Outlook: Adding a Shared Email Account in Outlook for Windows and Mac

This article walks you through how to add/view a shared mailbox within Microsoft Outlook for PC.

How do I add a shared email account in Microsoft Outlook for Windows and Mac? 

Please Note: You must have been provided access to the shared mailbox via a work order prior to accessing it. To request access, the owner of the shared mailbox will need to place a work order requesting access for you. You will not be able to access the shared mailbox until a work order has been placed, and access has been granted. 

Select your operating system below: 

Microsoft Outlook for MacOS 

Microsoft Outlook for Windows 

Accessing a shared mailbox in Microsoft Outlook on Windows 

1. Open Microsoft Outlook. 
                        
    
2. Click File in the top left corner.
   
3. Click on the Account Settings button, then select Account Settings. 
   
4. Double-click on your email address from within the Account Settings window. 
   
5. Select the More Settings button located in the bottom right corner. 
   
6. First click the Advanced tab, then select the Add button.
   
7. Type in your shared mailbox email address (i.e. sharedemailaddress@ysu.edu then click ‘OK’.)
   Note: Outlook tends to freeze at this point. Please be patient as it can sometimes remain frozen anywhere from 30 seconds up to 5 minutes.
   If the computer is still unresponsive after 5 minutes, try to force close Microsoft Outlook, restart your PC, and try these steps again. 
   
8. You should now see your email displayed in the list under Open these additional Mailboxes:.
    
9. You can click OK this screen, then Cancel on the following screen, and then Close on the last screen. You are simply closing out the two previous screens you had opened.
    
10. You should be back at your regular Outlook inbox view.
     
11. You can now find your shared mailbox listed as an option at the bottom/end of your list of folders on the left side as shown below.
    Note: Click the ► icon to the left of the Shared Mailbox folder name to expand all subfolders of the Shared Mailbox. 
    Emails will not display immediately. You will see a message in the bottom right hand corner of Outlook: Updating folders. Please be patient, this may take several minutes. Once completed, the message will display: All folders are up to date. Connected To: Microsoft Exchange. 
    

     

Accessing a shared mailbox in Microsoft Outlook on MacOS 

1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
                        
    
2. With Microsoft Outlook open and selected, choose Tools from the top menu bar, then select Accounts. 
   
3. Select the Advanced button located in the lower right corner. 
   
4. Select the Delegates Tab located at the top of the window. 
   
5. Under the People I am a delegate for: section, select the sign (shown below). 
   
6. Begin typing the full email address of the shared mailbox. It should autocomplete the available email accounts. Select the correct email from the generated list, then select Add.
   
7. You should now see your Shared Mailbox listed under the People I am a delegate for: section. 
    
8. Click OK to save your changes on this window, then you may close the previously opened Accounts window. 
    
9. You should be back at your regular Microsoft Outlook inbox view. 
    
10. You may see the following message pop-up stating, "Outlook was redirected to get new settings for your account. Do you want to allow this sever to configure your settings?" Select the checkbox Always use my response for this server then select the Allow button. 
    
11. You should now be able to find your Shared Mailbox at the bottom/end of your list of folders located on the left side. Note: The image below depicts our IT Service Desk shared mailbox, your shared mailbox will have a different name.
12. To expand the list of subfolders within your shared mailbox, select the > arrow located to the left of your Shared Mailbox name. 
    

 

If you are unable to successfully resolve your issue or add a shaired mailbox, please record the error message you receive and submit a help request. Or, contact the IT Service Desk at 330-941-1595 or servicedesk@ysu.edu