You need permission and the right Outlook setup to see another person's calendar
Viewing someone else's calendar in Outlook requires two things: they must have shared their calendar with you, and you must know where to look in Outlook to access it. The person who owns the calendar controls what you can see — they might let you view only their free and busy times, or they might show you every event detail. If someone has shared their calendar with you but you cannot find it, the calendar may not have been added to your view yet, or it may be hidden.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on the web, Outlook on your computer, or Outlook on your phone. This guide covers the desktop version first, since that is where most people manage shared calendars.
Key Takeaways
- A shared calendar only appears in your Outlook if the owner has sent you a sharing invitation or added your email address to their sharing settings.
- On Outlook desktop, shared calendars appear in the left sidebar under "Other calendars" once they are added to your account.
- You can hide or show a shared calendar by clicking the eye icon next to its name, without removing access.
- If someone says they shared their calendar with you but you do not see it, ask them to resend the invitation or check that they entered your email address correctly.
- On Outlook on the web, shared calendars appear in a separate section and may require you to accept an invitation before they show up.
Finding a shared calendar in Outlook on your computer
Open Outlook and go to the Calendar view by clicking the Calendar icon in the left sidebar. On the left side of the screen, you will see your own calendar listed under "My calendars". Below that is a section called "Other calendars". Any calendar someone has shared with you should appear there once it has been added to your account.
If you see the shared calendar listed but it is grayed out or has an eye icon with a line through it, the calendar is hidden. Click the eye icon to show it. If you do not see the shared calendar at all, it has not been added to your Outlook yet. You may need to accept an invitation, or the person who owns the calendar may need to share it with you again.
Adding a shared calendar when you receive an invitation
When someone shares their calendar with you, Outlook usually sends you an email invitation. Open that email and look for a button or link that says "Open this calendar" or "Add to calendar". Click it, and Outlook will add the calendar to your "Other calendars" section.
If you cannot find the invitation email, ask the person who owns the calendar to share it again. They can do this by opening their own calendar, right-clicking on it, selecting "Sharing permissions", and entering your email address. Once they do, you should receive a new invitation within a few minutes.
Viewing shared calendar details in Outlook
Once a shared calendar appears in your "Other calendars" list, click on it to view the events. The calendar will display in the main area of your screen alongside your own calendar. You can see both calendars at the same time, which is useful for finding times when both you and the other person are free.
What you can see depends on what the calendar owner allowed. They might have set your access to show only when they are busy or free, in which case you will see blocks of time marked "Busy" or "Free" but no event titles or details. If they gave you full access, you will see the event names, times, and descriptions.
Using Outlook on the web to see a shared calendar
If you use Outlook in a web browser, the process is similar but the layout is different. Log into your Outlook account and click Calendar in the left sidebar. Look for a section labeled "Other calendars" or "Add calendar". If someone has shared a calendar with you, you may see an invitation notification at the top of the page.
Click the notification or the "Add calendar" button and select the shared calendar from the list. It will then appear in your calendar view. You can hide it by unchecking the box next to its name, or remove it entirely by clicking the three dots next to the calendar name and selecting "Remove".
Checking a shared calendar on your phone
The Outlook mobile app shows shared calendars in a similar way. Open the app and go to Calendar. Swipe down or look for a menu option to see "Other calendars". Shared calendars should appear there. Tap one to view its events, or swipe left on a calendar name to hide it temporarily.
If a shared calendar is not showing on your phone, make sure you have accepted the invitation on your computer or web browser first. Mobile apps sometimes sync shared calendars more slowly than the desktop version.
What to do if you cannot see a shared calendar
If someone says they shared their calendar with you but it does not appear in your Outlook, start by checking your email for an invitation. Search for emails from that person or from Outlook with the word "calendar" in the subject line. If you find the invitation, click the link to add the calendar.
If there is no invitation email, the person who owns the calendar may have entered your email address incorrectly, or they may have shared it with a different account. Ask them to double-check your email address and resend the invitation. If you use multiple email accounts, make sure they are sharing with the account you use for Outlook.
Another possibility is that the calendar was shared but then removed. Ask the calendar owner to check their sharing settings and confirm that your email address is still listed with access to the calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit events on someone else's shared calendar?
Only if the calendar owner gave you editor access. Most shared calendars are set to view-only, which means you can see events but cannot change them. If you need to edit an event, ask the calendar owner to change your permission level or to edit the event for you.
What does "free and busy" mean on a shared calendar?
Free and busy is a privacy setting that shows only whether someone is available at a given time, without showing event details. You will see blocks marked "Busy" or "Free" but no event names or descriptions. This is useful for scheduling meetings without revealing what someone is doing.
If I hide a shared calendar, does the owner know?
No. Hiding a calendar only affects what you see in your own Outlook. The calendar owner cannot tell whether you have hidden their calendar or are viewing it. You can show it again anytime by clicking the eye icon next to the calendar name.
Can I share someone else's calendar with a third person?
No. You can only share calendars that you own. If you want a colleague to see someone else's calendar, that person needs to share it directly with your colleague, or you can ask them to do so on your colleague's behalf.
Why does a shared calendar show different events on my phone than on my computer?
Mobile apps sometimes take longer to sync shared calendars. Try closing and reopening the Outlook app on your phone, or check that you are signed into the same email account on both devices. If the problem continues, the calendar owner may have changed your access level.