Xbox Game Pass Family Sharing: How to Share Game Pass

• There is no official Xbox Game Pass family plan in 2026. The Friends and Family test was discontinued in August 2023.
• You can share Game Pass on console using the Home Xbox feature — anyone on your home console gets full access.
• On PC, sharing involves signing into the Microsoft Store with the subscription account and the Xbox app with a separate account.
• Home Xbox sharing is completely official — it is built into Xbox and supported by Microsoft.
• You can only change your Home Xbox up to five times per year, so choose your primary console carefully.
• The subscription holder can play on a second console simultaneously as long as they are signed in.

Xbox Game Pass family sharing is one of the most asked-about topics in the Xbox ecosystem — and one of the most misunderstood. Many players assume a family plan exists. It does not, at least not as of June 2026. Microsoft tested an official Friends and Family plan in 2022 and 2023, but it was quietly discontinued. What does exist is the Home Xbox feature, an official Microsoft tool that lets your entire household access your Game Pass library on a shared console. This guide explains exactly how it works, how to set it up on console and PC, and what the rules and limits are.

Does Xbox Game Pass Have a Family Plan?

No. There is no official Xbox Game Pass family plan available in 2026.

Microsoft tested a Game Pass Friends and Family plan in 2022 and 2023. The plan would have let up to four users share access to the Game Pass library at a discounted price. After running several test phases, Microsoft quietly put the programme on hold by the end of 2023.

The Xbox Game Pass Friends and Family Plan ceased to exist on 15 August 2023. From that point, Microsoft was no longer accepting new registrations for the plan, and primary account holders were unable to add new members.

Why was it cancelled? Windows Central reporter Jez Corden reported in 2026 that the cancellation was not entirely Microsoft’s fault. He said EA, which has a long-term contract within the Xbox Game Pass ecosystem, fully hated the idea. Whether EA’s stance has changed since then is unknown, and the company has not commented publicly on the matter.

Phil Spencer confirmed in late 2023 that there was still a roadmap to bring a family plan back in some form. As of mid-2026, however, no relaunch has been announced and it has remained one of the most talked-about features that Xbox has never shipped.

So what can you do instead? Quite a lot, actually — through official Xbox features that Microsoft built specifically for this purpose.

How Xbox Game Pass Sharing Actually Works

Microsoft offers two legitimate, built-in ways to share a Game Pass subscription with family members.

• Home Xbox (console) — Set one console as your Home Xbox. Anyone who signs into that console gets full access to your Game Pass library, regardless of which account they use.
• PC sharing (Windows) — Sign into the Microsoft Store with the Game Pass account and the Xbox app with a family member’s account on the same PC.

Neither of these is a workaround or a grey area. Both are documented official features supported by Microsoft. It sounds too good to be true, but this is an official Xbox feature — and it remains one of the best-kept secrets in gaming.

How to Share Xbox Game Pass on Console (Home Xbox Method)

This is the primary way to share Game Pass with everyone in your household. You need at least one Xbox console.

Step 1: Sign Into the Console You Want to Make Your Home Xbox

Go to the console that other family members use most — this is typically the shared living room or family console. Sign in with your account (the one with the active Game Pass subscription).

Step 2: Set It as Your Home Xbox

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide.
2. Go to Profile & System → Settings.
3. Select General → Personalisation.
4. Choose My home Xbox.
5. Select Make this my home Xbox and confirm.

That is it. Anyone who creates a profile or signs into that console will automatically have access to all games and subscriptions tied to your account. It is instant — no licence keys to enter, no waiting.

Step 3: Other Family Members Sign In With Their Own Accounts

Every other person in the household signs in with their own Microsoft account, not yours. They each need a free Microsoft account, but they do not need their own Game Pass subscription. Anyone who signs in to the console with their profile gets the ability to use your Game Pass subscription.

Each person keeps their own game saves, achievements, and Xbox profile. Your payment details are not shared.

What the Subscription Owner Gets on a Second Console

You — the person who owns the subscription — can also play Game Pass games on a second Xbox console simultaneously. You can sign in on any other Xbox, such as at a friend’s place, and share your Game Pass subscription with everyone as long as you are signed in.

So in a typical household: the family console is the Home Xbox (anyone plays freely), and you can also play on your own console or at a friend’s when signed in.

Home Xbox Rules and Limits

• You can only have one Home Xbox at a time. Only one console carries the Home Xbox designation for your account.
• Microsoft only allows you to change your Home Xbox a maximum of five times in one year. Choose your primary console carefully, especially if the household has multiple Xboxes.
• Anyone on the Home Xbox can play your games offline. The second console (where you are signed in) requires an internet connection to verify your active subscription.
• The Home Xbox feature covers all tiers — Essential, Premium, PC Game Pass, and Ultimate.

How to Share Xbox Game Pass on PC

PC sharing is slightly more involved because the Xbox app and the Microsoft Store use separate accounts. Here is how to set it up correctly.

What You Need

• A Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC.
• The Microsoft Store app (built into Windows).
• The Xbox app (download from the Microsoft Store if needed).
• Your Microsoft account (the one with the active Game Pass subscription).
• A separate Microsoft account for the family member who will be playing.

Step 1: Sign Into the Microsoft Store With the Subscription Account

1. Open the Microsoft Store.
2. Click the profile icon in the top right corner.
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account — the one that owns the active Game Pass subscription.

Step 2: Sign Into the Xbox App With the Family Member’s Account

1. Open the Xbox app.
2. Click the profile icon in the top right corner.
3. Sign in with the family member’s Microsoft account — their own account, not yours.

The app will notify you that “Your Microsoft Store account is different from your Xbox account.” You can just ignore this message and press the X to close it. It does not cause any issue.

Step 3: Download and Play Games

The family member can now freely download any game included in the Game Pass subscription. After downloading the games, you can switch back the Microsoft Store account, as it is not required to play them.

The family member plays as their own Xbox profile, earning their own achievements, keeping their own saves, and maintaining their own Xbox identity.

Important PC Sharing Notes

• You will need to switch back to signing into the Microsoft Store with the subscription account every time the family member needs to download a new game.
• If both of you are playing the same game from different PCs simultaneously, the game may detect an active session conflict. You can fix this by enabling Offline Permissions in the Xbox app: select your profile in the top right, open Settings, go to the General tab, and enable Offline Permission.
• Each family member must have their own Microsoft account for saves and achievements to work properly.

How to Set Up Microsoft Family Accounts

For households with children, Microsoft offers a Family Safety feature that sits alongside Game Pass sharing. This is separate from the sharing method above but is highly recommended for parental oversight.

1. On a PC or smartphone, go to account.microsoft.com/family and sign in with the main family organiser account (usually a parent’s account).
2. Click Add a family member and send invites to each person’s email address.
3. They accept the invite and join the family group.
4. As the organiser, you can set screen time limits, spending limits, content filters by age rating, and activity reporting for child accounts.

Child accounts in a Microsoft Family group can access the Game Pass library on the Home Xbox or shared PC without their own subscription. Parental controls apply to all content they access through the service.

Mutual Game Sharing Between Two Adults

If you and another adult (a partner, sibling, or housemate) each have your own Xbox accounts, you can set up mutual sharing so you both access each other’s game libraries.

1. Person A signs into Person B’s console and sets it as their Home Xbox.
2. Person B signs into Person A’s console and sets it as their Home Xbox.
3. Both sign out of each other’s profiles.

Once both consoles are set as the Home Xbox for the opposite person, you can both sign out of each other’s profiles. You will find their games in your library, and they will see yours. If Person A has Game Pass Ultimate and Person B does not, Person B gains access to the full Game Pass library through the Home Xbox. If Person B has a large digital game library, Person A gets access to those titles too.

This is especially useful for households where one person subscribes to Game Pass and the other has bought individual digital games over the years. Both effectively gain access to everything the other owns.

How Many People Can Share Xbox Game Pass?

There is no hard limit on how many accounts can sign into and play on the Home Xbox. The Home Xbox feature can effectively let an entire household game together under one subscription without needing extra subscriptions. In a family of four with one Home Xbox, all four people can play Game Pass games on that console simultaneously using their own profiles.

The limits to be aware of are:

• Only one Home Xbox can be designated at a time per subscription account.
• The subscription owner can play on a second console simultaneously when signed in — but only one additional console.
• Home Xbox can be changed a maximum of five times per year.
• For PC sharing, the process has to be repeated each time a new game is downloaded on the second PC.

Which Game Pass Tier Is Best for Family Sharing?

Any tier can be shared via the Home Xbox method, but Game Pass Ultimate delivers the most value for a household.

• Ultimate covers both console and PC, so sharing extends across devices.
• Cloud gaming is included, meaning family members can play on phones, tablets, and smart TVs without any additional hardware.
• EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, and Fortnite Crew perks are available to everyone on the Home Xbox — not just the account holder.
• Online multiplayer is included, so all household accounts can play online without individual subscriptions.

For families who only game on a single console and want the lowest monthly spend, Game Pass Essential at $9.99/month still enables Home Xbox sharing, though the game library is smaller (50+ titles rather than 500+). For the full tier breakdown, see our Xbox Game Pass price guide.

For a curated list of the best games the whole family can play together through Game Pass, visit our best games on Xbox Game Pass guide.

Troubleshooting Xbox Game Pass Sharing

If sharing stops working after setting it up, here are the most common causes and fixes.

Games Not Appearing on the Home Xbox

Go to My Games & Apps → Full Library → All Owned Games. The shared games are often listed there waiting to be installed rather than appearing on the dashboard automatically.

Error Code 0x8b050033

This is the classic “too many accounts” error. It usually means the system is confused about who is signed in where. Log out of all accounts, restart the console, and log back in.

Home Xbox Setting Has Reset

A system update can occasionally reset your Home Xbox settings. Go to Settings → Personalisation → My home Xbox and verify the setting is still active.

Second PC Showing “Session Active” Conflict

If two people on different PCs try to play the same Game Pass title simultaneously, it may flag a session conflict. Enable Offline Permissions in the Xbox app: open Settings → General → Offline Permissions Enabled. This resolves most simultaneous-play issues.

Games Reverting to Locked After Changing Home Xbox

This happens when the Home Xbox is changed and the console cache has not refreshed. Perform a hard restart: hold the power button for 10 seconds, unplug the console for 30 seconds, then restart. The licence check will reset and games should reappear.

Will Xbox Game Pass Ever Have a Proper Family Plan?

Phil Spencer confirmed there was still a roadmap to bring a family plan back in some form after the 2023 cancellation, but it never came back. As of mid-2026, no announcement has been made.

The Home Xbox method covered in this guide remains the best official approach in the meantime. For a household with one shared console, it delivers virtually all the benefits a family plan would — everyone plays from the same library, each with their own profile and saves, without paying for multiple subscriptions.

Check Xbox Wire for any future announcements. We will update this guide as soon as a family plan option becomes available.

Frequently Asked Questions