Adding Shared Mailboxes in Outlook (New)

Overview and Purpose

These step-by-step instructions are intended to guide any team member through the process of adding shared MSU mailboxes or folders to the newly updated Outlook desktop client. 

Environment

This procedure applies only to Outlook (New), a Windows desktop software application. Also known as just Outlook, the official name of the software is Outlook for Windows. Adding shared calendars in Outlook (New) will automatically add them to Outlook on the Web. It will not automatically add them to Outlook (Classic).

Shared mailboxes can be accessed in Outlook from multiple platforms. Before you begin, you will need to know the precise name of the shared mailbox you wish to access. You will also need to have permission to the mailbox. Requests for permissions can be submitted by your unit manager via an Access Request Form (ARF).

Here are some quick links to the below instructions for accessing shared mailboxes from:

Also see these Microsoft instructions for using, sending and searching a shared mailbox, once you have it connected.

Adding a Shared Mailbox in Outlook (New)

  1. Open the Outlook (New) application. If installed, it can be found by pressing the Start Menu icon on the bottom left of your desktop, and searching for “Outlook (new)”.
  2. In the left side of the Outlook client, near the top, your email address is visible above your inbox. Hover your mouse over your email address, and a “…” icon will appear to the right of your email address. Click on this “…” icon.
  3. A drop-down menu will appear after selecting the “…” icon. Choose the “Add shared folder or mailbox” option from this list.
  4. A window will appear containing a text field. First, type the name of the shared mailbox you wish to add, or enter the full email address, if known. Next, click the matching result highlighted in blue that appears underneath the text field. Finally, once the shared mailbox is selected, click the “continue” button.
  5. Outlook will display a message stating that the shared mailbox was added, and that a restart is necessary. Click the “Restart Outlook” button.
  6. After Outlook restarts, the shared mailbox will now be visible on the left side of Outlook, underneath your personal MSU email account. 
  7. Clicking on the “>” icon will expand the view and make subfolders within the mailbox visible, such as inbox, drafts, sent items, etc.
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