Family Subscription

Question

Hi, have a new machine and cannot load M365 with a family subscription.

Answer 1

Hello Else Baggott,

Thank you for reaching out in Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand you’ve purchased a new computer and are unable to install or activate Microsoft 365 using your Family subscription, which can be frustrating when you expect it to work right away.

If this is a Microsoft 365 Family subscription, please make sure you’re signing in on the new machine with the Microsoft account that is either the subscription owner or a family member who has already accepted the sharing invitation. Only after the invitation is accepted and the account is part of the family group will the desktop apps activate correctly. Microsoft also confirms that Family subscription members can install Microsoft 365 on new devices as long as they sign in with the correct account.

If Microsoft 365 installs but shows as not licensed or expired, this can occur with shared Family subscriptions and is a known scenario; the subscription itself is still valid, but activation may not complete until the correct account is used or the family sharing status is fully synced.

As a quick check, try signing in at account.microsoft.com/services to confirm the Family subscription is active and shared with your account, then sign in to the Microsoft 365 apps on the new machine using that same email address.

Hope this helps

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