Microsoft included its AI-powered Office features in Microsoft 365 personal and family subscriptions last year, but only allowed the primary account holder to access the AI benefits. Now, Microsoft is about to let Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscribers share Copilot and AI usage features, along with access to Office apps and OneDrive storage, with up to five others on a plan.
In an email to Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscribers seen by The edgeMicrosoft describes the changes coming to subscription plans over the coming months:
Storage changes seem to be the main drawback of Microsoft updates. Instead of getting 1TB of OneDrive storage per account, Microsoft now limits you to just 2TB of shared storage across the entire plan. Microsoft argues that this makes storage more flexible if a member exceeds 1TB, but it seems like it’s actually an easy way for the company to sell more OneDrive storage.
According to a support note, “existing subscribers in eligible markets may also qualify for additional transitional storage.” Microsoft also plans to support families who use a lot of storage.
The changes are announced one year after the launch of Microsoft 365 Premium, which offers all the benefits of Copilot Pro and a subscription to Microsoft 365 Family for $19.99 per month. The “more flexible use of AI” change could mean that some subscribers end up paying more for the use of AI, depending on how they use Copilot.
