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Add a Shared Mailbox to Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook can handle multiple mailboxes. When you are a member of a shared mailbox group, you can add this mailbox to your Outlook account to view both your individual email and the group email.

What is a shared mailbox?

A shared mailbox is a general-use mailbox for a department or team (for example, a help desk or office address) that isn't tied to any one person. It does not have its own username or password — access is tied to your individual Davidson account, which T&I grants on request. You reach it from inside your own signed-in Outlook, so there's no separate account to "sign in" to and no separate password to remember.

Once you've been added, the shared mailbox often appears in Outlook automatically (you may need to close and reopen Outlook). If it doesn't appear on its own, use the steps below to add it manually.

Which version of Outlook do I have?

The steps differ by version. To tell which you're on, look for a toggle labeled New Outlook in the top-right corner of the window:

  • Toggle is on → you're on New Outlook.
  • No toggle / it's off → you're on Classic Outlook (Windows) or Legacy Outlook (Mac).

Then jump to the matching section below.

Table of Contents

Add a Shared Mailbox to New Outlook for Windows

The "new Outlook for Windows" has a blue toggle labeled New Outlook in the top-right corner. If that toggle is on, use these steps. (If you have the classic ribbon with a File menu, use the Classic Outlook for Windows steps instead.)

  1. Select Mail from the navigation pane on the left.
  2. In the folder pane, right-click your account name (your own email address at the top of the list).
  3. Select Add shared folder or mailbox.
  4. Type the name or email address of the shared mailbox, select it in the results, and click Add.
  5. The shared mailbox will appear in the folder pane on the left, listed below your own mailbox.

Note: If T&I only recently granted you access, the mailbox may take a few minutes to appear. Close and reopen the new Outlook and check again.

Add a Shared Mailbox to Classic Outlook for Windows

Use these steps if your Outlook has a File menu in the top-left corner (the New Outlook toggle is off).

  1. Open Outlook.
  2. Click on File in the Outlook menu bar.
  3. Click on the Account Settings box (just to the left of your photo).
  4. Click on Account Settings... in the drop-down list.
  5. On the Account Settings dialog box, double-click on your email address in the Name column.
  6. On the Change Account dialog box, click on the More Settings button in the lower right corner.
  7. On the Microsoft Exchange dialog box, click on the Advanced tab.
  8. In the Advanced tab, click on the Add... button.
  9. In the Add mailbox field, type the name of the shared mailbox and click on the OK button.
  10. Back on the Microsoft Exchange dialog box, click on the Apply button in the lower right corner.
  11. Click on the OK button.
  12. Back on the Change Account dialog box, click on the Next button.
  13. Click on the Finish button.
  14. Back on the Account Settings dialog box, click on the Close button.
  15. Note: You may need to expand the mailbox by clicking on the arrow, then select Inbox in order to view any emails.

Add a Shared Mailbox to New Outlook for Mac

  1. Open the Outlook application.
  2. In the menu bar, select File > Open > Shared Mailbox....
  3. Type the name or email address of the shared mailbox, select it in the results, and click Add.
  4. The shared mailbox will appear as a folder on the left side of your Outlook window.

Add a Shared Mailbox to Legacy Outlook for Mac

  1. Open the Outlook application.
  2. Select Tools > Accounts... in the Outlook main menu.
  3. On the Accounts dialog box, click on the Advanced... button in the lower right corner.
  4. Click on the Delegates tab.
  5. Just below the Open these additional mailboxes box (the lower of the two boxes):
    • Click on the + button to add a new account.
    • On the Choose a Person dialog box, type in the name of the shared mailbox, select the account in the list, then click on the Add button.
  6. Click on the OK button in the lower right corner.
  7. Close the Accounts dialog box.
  8. If you see the Outlook was redirected to the server autodiscover... dialog box:
    • Click on the Always use my response for this server check box.
    • Click on the Allow button.
  9. After a short period of time, the new shared mailbox will appear as a folder in the Accounts list on the left side of your Outlook window.

Open a Shared Mailbox from Webmail

  1. First, sign in to webmail at outlook.davidson.edu.
  2. In the upper-right hand corner of the page, select your profile picture. This will either be a picture of yourself, or your initials if you do not have a profile picture.
  3. On the resulting My Account frame, select the Open another mailbox menu option.
  4. On the Open another mailbox dialog box, type in the name of the shared mailbox you are trying to open.
  5. Click on the appropriate email address to select it in the search results.
  6. Click on the Open button and the shared mailbox will open in a new tab of your browser.
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