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To share eligible digital Xbox games with people who use the same console, sign in on that console with the Microsoft account that bought the games, then choose Settings > Personalization > My home Xbox > Make this my Home Xbox. The console receives a device license, so other profiles on it can use eligible games and content. The purchasing account keeps its user license and can sign in on another Xbox, but Microsoft says the same game can be played on only one console at a time.
What Home Xbox sharing actually does
Home Xbox is Microsoft’s way of attaching a digital purchase’s device license to one console. It does not move ownership to another person or merge two Microsoft accounts. The account that bought a game, or that holds the relevant subscription, remains the account governed by the license terms.
Microsoft describes two licenses for a digital game:
- Device license: tied to the console designated as the account’s Home Xbox. Anyone using that console can use eligible products licensed to the device, normally with their own Xbox profile.
- User license: tied to the purchasing account. That account can use its purchases on another Xbox when signed in, subject to Microsoft’s sign-in and concurrency rules.
This arrangement is useful when several people share one household console. A parent can designate the family Xbox as Home Xbox, then children or other household members can launch eligible games from their own profiles without the buyer staying signed in. A second console is optional; it matters only when the account owner or another player needs a different Xbox in another room or location.
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Microsoft’s current Usage rules for Digital Goods state: “Games can only be played on one console at a time.” That restriction applies to the same game, not to ownership: the device license remains associated with the Home console, while the account owner uses the user license elsewhere.
What you need before setting it up
- An Xbox console that the household intends to share.
- Internet access long enough to sign in and change the Home Xbox designation.
- The Microsoft/Xbox account that purchased the digital games or holds the relevant subscription.
- The account’s sign-in credentials and, if enabled, its security verification method.
- A clear choice of which console should receive the device license.
No special controller, cable, storage device, or repair accessory is required. An existing eligible Xbox can be designated; buying a second console is not part of the setup process.
Before changing the setting, check whether the account has already switched Home consoles several times. Microsoft permits up to five Home console changes during a one-year period. Microsoft defines that as a rolling period from the first assignment or change, not a calendar-year reset. After the limit is reached, the console displays the next date when another change is available.
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How to designate the household console as Home Xbox
- Use the intended shared console. Turn on the Xbox that household members will use and connect it to the internet.
- Sign in with the purchasing account. Use the Microsoft/Xbox profile that owns the digital games or subscription content. A different family member’s profile cannot designate the purchaser’s Home Xbox unless it is the account that owns the licenses.
- Open the Home Xbox page. Go to Settings > Personalization > My home Xbox. Microsoft Learn documents this path; wording can vary slightly with dashboard updates, so follow the labels currently shown on the console.
- Choose “Make this my Home Xbox.” If the console is already designated, the page will show that it is the Home Xbox instead. Do not select a change casually if you may be close to the five-change rolling limit.
- Let the change complete. Keep the console online while the account validates the designation. Once complete, sign out of the purchasing account if desired and have another household member sign in with their own profile.
- Test an eligible game from the other profile. Open the owner’s digital library or the installed game from the household member’s profile. If the title is covered by the device license, it should launch without the purchasing account remaining signed in.
The setting affects the console, not a particular person. Every profile that uses the designated Home Xbox can receive the device-license benefit, while each person still has a separate save history, achievements, privacy settings, and friends list.
Which games and benefits are shared
Home Xbox sharing applies to eligible digital games and other products covered by Microsoft’s licensing model. It is safer to say “eligible content” than “everything in the account,” because Microsoft identifies exceptions.
| Content or situation | What Home Xbox generally provides | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Digital games purchased by the account | Other profiles on the designated Home Xbox can use the device license. | The title must be eligible under its license; the purchase is not transferred to another account. |
| Subscription-enabled game access | Sharing can apply to some content made available through a subscription. | Microsoft directs users to the applicable Xbox Game Pass and digital-game rules. Benefits can vary by current tier, title, region, and service terms. |
| Downloadable add-ons | Some add-ons are available through the Home console’s device license. | Microsoft says certain add-ons may be limited to personal use. |
| In-game currency | Do not assume it is shared. | Microsoft specifically gives in-game currency as an example of content that may be restricted to the purchaser. |
| Limited-time boosts or similar consumables | Do not assume other profiles can use them. | Microsoft lists limited-time boosts among possible personal-use exceptions. |
| Cloud, service, or account-specific features | Check the relevant service terms. | A Home device license does not establish that every subscription feature or cloud entitlement is shared. |
If a family member can launch the base game but cannot see a particular expansion, currency balance, or timed bonus, that does not necessarily mean Home Xbox is broken. The item may be personal-use content or governed by a separate entitlement.
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Using two Xbox consoles in one household
Two consoles create a choice about where to place the device license. Designate as Home Xbox the console where other household profiles most often need access without the purchasing account signed in. The account owner can then sign in on the second console to use the user license there.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches| Household need | Practical arrangement | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Several people use one shared TV or one main console | Make that console the account’s Home Xbox. | Other profiles receive the device-license access on the main console. |
| The purchaser plays on a second Xbox while others use the Home console | Keep the shared console designated as Home Xbox; sign the purchaser’s account into the second Xbox. | The purchaser uses the user license on the second console. |
| Players live in separate locations | Choose which physical console should carry the device license, then use the purchaser’s account on the other console when needed. | Home Xbox is a single-console designation, so the choice determines which console works for other profiles without the owner signed in. |
| The household wants the same title running on both consoles simultaneously | Home Xbox sharing does not authorize this arrangement. | Microsoft’s rule is that games can only be played on one console at a time. |
The one-console-at-a-time rule concerns the same game. Do not promise simultaneous use of a particular title on both systems merely because one console is Home Xbox. If a launch is blocked, close the game on the other console first, then retry after the license state updates.
Offline access and sign-in expectations
The Home console receives a device license, which is why other profiles can use eligible games without the purchaser’s account being continuously signed in. However, that does not guarantee indefinite offline operation for every title, add-on, subscription, or service feature. Individual licenses can require periodic checks, and online-only games still require their own network connection.
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For subscription content, distinguish the ability to launch an eligible game from other benefits such as cloud features, multiplayer privileges, trials, or account-specific rewards. Microsoft’s usage rules refer users to separate Game Pass and digital-game rules for those conditions. Check the current terms for the exact subscription tier and region before relying on a benefit away from the purchaser’s account.
Changing your Home Xbox safely
Only one console at a time can hold the account’s Home-console device licenses. When you designate a different console, the device license moves to the new console; it does not remain active on both.
- On the console you want to designate, sign in with the owning Microsoft account.
- Open Settings > Personalization > My home Xbox.
- Select Make this my Home Xbox and confirm the change if prompted.
- Allow the console to finish synchronizing licenses before testing from another profile.
- On the previous Home console, expect profiles that do not own the games to lose device-license access. The purchaser can still use the user license there by signing in, subject to the same title’s one-console-at-a-time rule.
Because Microsoft limits an account to five Home console changes during a rolling one-year period, avoid switching back and forth to troubleshoot a single launch error. First verify that the correct account is signed in, the title is installed from that account’s library, and the console is online.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common problems
Another profile sees a lock icon or is asked to buy the game
- Confirm that the intended console is still the owning account’s Home Xbox.
- Check that the game was purchased by the account used during setup, rather than by a different family account.
- Connect the console to the internet and sign in with the owner briefly so licenses can refresh.
- Check whether the item is an excluded add-on, in-game currency, limited-time boost, or another personal-use entitlement.
The owner cannot play on the second Xbox
- Sign in on the second Xbox with the account that owns the game or subscription.
- Make sure the same title is not currently running on the Home console. Microsoft permits the game on only one console at a time.
- Verify that the second console is online when the title or service requires an account license check.
A subscription game stopped working
- Confirm that the subscription is active on the owning account.
- Check whether the title remains in the applicable catalog and whether the current plan includes it.
- Separate the base game from personal-use extras and account-specific benefits.
- Review the current Game Pass and digital-game terms for the account’s region and tier.
The Home Xbox option is unavailable or changes are blocked
- Ensure the purchasing account, not another household profile, is signed in.
- Check the account’s recent Home console changes. The limit is five changes in a rolling one-year period.
- If the limit has been reached, use the date displayed by the console for the next available change rather than treating January 1 as an automatic reset.
Someone else changed the Home Xbox
Changing the designation moves the device license, so an unauthorized change can remove access for profiles on the previous console. Secure the Microsoft account, change its password, review sign-in activity, and enable an available multifactor authentication method before making another Home Xbox change. Do not share the account password merely to let a family member play; use separate profiles on the designated console.
Ownership, privacy, and good household practice
Home Xbox sharing is a license arrangement, not a transfer of purchases. The owning account controls the digital purchases and subscription relationship. Other household members should use their own Xbox profiles so saves, achievements, communication settings, and parental controls remain separate.
- Keep the purchasing account’s password and verification codes private.
- Use profile-level family and privacy settings for children instead of giving them the owner’s account.
- Tell household members which console is designated as Home Xbox before they rely on offline access.
- Record the date of a Home console change so you can track the rolling limit.
- Review title-specific terms before buying add-ons or assuming a subscription feature will be available to every profile.
What Home Xbox cannot do
- It cannot make a digital purchase belong to a second Microsoft account.
- It cannot designate two Home consoles for one account at the same time.
- It cannot guarantee that every add-on, currency purchase, boost, cloud feature, or subscription benefit is shared.
- It cannot authorize the same game to run on two consoles simultaneously.
- It does not require a second Xbox, and buying one does not remove the one-Home-console or five-change limits.
Bottom line
Sign in to the Xbox your household shares with the account that owns the digital games, then select Settings > Personalization > My home Xbox and choose Make this my Home Xbox. Other profiles on that console can then use eligible device-licensed content, while the owner can use the user license on another Xbox. Keep the single-Home-console choice, five changes in a rolling year, one-console-at-a-time rule, and title-specific exceptions in mind before switching consoles or promising that a subscription benefit will be shared.
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