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RESOURCES · MICROSOFT 365 & OUTLOOK

Add a shared mailbox in
Outlook for Mac.

A shared inbox like info@ or accounts@ shows up automatically for your colleagues on Windows, but not on your Mac. The steps differ between the new and legacy Outlook for Mac — here's both, provided you have Full Access.

Applies to: Outlook for Mac · Microsoft 365 Time: ~5 minutes Needs: Full Access permission
Quick answer

In new Outlook for Mac, open Outlook → Settings → Accounts, select your account, click Delegation and Sharing, open the "Shared With Me" tab, click +, type the shared mailbox address and click Add. It then appears in your sidebar. You need Full Access, which your IT admin grants.

METHOD 1 · NEW OUTLOOK FOR MAC

Via Delegation and Sharing.

This is the current version of Outlook for Mac, and the most likely one you're running.

  1. Confirm you have Full AccessYou can only add a shared mailbox you've been given Full Access to. If you're not sure, ask your IT admin — it's a quick check.
  2. Open Accounts settingsClick the Outlook menu in the top menu bar, choose Settings, then Accounts.
  3. Open Delegation and SharingSelect your own account in the list, then click Delegation and Sharing.
  4. Add the mailboxOpen the "Shared With Me" tab, click the + button, type the shared mailbox's email address and click Add.
  5. Wait for it to appearThe shared mailbox now shows in the left-hand folder list. Allow a few minutes for its folders and messages to populate the first time.

Method 2 · Legacy Outlook for Mac

Use this if you're still on the older interface — for example, if the New Outlook toggle is switched off.

  1. Open AccountsClick Tools in the top menu bar, then Accounts.
  2. Go to DelegatesSelect your account, click Advanced, then open the Delegates tab.
  3. Add the mailboxUnder "Open these additional mailboxes" (or "People I am a delegate for"), click + and add the shared mailbox address.
  4. ConfirmClick OK. The shared mailbox now appears in your sidebar.
Getting a permission error? If adding the mailbox is rejected, you don't yet have Full Access — a quick change your IT admin makes in the Microsoft 365 admin centre. Turning the New Outlook toggle on or off can also change which of the two methods above applies to you.
GET MORE FROM MICROSOFT 365

Shared mailboxes should just work — on every device.

Mixed Windows and Mac teams, shared inboxes, permissions and licensing get messy fast. Our free IT Health Check reviews your whole Microsoft 365 setup — mail flow, access rights and devices — and shows you exactly what to tidy up so your team stops chasing missing mailboxes.

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