A shared mailbox is one inbox worked by several people – think info@, sales@ or accounts@. Everyone reads the same mail, anyone can reply, and nothing sits unanswered because the one person who watches it is on holiday. Here’s how to add one to Outlook on every device you use, and how to send from it once it’s there.
No password, no separate login
The most useful thing to know: a shared mailbox has no password of its own. We grant access to your account, and your normal sign-in carries it everywhere. If anything ever asks you for the shared mailbox’s password, stop – it’s being added the wrong way (as a full account rather than a shared one). And when access has just been granted, allow up to an hour for it to appear.
Outlook on Windows (classic)
Usually you do nothing. Once access is granted, the shared mailbox appears by itself in the folder pane below your own mailbox – restart Outlook if it hasn’t shown up yet. If it still doesn’t appear:
- Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings
- Double-click your email account, then More Settings > Advanced
- Click Add, type the shared mailbox address, and OK your way back out
New Outlook and Outlook for Mac
Right-click your account name in the folder pane, choose Add shared folder or mailbox, and type the name or address. It appears in the folder list under “Shared with me”.
Outlook mobile app (iPhone and Android)
- Your work account needs to be in the app already – the shared mailbox rides on its permissions
- Tap your profile picture (top left), then the envelope icon with a +
- Choose Add a shared mailbox and enter its address
The shared mailbox shows up as an extra account in the app – use the icons down the left edge of the inbox to flick between your own mail and the shared one, and you’ll get its new-mail notifications too.
Outlook on the web
- In its own tab: at outlook.office.com, click your profile photo (top right) and choose Open another mailbox. The shared mailbox opens full-screen in a new tab – handy when you’re spending the afternoon in it.
- Pinned to your folder list: right-click Folders in the left pane, choose Add shared folder or mailbox, and it sits at the bottom of your folder pane permanently.
Sending from the shared address
- Start a new email and look for the From button. In classic Outlook, if it’s hidden: Options > From switches it on
- Click it, choose Other email address, and type the shared address – Outlook remembers it after the first time
- Replies written from inside the shared mailbox on the web come from the shared address automatically
One quirk worth knowing: sent messages land in your Sent Items by default, not the shared mailbox’s – so colleagues can’t see what’s already been answered. We can switch on copying so every reply lands in the shared Sent Items as well; if the team wants that, just ask.
Common snags
- Asked for a password? Remove it and re-add it as a shared mailbox, never as a new account.
- “You do not have permission to send as this user” means you can read the mailbox but Send As hasn’t been granted – a one-line ticket fixes it.
- Need the shared calendar too? In Calendar, choose Add calendar > Add from directory and pick the shared mailbox.
- Still not showing after an hour and a restart? Raise it with us and we’ll check the permission actually landed.
Need a new shared mailbox created, people added or removed, or an automatic reply set on one? Raise a ticket or start a remote session – shared mailboxes are free up to 50GB, so there’s no licence cost to add one.