Increase Mailbox Size in Office 365: A Complete Guide for Users

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When it comes to managing your email storage, especially with Office 365, one of the key concerns is often the mailbox size limit. As we rely more on email communication, the need for more mailbox space increases, and knowing how to manage and increase your mailbox size effectively becomes crucial. This guide will provide all the details on how to increase mailbox size in Office 365, explain various Office 365 mailbox sizes, and offer tips on handling your Office 365 mailbox storage efficiently.

What is the Default Mailbox Size Limit in Office 365?

By default, Office 365 mailboxes come with a storage limit, and this can vary depending on the subscription or plan you are using. Here’s a breakdown of the Microsoft 365 mailbox size limits based on different plans:

Microsoft 365 Business Standard Mailbox Size: The default mailbox size for this plan is 50 GB.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium Mailbox Size: This plan also comes with 50 GB for the primary mailbox. However, you can increase this size through the use of an archive mailbox.
Exchange Online Plan 1 Mailbox Size: This plan typically has a 50 GB mailbox limit.
Exchange Online Plan 2 Mailbox Size: For users with this plan, you get 100 GB of storage for the mailbox and an additional unlimited archive mailbox.
Microsoft 365 E3 Mailbox Size: The E3 plan offers 100 GB mailbox storage, with an additional archive mailbox.

The maximum mailbox size Office 365 varies depending on your plan. However, one key feature across most Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online plans is the ability to increase storage through archive mailboxes or upgrading to a higher plan.

How to Increase Mailbox Size in Office 365?

Increasing the Office 365 mailbox size is essential for users who frequently hit the storage limits. There are several ways you can expand mailbox size Office 365, based on the plan you have.

1. Use Archive Mailboxes

Archive Mailbox in Office 365 allows you to move older emails to a cloud-based storage, thus freeing up space in your primary mailbox. This method works especially well if you are using an Exchange Online Plan 2 or Microsoft 365 E3 plan, as these plans provide archive mailbox size Office 365 that can be expanded.
How to increase archive mailbox size in Office 365: With Exchange Online Plan 2 or E3, you automatically have an unlimited archive mailbox. You can manually move emails to the archive mailbox or set up automatic archiving.
For users on Office 365 Business Premium, you’ll need to enable the archive mailbox and start moving old emails to free up space in your main mailbox.

2. Upgrade to Exchange Online Plan 2

If you are on Exchange Online Plan 1 and need more space, upgrading to Exchange Online Plan 2 is an easy solution. This upgrade offers 100 GB of storage for the primary mailbox and an unlimited archive mailbox.
How to increase mailbox size from 50 GB to 100 GB in Office 365: This can be done by upgrading to Exchange Online Plan 2. Once you upgrade, you can access the 100 GB mailbox size and have the option to store emails in the archive mailbox.

3. Increase Mailbox Size for Shared Mailboxes

A shared mailbox in Office 365 has its own size limit of 50 GB for standard mailboxes. However, you can increase shared mailbox size Office 365 by converting it to an auto-expanding archive.
This is helpful for businesses that need to store larger amounts of data in shared mailboxes without hitting the storage limits.

4. Manage Large Attachments and Mailbox Storage

If you’re frequently running into mailbox size issues, consider managing large attachments. Mailbox storage increases significantly when attachments are kept within the size limits. You can save large files in cloud storage services (e.g., OneDrive) and share links instead of sending large files as attachments.

5. Manual Cleanup and Mailbox Management

How to check mailbox size in Office 365: Go to the Outlook Web App or Outlook desktop app, and navigate to File > Tools > Mailbox Cleanup. This helps you find large emails and clear out unnecessary items.
Regularly delete unwanted emails or move them to an archive folder to keep your mailbox organized and within the storage limits.

How to Check and Monitor Your Mailbox Size in Office 365?

It’s important to regularly monitor your mailbox storage to avoid running out of space. Here’s how you can check your mailbox size in Office 365:

Outlook Web App: Log in to your Office 365 account and go to Settings > View All Outlook Settings > General > Storage. This will display your mailbox size and how much space is used.
Outlook Desktop App: Click on File > Info > Mailbox Settings to see your mailbox size and available space.

If you’re on a Microsoft Exchange or Office 365 plan, keeping track of your mailbox storage helps ensure that you avoid exceeding the Office 365 mailbox size limit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Increasing Mailbox Size in Office 365

1. What is the maximum mailbox size in Office 365?

The maximum mailbox size Office 365 depends on your plan. For example, with Exchange Online Plan 2, the mailbox size is 100 GB with an unlimited archive mailbox.

2. How do I increase my Office 365 mailbox size from 50 GB to 100 GB?

Upgrade to Exchange Online Plan 2. This gives you 100 GB for the primary mailbox and an unlimited archive mailbox.

3. How do I increase Office 365 mailbox size for Business Premium?

Business Premium mailbox size starts at 50 GB, but you can enable the archive mailbox to increase storage. Archive mailbox size Office 365 is unlimited once enabled.

4. Can I increase mailbox size for a shared mailbox?

Yes, you can convert a shared mailbox to an auto-expanding archive in Office 365, which increases the storage limit for the mailbox.

5. What is the Office 365 archive mailbox size limit?

If you’re on Exchange Online Plan 2, the archive mailbox is unlimited. For Office 365 Business Premium, the archive is also unlimited once enabled.

6. Can I increase Outlook mailbox size beyond 100 GB?

To expand beyond 100 GB, you may need to migrate to Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans, which offer additional features like auto-expanding archives.

7. How to manage my Office 365 mailbox storage?

Regularly delete old emails, use archive mailboxes, and ensure large attachments are stored in cloud storage instead of directly in the mailbox.

8. What should I do if my Office 365 mailbox is full?

You can either increase the mailbox size through an archive or upgrade your plan to Exchange Online Plan 2 or higher.

9. Does Microsoft 365 offer unlimited email storage?

Yes, Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Exchange Online Plan 2 offer unlimited archive storage, allowing you to expand your mailbox storage without limits.

10. How do I check my mailbox size in Office 365?

Go to Settings > Storage in the Outlook Web App, or use the Mailbox Cleanup tool in the Outlook desktop app.

Conclusion

Increasing mailbox size in Office 365 is vital for businesses and users who frequently send and receive emails with large attachments. By upgrading your plan to Exchange Online Plan 2 or using archive mailboxes, you can easily expand your Office 365 mailbox size without running into limitations. Regularly monitoring your storage and using cloud storage options can also help you stay within the storage limits while managing emails efficiently.