If your business has granted you access to a colleague’s or shared mailbox, these steps apply to you. Completing the process below will make that mailbox or folder appear directly inside Outlook so you can read and manage it without logging out of your own account.
New Outlook and Outlook on the Web
- In the left navigation pane, right-click Folders.
- Select Add shared folder from the menu that appears.
- Type the email address of the mailbox you want to add.
- Click Add. The folder will appear in your left pane.
Classic Outlook Desktop App
- Click File in the top menu bar.
- Go to Account Settings and click Account Settings again in the submenu.
- Double-click your email account in the list.
- Click More Settings.
- Select the Advanced tab.
- Click Add and type the email address of the mailbox you want to open.
- Click OK to confirm and close the settings windows. The mailbox will load in your folder list.
If you do not see the mailbox appear after following these steps, you may not yet have been granted the necessary permissions. Contact your IT administrator or reach out to Advanced Computer Solutions for assistance.
Common questions
Why don’t I see the option to add a shared folder in my version of Outlook?
The steps differ depending on which version of Outlook you are using. New Outlook and Outlook on the web use the right-click ‘Add shared folder’ option, while the Classic desktop app requires going through File > Account Settings > Account Settings and then the Advanced tab. Make sure you are following the correct set of steps for your version.
The mailbox I added isn’t showing up—what should I do?
If the mailbox does not appear after you complete the steps, the most common reason is that you have not yet been granted permission to access it. An administrator at your company needs to delegate access to your account first. Contact your IT team or reach out to Advanced Computer Solutions at https://acsapp.com/contact-us/ for help.
Do I need to repeat these steps every time I open Outlook?
No. Once you add the shared mailbox or folder using either method, Outlook will remember it and display it automatically each time you open the application.