A widespread issue has emerged where Microsoft 365 users, particularly those on Family plans, are encountering “Subscription Cancelled” messages despite their subscriptions being active.
What’s Going On?
Several users across Microsoft’s official support forums and Reddit have reported that when launching apps like Word or Excel, they are being blocked by a message saying their “Subscription Cancelled,” and same is reported by other users.
One user mentioned, “Shared user sees ‘Subscription cancelled’ error, while the main account works fine.” Another user mentioned, “Pop-up in Word says the subscription is cancelled—even though I’m on an active Family plan.”
The issue appears to mainly affect shared users on Microsoft 365 Family plans, though a few individual account holders have also reported the same problem. Attempts to fix the issue, such as removing and re-adding affected users to the Family group, have not resolved the error.
Microsoft’s Response
Microsoft has acknowledged the issue, though a detailed explanation has yet to be released. The company confirmed via its support team and community moderators that engineers are investigating what appears to be a licensing validation bug on the backend.
“We are aware of reports about subscription cancellation notices affecting some users with active Microsoft 365 plans, particularly in Family sharing. Our team is working to identify the root cause,” a Microsoft moderator responded in a support thread.
Until a fix is rolled out, users are encouraged to keep an eye on the Microsoft 365 Service Status page for official updates.
What You Can Do in the Meantime
If you’ve been affected by this bug, don’t panic. Here are a few recommended steps to stay productive:
Check Your Subscription Status
Log into account.microsoft.com/services to confirm that your subscription is still active. Most users report that it is, despite the error message. You can also try the troubleshooting steps discussed on the Microsoft Site.
Use Web Apps Temporarily
Until the issue is resolved, you can use Word, Excel, Outlook, and other Office apps through your browser. The web versions remain unaffected by this glitch.
“I’m locked out of Word on my laptop, but Word Online is working fine for now,” a Redditor shared.
Avoid Unnecessary Changes
Some users tried removing and re-adding family members, reinstalling Office, or even repurchasing a subscription—all with little success. It’s best to wait for Microsoft to fix the root issue.
Stay Updated
Keep checking the Microsoft 365 Service Status or follow updates from Microsoft Support on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit.
We’ll continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as new information becomes available.
