Non-confidentiality of Friends and Family group

Debbie Breakspear 0 Reputation points
2026-09-29T15:39:17.9033333+00:00

I have shared my account with a friend as part of the Microsoft 365 Family and Friends process, but both our accounts are viewable to each other and not private. How do I rectify this?

Debbie B

Microsoft 365 and Office | Microsoft Family Safety | For home | Other
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  1. DaveM121 937.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-29T16:14:46.9266667+00:00

    If you shared your Microsoft 365 subscription with a friend, and you can see each other's data, then the subscription has not been shared correctly.

    On the link below the process to share a Microsoft 365 subscription is explained, basically you create a share link and send that to your friend, then, they install the Office apps on their devices using their own Microsoft account, they then get their own 1TB of storage linked to their account that is completely separate from your files and OneDrive storage.

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accounts-billing/subscriptions/share-your-microsoft-365-subscription

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-29T15:39:35.0333333+00:00

    What is being seen is expected if both people are in the same Microsoft family group.

    Microsoft 365 Family sharing requires the invited person to join the subscription owner’s family group. Family group members can see who else is in that family group. However, personal data remains private:

    • Personal files stay private unless explicitly shared.
    • Emails, appointments, contacts, photos, and notebooks are not automatically shared.
    • Joining the family group does not automatically share data with the subscription holder.

    To reduce visibility between the accounts:

    1. Stop sharing the Microsoft 365 subscription if the other person should not be in the family group.
    2. Remove that person manually from the Microsoft family group, because stopping sharing alone does not remove them from the group.
    3. If needed, review the family group at https://account.microsoft.com/family to confirm membership.

    Important details:

    • Only Microsoft 365 Family, Premium, and Pro subscriptions can be shared.
    • Sharing is only possible while the invitee remains in the subscription owner’s family group.
    • If the goal is privacy, the accounts cannot stay shared through Microsoft 365 Family while also being hidden from each other as family group members.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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