OneDrive for multiple users without everyone’s files being pulled into a shared pool

MR PSM 20 Reputation points
2025-07-17T12:43:38.2233333+00:00

We have a Microsoft 365 Family subscription with five users, and we're running into a frustrating issue. To activate the Office apps, we’ve been using the same Microsoft login on each PC and laptop. That part works fine.

The problem is with OneDrive: it seems to be merging our individual folders — Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, and Desktop — across devices. So, content from one person's PC ends up visible or syncing to another's. This feels like a privacy issue, and we're not sure if it's expected behavior or a setup mistake on our end.

We’d really like to keep each person’s files separate. Since the Family plan supports up to five users, we assumed each person would get their own OneDrive space with isolated sync folders.

Are we doing something wrong in how we’ve set this up? What’s the correct way to use OneDrive for multiple users without everyone’s files being pulled into a shared pool?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows
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Diane Poremsky 8,275 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-07-17T13:21:39.9733333+00:00

We’d really like to keep each person’s files separate. Since the Family plan supports up to five users, we assumed each person would get their own OneDrive space with isolated sync folders.

Yes, if you share Family with them and they sign into office using their username and password

A family subscription is meant to be shared with up to 5 Microsoft accounts, not shared with others using the same log in.

If you have not shared the subscription with them,. go to https://account.microsoft.com/services/microsoft365/details?startSharing=true#sharing and share Microsoft 365 with them. They will then sign out of office and OneDrive that is using your address and sign in with their address.

Microsoft article on family sharing:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/share-your-microsoft-365-family-subscription-b389b9ce-3ae3-4a82-9017-39d79972fcba

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  1. Horace Wiggins 530 Reputation points
    2025-07-17T14:02:57.71+00:00

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