Delete a calendar you no longer need
To delete a calendar in Outlook, right-click the calendar name in the left sidebar and select Delete Calendar. Outlook will ask you to confirm — click Yes to remove it permanently. The calendar disappears from your sidebar when ready, and all events stored only in that calendar are deleted as well.
The process works the same way whether you use Outlook on Windows, Mac, or the web version. The calendar must be one you created yourself or one shared with you — you cannot delete your main inbox calendar, which is your default calendar.
If you are unsure whether a calendar contains events you want to keep, check it first by clicking on its name to see what is inside. Once you delete it, you cannot undo the action through Outlook's normal undo function, so take a moment to confirm the calendar is truly empty or that you have saved any events you need elsewhere.
Key Takeaways
- Right-click any calendar name in the left sidebar and select Delete Calendar to remove it permanently.
- Deleting a calendar removes all events stored in that calendar, so check its contents first if you are uncertain.
- Your main inbox calendar cannot be deleted — only calendars you created or that were shared with you can be removed.
- Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone through Outlook, so confirm the calendar is one you no longer need before proceeding.
- The same steps work in Outlook on Windows, Mac, and the web — the location of the delete option is identical across all versions.
Calendars you created versus calendars shared with you
Calendars you created yourself appear in your sidebar with a small dropdown arrow next to the name. These are the ones you can delete. Right-click the name, select Delete Calendar, and confirm the deletion.
Calendars that someone else created and shared with you also appear in your sidebar, usually under a section labeled with the person's name or "Other Calendars." You can delete these from your view the same way — right-click and select Delete Calendar. However, deleting a shared calendar only removes it from your sidebar; it does not delete the calendar from the other person's Outlook or affect their copy of the calendar.
If you delete a shared calendar by mistake, you can ask the person who owns it to share it with you again. They can do this by right-clicking the calendar in their sidebar, selecting Share, and entering your email address.
What happens to events when you delete a calendar
Any event stored only in the calendar you delete will be removed permanently. If an event appears in multiple calendars — for example, if you copied it or it was added to both a work calendar and a personal calendar — the event remains in the other calendars.
Before deleting a calendar, open it and scan the event list to see what is there. If you see events you want to keep, move them to another calendar first. To move an event, click it, select Edit, and change the calendar name in the dropdown menu at the top of the event details.
If you have already deleted a calendar and realize you needed an event from it, check your Outlook trash or recycle bin — some versions of Outlook store deleted items there for a limited time. However, recovery is not may provide, so it is safer to review the calendar contents before deleting.
Deleting a calendar on Outlook for Windows
Open Outlook and look at the left sidebar where your calendar names appear. Find the calendar you want to delete, right-click directly on its name, and a menu will pop up. Select Delete Calendar from the menu options.
Outlook will display a confirmation dialog asking "Are you sure you want to delete this calendar?" Click Yes to confirm. The calendar name disappears from your sidebar, and the deletion is complete.
If you do not see a delete option when you right-click, the calendar may be your main inbox calendar, which cannot be deleted. Only secondary calendars that you created can be removed this way.
Deleting a calendar on Outlook for Mac
In Outlook for Mac, the calendar list appears on the left side of the window. Right-click the name of the calendar you want to delete. A context menu appears with several options. Click Delete Calendar.
A confirmation dialog will ask if you are sure. Click Delete to confirm and remove the calendar permanently. The calendar name will no longer appear in your sidebar.
The Mac version works identically to the Windows version, though the menu layout and button names may look slightly different depending on your macOS version. If you are using an older version of Outlook for Mac, the option may be labeled Remove Calendar instead of Delete Calendar, but the result is the same.
Deleting a calendar in Outlook on the web
Log into Outlook.com or your organization's Outlook web portal. On the left side, you will see your calendar list. Find the calendar you want to delete and hover your mouse over its name. A three-dot menu icon (⋯) will appear to the right of the calendar name.
Click the three-dot menu and select Delete from the dropdown options. Outlook will ask you to confirm the deletion. Click Delete again to remove the calendar permanently.
The web version of Outlook works slightly differently from the desktop versions because it uses icons instead of right-click menus, but the end result is the same — the calendar is deleted and cannot be recovered through normal means.
Hiding a calendar instead of deleting it
If you want to remove a calendar from view but are not ready to delete it permanently, you can hide it instead. In any version of Outlook, uncheck the box next to the calendar name in the sidebar. The calendar disappears from your view, but all its events remain stored in Outlook.
To bring a hidden calendar back, straightforward check the box next to its name again. This is useful when you have calendars you use only occasionally or want to declutter your sidebar without losing the data.
Hiding is reversible and takes seconds, making it a safer choice than deletion if you are unsure whether you will need the calendar again. You can hide and show calendars as many times as you want without any loss of information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a calendar after I delete it?
Deletion in Outlook is permanent and cannot be undone through the normal undo function. Some versions of Outlook may store deleted items in a trash folder for a limited time, but recovery is not may provide. Always review a calendar's contents before deleting it.
What is the difference between deleting and hiding a calendar?
Deleting removes the calendar and all its events permanently. Hiding straightforward removes it from your sidebar view while keeping all events stored in Outlook. You can unhide a calendar anytime by checking its box again. Hide a calendar if you might need it later; delete only if you are certain you no longer need it.
Why can't I delete my main calendar?
Your primary inbox calendar is the default calendar in Outlook and cannot be deleted. You can only delete secondary calendars that you created yourself or calendars that were shared with you. If you want to clear events from your main calendar, delete the individual events instead of the calendar itself.
If I delete a shared calendar, does it delete it for the other person too?
No. Deleting a shared calendar only removes it from your sidebar. The calendar remains in the other person's Outlook unchanged. If you need the calendar back, ask the owner to share it with you again.
Can I move events to another calendar before deleting?
Yes. Open the calendar, click an event, select Edit, and change the calendar name in the dropdown menu. Repeat this for each event you want to keep. Once all important events are moved, you can safely delete the empty calendar.