Microsoft Account Errors

Fix 'Adult Required' Error When Upgrading Microsoft Account Storage

Maira Mehtab Oct 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user encounters an 'adult required' message or child account restrictions when attempting to purchase or upgrade Microsoft account storage.

Fix 'Adult Required' Error When Upgrading Microsoft Account Storage

Product: Microsoft Account
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Upgrading or purchasing additional Microsoft account storage for subscription plans.
Observed behavior: The system incorrectly prevents the storage upgrade by prompting that an adult is required or treating the account as a restricted child account.

Before you start

Ensure you have the login credentials for both the affected account and an adult account in your Microsoft Family group if one already exists.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify and Update Microsoft Family Group Settings

Check your account status and update birthdate settings using an adult account in the Microsoft Family group to remove purchase restrictions.

If the birthdate on your Microsoft account is under the required adult age for your region, it is treated as a child account. You cannot edit the age settings yourself; only an adult account in the same family group can modify these settings and authorize purchases.

Sign into Microsoft Family Safety

Open a web browser and navigate to family.microsoft.com. Sign in with an adult Microsoft account. If you do not have one, you will need to create a new Microsoft account with an adult birthdate.

Create or manage the family group

Select 'Create a family group' and add the restricted account by entering its email address. If the account is already in the family group, locate its profile card on the dashboard.

Edit profile information

Click on 'Manage my child's profile info' (or similar settings for the specific account) and adjust the birthdate so that the account reflects an adult age.

Sign out and retry

Sign out of the adult account, clear your browser cache, and sign back into the formerly restricted account. Attempt the storage upgrade purchase again.

Verify and Update Microsoft Family Group Settings

Account Sync Delay: It may take up to 24 hours for age setting changes to fully synchronize across all Microsoft services and remove the purchase block.

Solution 2

Contact Microsoft Support for Manual Verification

If updating family settings does not resolve the issue, contact Microsoft Support to manually verify your age and lift the restriction.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft think my account is a child account?

Microsoft accounts are automatically classified based on the birthdate entered during creation. If the birthdate indicates an age under your region's legal adult requirement (usually 18), it applies child restrictions, including blocking direct purchases and storage upgrades.

Can I change a child account to an adult account myself?

No. By design, if an account is registered as a child, only an adult account associated with the same Microsoft Family group can modify its age settings and grant purchase permissions at family.microsoft.com.

What if I am not currently in a Microsoft Family group?

You will need to create a new Microsoft account with an adult birthdate, use it to set up a family group, and then invite your restricted account. Once joined, the new adult account can edit your primary account's permissions.

Will I lose my files if I use a different account to upgrade storage?

Yes, storage upgrades are strictly tied to the specific Microsoft account that purchased them. Upgrading a different account will not apply the storage space to your primary account's OneDrive.

Login & Account Issues