Sharing your Outlook calendar lets a coworker, assistant or family member see when you’re free, book meetings around your schedule or even manage events on your behalf. The exact steps depend on whether you’re using Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web, Outlook for Mac or the mobile app, so this guide walks through each one.
Quick steps
- Open Outlook and switch to the Calendar view.
- Look for a sharing option, usually labeled Share Calendar or Share, depending on the version you’re using.
- Type the name or email address of the person you want to share with.
- Choose a permission level that fits how much access they need, for example whether they can only see when you’re busy, see full event details, or make changes to your calendar.
- Send the invitation to finish.
Before you start
A few things affect how calendar sharing works for you:
- If you’re on a work or school account with Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online, sharing generally works between people in the same organization by default. Sharing with people outside your organization may need an admin to allow it first.
- If you’re on a personal Outlook.com account, sharing works a bit differently than on a Microsoft 365 work account, and the options you see can look slightly different.
- The person you invite typically needs to accept the sharing invitation before they can see your calendar.
- You’ll need the recipient’s email address, and ideally the same email address they use to sign in to Outlook.
Share a calendar in Outlook for Windows (desktop app)
- Open Outlook and go to the Calendar view using the icon in the bottom left navigation bar.
- If you have more than one calendar, select the one you want to share so it’s active.
- On the Home tab, look for the option to share your calendar and select it.
- In the box that opens, type or select the name or email address of the person you want to share with.
- Choose the permission level that fits your situation. Depending on your version of Outlook, you may be able to limit what they see to just your busy times, or allow them to view full details or make changes.
- Add a short message if you want, then send the invitation.
- The recipient gets an email invitation and generally needs to accept it to add your calendar to their own view.
Some versions of Outlook also let you manage sharing directly from the calendar’s entry in the left-hand folder pane. If you don’t see a sharing option on the ribbon, check there as well.
Share a calendar in Outlook on the web (Outlook.com and Microsoft 365)
- Sign in at Outlook.com or your organization’s Outlook web address.
- Select the Calendar icon on the left side of the screen.
- At the top of the page, select Share.
- Pick the calendar you want to share if you have more than one.
- Enter the name or email address of the person you’re sharing with.
- Set their permission level, then send the invitation.
- They’ll receive an email and generally need to accept it to view your calendar.
If you’re sharing with someone in a different Microsoft 365 organization, your admin may need to allow this through a cross-organization sharing setup before the invitation will go through.
Share a calendar in Outlook for Mac
- Open Outlook for Mac and switch to the Calendar view.
- Find the calendar you want to share in the folder pane on the left.
- Look for a sharing option for that calendar. Depending on your version of Outlook for Mac, this may appear as a menu option or on the ribbon at the top of the window.
- Type the name or email address of the person you want to invite.
- Choose their permission level.
- Send the invitation.
As with Windows, the other person generally needs to accept the invite before the calendar shows up on their side.
Share a calendar from the Outlook mobile app
Calendar sharing options on the Outlook mobile app for iOS and Android are more limited than on desktop or the web. If you need full control over permission levels, such as letting someone edit events or act as your delegate, it’s best to set this up first in Outlook on the web or Outlook for Windows. After someone accepts a sharing invitation, check your calendar list in the mobile app to see whether the shared calendar appears there, since where it shows up can depend on your account type and app version.
If it doesn’t work
The other person can’t accept the invitation
Ask them to check their inbox and junk folder for the sharing email, and make sure the invitation was sent to the correct address. If they’re in a different organization, an admin may need to enable sharing between the two organizations before the invite can be accepted.
They accepted, but the calendar isn’t showing up
Ask the recipient to check their full calendar list, since shared calendars are often added under a separate section rather than merging with their own calendar. Where this appears can vary depending on the version of Outlook they’re using.
You can’t share outside your company
External sharing between separate Microsoft 365 organizations depends on a cross-tenant access policy set up by an admin. If this hasn’t been configured, invitations to people outside your organization may not go through, and you’ll need to ask your IT team to enable it.
You need a whole team to share one calendar
For a calendar that a whole team needs to view and update together, a shared mailbox with its own calendar can work better than sharing one person’s personal calendar, since everyone with access can manage it equally.
Frequently asked questions
Can I share my Outlook calendar with someone who doesn’t use Outlook?
In many cases, yes, but what they can see and how they view it can depend on their email service and how your organization has sharing configured. If you’re not sure, check with your admin or with the recipient after sending the invitation to confirm they can access it.
What’s the difference between the sharing permission levels?
Outlook generally lets you choose how much access someone gets, from only seeing when you’re busy up to seeing full event details, with some levels also allowing the person to make changes to your calendar. The exact options you see can vary depending on your version of Outlook and your account type, so choose the level that fits how much access the person actually needs.
Do I need admin permission to share my calendar?
Not usually, if you’re sharing within your own organization or on a personal Outlook.com account. Sharing with someone in a different organization, though, often needs an admin to set up cross-organization access first.
Can I stop sharing my calendar later?
Yes. You can go back into the calendar’s sharing settings, find the person’s name in the list of people it’s shared with, and remove their access or change their permission level at any time.
Is calendar sharing different on a work account versus a personal Outlook.com account?
The overall process is similar, but personal Outlook.com accounts and Microsoft 365 work or school accounts can have slightly different options and sharing rules, especially when sharing outside your organization.
Related guides
- Add an email account to Outlook
- How to Set an Out of Office Message in Outlook
- How to Send Email Using Outlook 2019?
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