Why Additional OneDrive Storage Is Not Shared Across Accounts
Question details
User wants to know why the additional OneDrive storage purchased under a shared 6 TB plan is only accessible to the primary account and not distributed to other family members.
- Product
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing storage quotas and upgrading capacity in a Microsoft 365 Family subscription.
- Observed behavior
- The additional storage purchased appears only in the primary account that bought it, remaining unavailable to the other shared accounts on the plan.
Ensure you are logged into the exact Microsoft account used to purchase the additional OneDrive storage to verify your current storage limits.
Verify OneDrive Storage Options and Limitations
Check your current storage allocation and understand how Microsoft assigns purchased extra space.
Microsoft 365 Family plans include up to 6 TB of total cloud storage, but this is strictly allocated as 1 TB per user for up to 6 users. The total pool is not dynamically shared.
When you purchase additional OneDrive storage, it is tied exclusively to the individual Microsoft account that made the purchase. It cannot be pooled, transferred, or divided among other members sharing the family plan.
Log in to your OneDrive account via your web browser or the desktop application.
Click on the gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner and select 'Options', then click on 'Manage storage' in the left sidebar.
Select 'Plans and upgrades' to review your current storage options. You will see that the additionally purchased storage applies only to this specific logged-in account.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer my extra OneDrive storage to another family member?
No, Microsoft does not allow transferring or sharing additionally purchased OneDrive storage between accounts, even if those accounts are on the same Microsoft 365 Family plan.
How much storage does each person get on a Microsoft 365 Family plan?
Each person sharing the Microsoft 365 Family subscription (up to 6 people) receives exactly 1 TB of individual OneDrive cloud storage.
How can a shared account get more than 1 TB of space?
The family member who needs more space must log into their own Microsoft account and purchase a supplementary OneDrive storage plan directly for themselves.
Will my files be deleted if my family subscription expires?
Your files will not be immediately deleted. However, your account will become read-only if it exceeds the free 5 GB limit, meaning you can download files but cannot upload or edit them until you purchase a new subscription or clear enough space.
