How to Add a Shared Mailbox in MS Outlook?

Read time 8 minutes

If you are using Outlook for your email needs, you may need to add a shared mailbox at some point. Adding a shared mailbox in Outlook is a fairly easy process, but there are a few things you need to do before getting started.

In this post, we will show you how to add a shared mailbox in MS Outlook. We will also outline some of the prerequisites that must be met before proceeding. So if you are looking to add a shared mailbox in Outlook, read on!

Things to Know before using Shared Mailbox in Outlook

Before adding and using a shared mailbox in MS Outlook 2013, 2016, or 2019, make sure you have taken care of the following points:

• The shared mailbox must be set up and available in Microsoft 365
• MS Outlook has to be configured with your Microsoft 365 account
• The administrator has already given you access to the shared mailbox
• The shared mailbox must be configured to allow external access.
• The shared mailbox must have an email address associated with it.
• The shared mailbox must have a display name.

These are the basic requirements that must be met before you can add a shared mailbox in Outlook. Once these prerequisites have been met, you can proceed to add the shared mailbox in Outlook.

Once the admin adds you to the shared mailbox in Microsoft 365, you need to close and restart MS Outlook. After restarting Outlook, the shared mailbox might appear in your folder pane below the primary mailbox. However, if this doesn’t happen, you can add the shared mailbox manually.

Adding Shared Mailbox to Outlook

Shared mailboxes take some time to appear in the Outlook folder pane. However, if it doesn’t work for you, then you can add it manually by following the below steps:

1. Start MS Outlook and go to the File tab.
2. Click Account Settings, and then select Account Settings from the menu.
3. Now, click the Email tab, and ensure that the right account is highlighted.
4. In the Email tab, click Change at the bottom.
5. A new tab will appear on the screen; click More Settings>Advanced>Add.
6. Now, provide the shared email address to which the admin has added you, and then click Ok.
7. After that, click Next>Finish>Close.

The shared mailbox will now appear in your MS Outlook below the primary mailbox. Now, you can send or receive emails using this mailbox.

Using a Shared Mailbox in MS Outlook

After adding the shared mailbox to your Outlook, you can use it to send or receive emails. Let’s have a look at how to send emails from Shared Mailbox in Outlook.

1. Open MS Outlook and click New Email above the folder list. A new message window will appear on the screen.
2. Click the ‘…’ icon at the top of the message, and then select Show From.
   
   Note: The ‘Show From’ option shows that the receivers will receive the email from a shared mailbox address.
3. If you’re using the shared mailbox for the first time, then you will have to add the email address in the From section drop-down list:
   • Right-click on the ‘From’ option and click Remove.
     
   • Enter the shared mailbox address, so the next time you send an email from the shared mailbox, it will appear as an option in the ‘From’ drop-down menu.
4. Now, to add recipients, type the email or name of the person in your contact list or the organization’s address list.
5. Enter the subject related to the email, and then type the message that you want to send.
6. After typing the message, click Send.

The email will be sent from the Shared Mailbox address.

Let us also learn how to reply to the email received in the Shared Mailbox. Follow the steps given under to do so:

1. Open Outlook.
2. Open the email message you wish to send a reply to.
3. See the name of your shared mailbox in From at the top of your message. If you do not find the name then you should find your shared mailbox name in the From drop-down menu.
4. Type your reply/message and press Send.
5. To find the address to which you wish to send a message, you will find that address in the From drop-down list.

Note that when you send a message from your shared mailbox then your shared mailbox address will only be shown to the recipient of your message.

Save Sent emails from a shared mailbox

When you send an email from the shared mailbox, then the copy of the same is stored in the Sent Items folder and not in the shared mailbox. To make sent items be stored in the shared mailbox, you need to edit the settings of the shared mailbox. Let us learn how to do so:

1. Log into Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Groups.
3. Select shared mailboxes.
4. Select your shared mailbox.
5. Select Edit next to Sent Items.
6. Set On the following:
   • Copy items sent as this mailbox
   • Copy items sent on behalf of this mailbox
7. Select Save.

Now the sent items of the shared mailbox will be copied in to the shared mailbox.

Using the Shared Mailbox Calendar

A shared mailbox calendar is shared with the members of the shared mailbox. As a member, you can create, edit, and delete events in the Calendar. However, if you don’t have access to the shared mailbox calendar, then you can access it easily with the following steps. The steps are given for Outlook on the web.

1. Use Outlook on the web to signin to your account and then select Calendar.
2. From the Calendar menu, right-click on the Other Calendar option and select Open Calendar.
   
3. In the ‘From Directory’ look for the shared Calendar, you want to open, select the Shared mailbox linked with the Calendar, and then click Open.
4. The Shared Calendar will appear in your Calendar list.

Using a shared contact list

Once the admin has added you as a member of the shared mailbox, restart Outlook. The shared contact list of the shared mailbox will be added to the My Contacts list automatically. To use contacts of the shared mailbox, follow the steps given below:

1. Open Outlook and choose People.
2. Under My Contacts, choose the folder of the shared contacts list.

You can view the shared contacts now.

Adding and using Microsoft 365 Shared mailboxes with MS Outlook is one thing, but if you want to backup your shared mailboxes, then it’s necessary to have a backup plan in place, or you can also opt for an automated solution like Kernel Office 365 Backup & Restore to backup and restore Office 365 mailboxes automatically. Besides, if you want to import Outlook PST files to Office 365, then this software can be convenient. So, this is an essential tool for all Office 365 users.

With the help of this software, you can backup and restore your emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, notes, etc. from your Exchange Online account. The software provides an easy-to-use graphical user interface that makes it easy to use for all users. Moreover, the software supports all versions of Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Outlook. So, if you are using any of these versions, then you can use this software to backup and restore your data easily.

Conclusion

Shared Mailboxes have the greatest features of Microsoft 365, which allows you to send and receive emails from a common email id. So, we have created this article to help those users to understand all about Shared Mailboxes, the pre-requirements, adding procedures, and even using it. Moreover, users must take backup of all their mailboxes to avoid any kind of data loss.

Moreover, if you are looking for a hassle-free way to manage a shared mailbox in MS Outlook, Kernel Office 365 Backup & Restore tool is the perfect solution for you. This software allows you to not only add but also restore shared mailboxes without any data loss or corruption. So what are you waiting for? Try it today!?p>