. Therefore, this new policy has not been confirmed in the official support document, and the specific launch date, applicable regions and actual usage quota are still unclear.
According to the report, Microsoft also plans to integrate the usage limits currently scattered among different Copilot functions into a unified quota for users to allocate between Microsoft products and services; family members of the Family and Premium packages will use this quota together. Premium and Pro subscribers are said to be able to purchase additional AI usage when their usage is low. Microsoft has not yet disclosed the specific value of the shared quota, how each function is deducted, the price of additional quota, or how it is distributed among family members. Microsoft's official current description still lists the usage limit and AI points rules for different functions, and says that the amount will vary depending on the package, function and system conditions.
Microsoft 365 Family can share Office applications and some subscription rights with up to five other members. However, the AI functions previously embedded in Copilot applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Designer are not shared with family subscriptions. When Microsoft included Copilot in personal and family packages, it clearly stipulated that only subscription holders could use related AI benefits for Family users; although Premium integrates higher-level Copilot functions, the current regulations also restrict use by subscription holders. If the reported adjustment is implemented, other members of the family package will also be able to use the AI functions that come with the subscription, instead of each purchasing individual subscriptions.
This potential change comes as Microsoft adjusts other benefits of the Family Plan. Microsoft's official support document shows that starting from October 7, 2026, Family and Premium subscriptions that are newly purchased or repurchased after expiration will be changed to 2TB OneDrive storage space shared by the whole family; previously, up to six members each had 1TB, and the total could be up to 6TB. Existing subscribers will gradually be transferred to the 2TB shared pool when renewing their subscriptions starting from April 1, 2027. The storage pool is shared by all members, but each person's mailbox, files, and folders remain private. The storage rules have been officially explained, while Copilot sharing is still in the media reporting stage, and the degree of confirmation of the two changes is not the same.
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