Adding a shared mailbox in Outlook means connecting to an email account that multiple people use

A shared mailbox is an email account that belongs to a group or department rather than one person — like a support team inbox, a billing account, or a department calendar. When you add it to Outlook, you see that mailbox alongside your personal inbox and can send and receive messages from it. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on Windows, Mac, or a phone, and whether your organization uses Microsoft 365 (the subscription version) or an older standalone copy of Outlook.

Your administrator must grant you permission to the shared mailbox before you can add it. If you try to add one and Outlook rejects it, ask your IT department or the mailbox owner to confirm you have been given access.

Key Takeaways

  • Your administrator must give you permission to the shared mailbox before you can add it to Outlook — you cannot add one on your own.
  • In Outlook on Windows with a Microsoft 365 account, shared mailboxes usually appear automatically after permission is granted, or you can add them manually through File > Account Settings.
  • On Mac, you add a shared mailbox by going to Tools > Accounts and selecting the account, then checking the box for the shared mailbox under Advanced settings.
  • On Outlook mobile (iPhone or Android), shared mailboxes appear in the folder list once you have permission, and you switch between them by tapping the account dropdown at the top.
  • If a shared mailbox does not appear after you have been granted permission, sign out of Outlook completely and sign back in to refresh your access.

Adding a shared mailbox in Outlook on Windows

If you use Microsoft 365 on Windows, shared mailboxes often appear in your folder list automatically once your administrator grants permission. Check your inbox first — look for a folder with the shared mailbox name below your personal inbox. If it is there, you are done.

If the shared mailbox does not appear automatically, add it manually. Open Outlook and select File in the top left. Click Account Settings, then Account Settings again from the dropdown menu. Find your email account in the list and select it, then click Change. In the window that opens, click More Settings, then go to the Advanced tab. Under "Open these additional mailboxes," click Add, type the email address of the shared mailbox, and click OK. Click OK again to close the settings window. Outlook will sync the shared mailbox within a few minutes.

If you use an older version of Outlook (not Microsoft 365), the process is similar but the menu path may differ slightly. Go to File > Info > Account Settings > Account Settings, find your account, click Change, then More Settings > Advanced tab, and add the shared mailbox address the same way.

Adding a shared mailbox in Outlook on Mac

On Mac, open Outlook and click Tools in the menu bar at the top. Select Accounts from the dropdown. Find your email account in the list on the left and click it. Click the Advanced button at the bottom right of the window.

In the Advanced settings window, look for the section labeled "Open these additional mailboxes" or "Shared mailboxes." Click the plus sign to add a new one. Type the email address of the shared mailbox and click Add. Close the settings window. Outlook will read the shared mailbox within a few minutes, and it will appear in your folder list on the left side of the screen.

Adding a shared mailbox in Outlook mobile

On iPhone or Android, open the Outlook app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner. Scroll down and look for the shared mailbox name in your folder list. If you have been granted permission and the mailbox does not appear, sign out of the app completely and sign back in.

Once the shared mailbox appears in your folder list, tap it to open it. To switch between your personal inbox and the shared mailbox, tap the account dropdown at the very top of the screen (it shows your email address or name). Select which mailbox you want to view. When you compose a new message, you can choose which mailbox to send from using the same dropdown.

What to do if the shared mailbox does not appear

If you have been given permission but the shared mailbox still does not show up, the most common fix is to sign out of Outlook completely and sign back in. On Windows, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select your account, and click Sign out. Wait a few seconds, then sign back in with your password. On Mac, click Tools > Accounts, select your account, and click Sign out. On mobile, tap the menu icon, scroll to the bottom, tap Settings, select your account, and tap Sign out.

If signing out and back in does not work, ask your administrator to confirm that your account has been added to the shared mailbox. Sometimes permission takes a few minutes to set up, or the administrator may have added the wrong email address. Once permission is confirmed, wait 15 to 30 minutes and try signing out and back in again.

Sending messages from a shared mailbox

Once the shared mailbox is added, you can send messages from it. When you compose a new message, look for the From field at the top. Click or tap it and select which mailbox you want to send from — your personal account or the shared mailbox. The recipient will see the shared mailbox address in the From line, not your personal email.

Be careful to choose the correct mailbox before you hit Send. If you accidentally send a personal message from the shared mailbox, you cannot unsend it, but you can delete it from the shared mailbox folder so other people who use that mailbox do not see it. On Windows and Mac, right-click the message and select Delete. On mobile, swipe left on the message (iPhone) or long-press it (Android) and tap the trash icon.

Managing permissions and removing a shared mailbox

If you no longer need access to a shared mailbox, you can remove it from Outlook without losing any data. On Windows, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select your account, click Change, then More Settings > Advanced tab. Find the shared mailbox in the "Open these additional mailboxes" list, select it, and click Remove. On Mac, go to Tools > Accounts, select your account, click Advanced, find the shared mailbox, and click the minus sign.

Removing it from Outlook does not delete the mailbox or its messages — it just removes it from your view. If your administrator later grants you permission again, you can add it back the same way. On mobile, removing a shared mailbox is not possible through the app settings; instead, contact your administrator to revoke your access, and it will disappear from your folder list once you sign out and back in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a shared mailbox if my organization does not use Microsoft 365?

It depends on your email system. If your organization uses Microsoft Exchange (the server that runs most corporate email), you can add a shared mailbox to Outlook. If you use a different email system like Gmail or a local mail server, shared mailboxes may not be available or may require a different setup process. Ask your IT department what email system you use.

What happens to shared mailbox messages when I delete them?

When you delete a message from a shared mailbox in Outlook, it goes to the Deleted Items folder for that mailbox. Other people who use the shared mailbox can still see it in Deleted Items unless they also delete it. If you want to permanently remove a message so no one can see it, empty the Deleted Items folder for the shared mailbox.

Can I send a message from a shared mailbox on my phone?

Yes. When you compose a new message in Outlook mobile, tap the From field and select the shared mailbox. The message will be sent from that mailbox address. Make sure you choose the correct mailbox before you hit Send, because you cannot change it after the message is sent.

Why does the shared mailbox appear in Outlook but I cannot open it?

This usually means your permission has expired or been revoked. Contact your administrator to confirm you still have access. If permission was recently granted, wait 15 to 30 minutes for it to set up, then sign out of Outlook and sign back in.

Can multiple people send from the same shared mailbox at the same time?

Yes. Multiple people can open and send from a shared mailbox at the same time. However, only one person can edit a draft message at a time. If two people try to edit the same draft, the second person will see a message saying the draft is locked.