4 Ways to Add a Shared Mailbox in Outlook on Desktop & Mobile

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Quickly access, use, and send emails from a shared inbox

Written by Stan Kats | Edited by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: February 21, 2026 Fact Checked

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New Outlook

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Classic Outlook

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Outlook on the Web

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Outlook Mobile App

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If you've been added to a shared mailbox in Outlook, it may take a few moments to appear. If you don't see it, you may need to restart Outlook. However, if you're still not seeing it—or if you're trying to add yourself to a shared mailbox—you will need to add it manually. In this article, we'll teach you how to manually add yourself to a shared mailbox in the new Outlook, Classic Outlook, Outlook on the web, and the mobile Outlook app for Android, iPhone, & iPad.

Note: You must have an Outlook Exchange account to add a shared inbox. You cannot add a shared inbox with a standard Outlook account.

Adding a Shared Mailbox in Outlook

In the new Outlook and web Outlook, right-click your inbox and click Add shared folder or mailbox.
In Classic Outlook, open your account settings, then click E-mail > Change… > More Settings… > Advanced > Add….
On mobile, go to add a new account, then tap Add Shared Mailbox. Then, type the mailbox name to add it.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

New Outlook

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Make sure you're in the "Mail" tab before starting these steps. The Inbox folder will be in the left-hand pane, under your Outlook account name.
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Click Add shared folder or mailbox. If you don't see this option, you likely don't have an Exchange account. Contact your school or workplace IT if you need to be added to a shared inbox but don't have an Exchange account.

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3
Type the name of the shared mailbox when prompted. Click Continue, then OK once the shared mailbox has been added.^{[1]
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- Note: You must be added to the shared mailbox before you can manually add it to your Outlook inboxes. If you aren't able to add the shared mailbox, make sure you've been added to it first by contacting your school or workplace IT department.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Classic Outlook

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It's in the ribbon, in the top-left part of the screen.^{[2]
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2
Click on Account Settings > Account Settings…. Both "Account Settings" buttons have an icon of a blue person in a square, with an orange gear in the corner.
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Click on the E-mail tab. This is the first tab, so it will likely open by default.
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Click Change…. It's below the tab list, but above the list of emails on your account. It has an icon of a hand and a piece of paper.
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Click More Settings…. It's in the bottom-right corner.
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Click on the Advanced tab. It's in the tab list at the top of the window. It's the middle tab, between General and Security.
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Click Add…. It's to the right of the list of additional mailboxes on your account.^{[3]
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Enter the address of the shared mailbox and click OK > OK. Note that you must be added to the shared mailbox before you can manually add it to your Outlook inboxes. If you aren't able to add the shared mailbox, make sure you've been added to it first by contacting your school or workplace IT department.
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Click Next > Finish > X. The shared inbox has now been added to your account.^{[4]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Outlook on the Web

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1
Right-click your folder in the left-hand sidebar. The folder you click depends on what type of mailbox you have:
- Exchange Online: Right-click the Folders option in the left-hand sidebar.
- Exchange on-premises: Right-click the name of your primary mailbox, which may be your name or your email name.
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Click Add shared folder or mailbox. If you don't see this option, you likely don't have an Exchange account. Contact your school or workplace IT if you need to be added to a shared inbox but don't have an Exchange account.
3
Type the name of the shared mailbox when prompted. Click Continue, then OK once the shared mailbox has been added.^{[5]
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- Note: You must be added to the shared mailbox before you can manually add it to your Outlook inboxes. If you aren't able to add the shared mailbox, make sure you've been added to it first by contacting your school or workplace IT department.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Outlook Mobile App

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If you don't have a profile picture, it will show the initials of your account name or email address.
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Tap on the "add account" button. This will be on the left-hand side of the pane, and it has an icon of a gray envelope with a blue plus sign.
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Choose Add Shared Mailbox. If you don't see this option, you likely don't have an Exchange account. Contact your school or workplace IT if you need to be added to a shared inbox but don't have an Exchange account.
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Type in the shared mailbox address. If you have multiple email addresses signed in to the Outlook mobile app, choose the email address with access to the shared mailbox when prompted.^{[6]
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5
Tap Add Shared Mailbox or Add Mailbox. The shared mailbox will now be added to your Outlook account.^{[7]
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- Note: You must be added to the shared mailbox before you can manually add it to your Outlook inboxes. If you aren't able to add the shared mailbox, make sure you've been added to it first by contacting your school or workplace IT department.