Relevant to: faculty and staff
This article contains information considered accurate at the time of publishing. Technology updates, changes in University security practices, policies and/or procedures may affect the information in this article - updates to articles are scheduled on a periodic basis and will address any required changes.
Introduction
A shared mailbox is a specialized multi-user office or department mailbox account. Designated staff have access to this mailbox to monitor and receive user email messages. Shared mailboxes can also be used to provide a common calendar, allowing multiple users to schedule and view scheduled events.
Limitations
New Outlook is mainly intended as a replacement for Windows Mail, which was discontinued on December 31, 2024. It is in many ways a local facsimile of “Outlook on the Web.” It is not currently meant as a strict replacement for Outlook (classic), nor does it perfectly replicate all features and functionality. Please be aware that shared calendars are not yet fully implemented within New Outlook, and as such, may not function s expected. Additional calendar issues also include an inability to search for and book available conference rooms for in-person appointments. Other scheduled requests, such as reserving the use of university vehicles, may also experience similar issues.
Add a Shared Mailbox
To add a Shared Mailbox within New Outlook, your individual user account must have already been granted access to it. If your account does not have access to a particular shared mailbox, please submit a ticket with your request. Once you have been granted access, you may add the shared mailbox to New Outlook as outlined below:
- Open your Settings menu by selecting the gear-shaped icon (⚙) in the top right corner of New Outlook.
- In the Settings menu, choose Accounts along the left hand column, then Shared with me in the center column.
- You may view all of your currently configured shared mailboxes here. To add a new one, select the button labelled + Add.
- In the prompt, enter the full e-mail address for the shared mailbox and select Continue.
- Once complete, restart New Outlook.
- Your new shared mailbox should be listed in the left hand column of New Outlook, below your individual user account directory.
Add a Shared Calendar
To add a Shared Calendar within New Outlook, your individual user account must have already been granted access to it. If your account does not have access to a particular shared calendar, you may need to reach out to the calendar's owner for an invitation link. Otherwise, you may add it via the following steps:
- Select the Calendar button from the left hand column.
- Choose Add Calendar directly below the mini-calendar in the center column.
- In the new window, select Add from directory along the left column.
- Choose an account from the drop down — either your personal account or a shared mailbox account.
- Input the name or e-mail address of the calendar account.
- Select Add.
To toggle the calendar once added, select it from the drop down below the mini-calendar view. Ensure that it is checked to enable visibility. It should now appear in a side-by-side view with your main calendar.
Note: If you have more than two or three calendars, you may need to use the bottom scroll bar to pan to the right or left to see each successive calendar.
Reverting to Outlook Classic
New Outlook and Outlook (classic) exist as two separate applications, and as such can run side-by-side or switched between at will. Most installations should give the option via a toggle in the top right corner of the application. Toggling it on will switch to New Outlook, while toggling it off will revert to Outlook (classic).
If you find that the in-app toggle is no longer available, you may also manually create a shortcut to either application. To do so in Windows:
- Open the Start menu via the Windows icon along the bottom of your desktop.
- Input Outlook in the search bar along the top of the Start menu.
- In the search results, find Outlook (classic)
- Right-click on Outlook (classic) to choose either Pin to Start or Pin to taskbar
- Your new shortcut will be pinned in the location your selected.
