Your Whole Family Will Soon Be Able to Use Microsoft's Copilot
Microsoft will let everyone on a Microsoft 365 Family or Premium plan use Copilot and AI tools, not just the person who pays. Up to six people in total can share them. The Verge
The same sharing applies to the main parts of the plan. All six people can use the Office apps and OneDrive storage access.
Storage is changing in a bigger way. Instead of 1TB for each person, the whole group will share 2TB together. Think of it like moving from six separate lockers to one large family closet. Some current users in certain countries may get extra temporary storage to help with the switch.
Microsoft 365 Premium costs $19.99 a month. It combines Copilot Pro and Microsoft 365 Family benefits for households that want full sharing and higher AI limits. Microsoft says it offers high usage limits and special Copilot features, with AI credits that work in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The Verge
Before this change, Personal and Family users got a set number of AI credits each month for Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. That system started in January 2025, when Copilot was added to Personal and Family. Family is listed as including Copilot in those four apps for up to six users, and Copilot is offered across Personal, Family, Premium, and Pro plans.
Help pages still show the old rule. They say only the plan owner can use AI features like Copilot in the desktop apps, and extra storage cannot be shared. They also say age limits may apply to AI features in Premium.
This comes after Microsoft showed a new Copilot with Home, Code and Autopilot on Sept. 25. It moves Copilot beyond a helper inside apps to a wider tool that can handle personal information, coding work, and automatic tasks.
The broader context here is how families actually share files. It was confusing when only one person could use Copilot in a shared document. Giving all six people access fits how Word, Excel, and Outlook files pass between people.
In my view, the storage change needs close watching. One shared pool is simple to manage, but one person saving lots of photos or old emails can leave less room for the other five. How much extra temporary storage Microsoft gives, and for how long, will shape whether families feel this as helpful or as a cut. Over time, shared AI use will help more. Storage limits can change, but letting everyone write, summarize, and create inside everyday apps is a daily habit that sticks.
