How to Share and Delegate Mailboxes in Outlook

Sharing a mailbox in Outlook allows colleagues or assistants to read, send, or manage emails on your behalf. You can also delegate access, giving someone permission to send emails or manage your calendar for you.

Follow these steps to share your mailbox or delegate access in Outlook for Windows, Mac, and Web.

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📌 How to Share Your Outlook Mailbox (Windows & Mac)

If you want someone to view your emails but not send on your behalf, follow these steps:

Windows:

1. Open Outlook and Go to Mail
   • Click on the File tab.
   • Select Account Settings > Delegate Access.
2. Choose Who to Share With
   • Click Add…, then type the person’s email address.
   • Select their name and click Add, then OK.
3. Set Their Permission Level
   • Choose what they can do:
     • Reviewer – Can read emails but cannot edit or send.
     • Author – Can read and create emails but cannot delete.
     • Editor – Can read, send, and delete emails.
4. Click OK to Save Changes
   • The selected person will now see your mailbox under their Outlook account.

✅ Done! The mailbox will appear under Shared Mailboxes in their Outlook.

Mac:

1. Open Outlook and go to File > Account Settings > Delegates.
2. Click + (Add Delegate) and type the person’s email.
3. Choose their permission level and click OK.

✅ Your mailbox is now shared!

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📌 How to Delegate Mailbox Access (Allow Someone to Send Emails for You)

If you want someone to send emails on your behalf, follow these steps:

Windows:

1. Open Outlook and click File.
2. Select Account Settings > Delegate Access.
3. Click Add… and select the person you want to delegate.
4. Set their permission level:
   • Reviewer – Can read messages.
   • Editor – Can send and edit messages.
   • Author – Can send emails but cannot delete messages.
5. Click OK to save changes.

✅ The person can now send emails as you! Emails they send will say:
“Sent on behalf of [Your Name]”.

Mac:

1. Open Outlook and go to Settings > Delegates.
2. Click + Add Delegate and enter their email.
3. Choose Delegate Permissions and click Save.

✅ Your delegate can now send emails for you!

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📌 How to Open a Shared Mailbox in Outlook

Once you have access to a shared mailbox, follow these steps to open it:

Windows & Mac:

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click File > Account Settings > Open Another Mailbox.
3. Enter the shared mailbox email and click Open.

Outlook Web (OWA):

1. Go to Outlook Web App (outlook.office.com).
2. Click your profile picture in the top-right.
3. Select Open another mailbox…
4. Enter the shared mailbox email and click Open.

✅ The shared mailbox will now appear in your folder list!

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📌 How to Remove Mailbox Sharing or Delegation

If you no longer want to share your mailbox, follow these steps:

1. Go to File > Account Settings > Delegate Access.
2. Select the person and click Remove.
3. Click OK to confirm.

✅ That’s it! The person will no longer have access to your mailbox.

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💡 Key Differences Between Sharing and Delegation

Feature	Sharing Mailbox	Delegation
View Emails	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Send Emails	❌ No	✅ Yes (On Behalf Of)
Delete Emails	❌ No	✅ Yes (If Granted Permission)
Calendar Access	❌ No	✅ Yes (If Enabled)

🔹 Use mailbox sharing if you only want someone to read your emails.
🔹 Use delegation if you need someone to send emails on your behalf.