Manually transfer Microsoft 365 Family or Personal to a different Microsoft account

Step 1: Set up a new Microsoft 365 subscription with the Microsoft account you want to transfer to

Before beginning this transfer, a new Microsoft 365 subscription needs to be activated and associated with the Microsoft account holder you want to transfer to. This could be another individual or yourself:

• Transfer to another individual: If your plan is to have someone else assume ownership of the subscription, for example a family member or a friend, make sure that individual has their own Microsoft 365 subscription, and that it’s activated using their Microsoft account.

• Important: If the individual you want to transfer the subscription to hasn't purchased it yet and they're also currently sharing your subscription, (for example, they're a member of your Microsoft Family), make sure you stop sharing with them before they activate the new subscription.

• Transfer to yourself: To transfer the subscription to a new Microsoft account you created for yourself, be sure to complete the purchase and activate Microsoft 365 using this new Microsoft account.

• Buy Microsoft 365

Step 2: Decide what services you want to transfer and update (if appropriate)

You may not need to transfer everything associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription, but if you're using any of the services or features below, there are steps you may need to take depending on what you're using, and who might be affected by your planned subscription transfer. 

• Family Safety: Microsoft 365 Family is automatically shared with members of Family Safety, so if you previously set that up you need to consider how transferring this subscription might affect members of the group.

• Additionally, if you decide to remove yourself as the subscription owner and the new subscription owner is another adult in your existing Family Safety group, make sure that adult is set up as a co-organizer. This will ensure subscription sharing benefits will stay in place.

• For more information about creating and managing a family group, see Microsoft Family Safety.

• Subscription sharing (Microsoft 365 Family only): For individuals you're sharing with who aren’t part of Family Safety, be sure to let them know that they’ll receive a new invitation for Microsoft 365 Family from the new subscription owner. Or, if you don't plan to share the new subscription with these individuals, let them know they’ll need to buy their own subscription or find someone else to share with them.

• For help with sharing, see Share Microsoft 365 Family and Stop sharing Microsoft 365 Family.

• OneDrive: Once you cancel (or don't renew your subscription when it expires), your OneDrive will be frozen, and the files eventually deleted. What does it mean when your OneDrive account is frozen?

• If you have files in OneDrive that you want to transfer from the older subscription to the new one, use Microsoft Mover. For step-by-step help, see Transfer files to your personal OneDrive with the Mover Transfer Wizard.

• Tip: If you’re transferring more than 5 GB of files, make sure this new OneDrive location has enough storage to complete the transfer.

• Outlook.com: For emails and contacts in an Outlook.com account that you’d like to save or transfer, see Export mailbox and delete search history in Outlook.com.

• To export messages from the desktop version of Outlook, follow the steps in Export or backup email, contacts, and calendar to an Outlook .pst file.

Step 3. Cancel your Microsoft 365 subscription

Once you’ve taken care to transfer and update any of the services listed above and confirmed everything is in place, you can proceed with canceling the older subscription.

You'll continue to have access to Microsoft 365 until the end of your subscription term. Exactly how long depends on if the subscription is paid monthly or annually, and where you are in the billing cycle at the time of cancellation.

For more help with cancelling, see Cancel a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Step 4. Close your Microsoft account (if appropriate)

This final step may not be necessary. However, if you also want to close your Microsoft account, there could be extra steps to take because your account might be associated with more than just Microsoft 365. For example, are you also using this account with Xbox, Skype, or other Microsoft services?

Before closing this account permanently, see How to close your Microsoft account for a list of other things to take care of.