Creating a new calendar in Outlook

To create a new calendar in Outlook, open the process and look for the folder list on the left side of your screen. Right-click on "Calendars" (or the calendar icon) and select "Add Calendar" or "New Calendar" — the exact wording depends on whether you use Outlook desktop, Outlook on the web, or Outlook on your phone. A dialog box will appear asking you to name the calendar. Type a name that tells you what the calendar is for — "Home Projects", "Team Meetings", "Doctor Appointments" — then confirm.

Once created, the new calendar appears in your calendar list. You can now add events to it by clicking on a date and time, typing the event details, and choosing which calendar to save it to from the dropdown menu. The calendar stays private until you share it.

Key Takeaways

  • Create a new calendar by right-clicking "Calendars" in the left panel and selecting "Add Calendar", then naming it for what you plan to use it for.
  • Share a calendar by opening its settings, finding the sharing or permissions option, and entering the email address of the person you want to share with.
  • You can give people different permission levels: view-only, edit, or delegate — choose based on whether they need to see events, change them, or manage the calendar entirely.
  • Shared calendars appear in the recipient's calendar list once they accept the invitation, and changes sync in real time across all devices.
  • You can stop sharing a calendar at any time by removing the person from the permissions list.

Sharing a calendar with one person or a small group

To share a calendar with someone, right-click on the calendar name in your calendar list and select "Sharing" or "Permissions" — again, the exact label varies by version. A window opens showing who currently has access. Click the button to add a person (usually labeled "Add" or a plus icon). Type or paste the email address of the person you want to share with, then press Enter or click Add.

Before you confirm, you will see options for what that person can do. Most versions of Outlook offer three levels: "Can view only" (they see your events but cannot change them), "Can edit" (they can add, change, or delete events), and "Can manage" or "Delegate" (they can do everything including change who else has access). Choose the level that matches what they actually need to do. If someone only needs to see when you are busy, view-only is enough. If you are coordinating a project together, edit access makes sense. If you want someone to manage the calendar entirely — like an assistant — use delegate.

Sharing a calendar with your whole organization

If you work in an organization that uses Outlook through Microsoft 365 or Exchange Server, you can share a calendar with your entire company or department at once. Open the calendar's sharing settings and look for an option like "Share with organization" or "Share with my company". This makes the calendar visible to everyone in your organization directory, though you still control what they can see and do with it.

Be careful with this option: once you enable it, anyone in your organization can find and view your calendar unless you explicitly restrict it. Some organizations use this for shared team calendars (like "Conference Room A" or "Team Out of Office") where everyone needs to see availability. For personal calendars, most people leave this off and share only with specific people.

What happens when someone accepts a shared calendar

When you share a calendar with someone, they receive a notification or invitation depending on your Outlook version. They click to accept it, and the calendar then appears in their calendar list, usually in a separate section labeled "Other calendars" or "Shared calendars". They can now see the events you have marked as visible to them, and if you gave them edit access, they can add or change events too.

Changes sync across all devices in real time. If you add an event on your phone, the person you shared with sees it on their computer within seconds. If they edit an event and you gave them that permission, you see the change when ready. This makes shared calendars useful for coordinating schedules, managing shared spaces, or keeping a family calendar everyone can see.

Changing or removing sharing permissions

You can change what someone can do with your calendar at any time. Open the calendar's sharing settings, find the person's name in the list, and click on their permission level to change it. You can move someone from view-only to edit, or from edit back to view-only. The change takes effect when ready on their end.

To stop sharing with someone entirely, find their name in the permissions list and click "Remove" or the delete icon next to their name. They lose access right away — the calendar disappears from their calendar list, and they can no longer see or edit events. You can always re-share later if you change your mind.

Shared calendars on mobile devices

Shared calendars work on Outlook for iPhone, Outlook for Android, and the Outlook web app. Once someone shares a calendar with you, it appears in your mobile calendar list the same way it does on your computer. You can view events, and if you have edit access, you can add or change events from your phone. Changes you make on mobile sync back to the desktop version and to anyone else who has access to that calendar.

The mobile experience is slightly different depending on your device — the buttons and menus are in different places — but the core idea is the same. If you cannot find a shared calendar on your phone, make sure you have accepted the sharing invitation and that you are signed in with the correct email account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share a calendar with someone who does not use Outlook?

Not directly through Outlook's sharing feature. However, you can export your calendar as an .ics file and email it to them, or you can publish a read-only version of your calendar as a web link that anyone can view in a browser. The exported file does not update automatically when you add events, so this works best for one-time sharing rather than ongoing coordination.

What if I share a calendar and then delete an event — do they still see it?

No. When you delete an event, it disappears from the calendar for everyone who has access to it. If you want to keep an event but mark it as cancelled, you can edit the event and change the title to say "Cancelled" rather than deleting it entirely.

Can someone share a calendar they shared with me?

No. If someone shares a calendar with you, you cannot re-share it with a third person. You can only view or edit the events (depending on your permission level). If a third person needs access, the original calendar owner has to share it with them directly.

How do I know if someone has actually accepted my calendar sharing invitation?

In most versions of Outlook, the permissions list shows whether someone has accepted or is still pending. Look for a status indicator next to their name, or check the sharing settings window. If they have not accepted within a few days, you can resend the invitation or contact them to confirm they received it.

Can I share a calendar with someone outside my organization?

Yes, if your organization allows it. You can share with anyone who has an email address. However, some organizations restrict external sharing for security reasons. If you try to share with someone outside your company and it does not work, contact your IT department to ask whether external calendar sharing is turned on.