How to Create and Use a Shared Calendar in Microsoft 365

Applies to: Microsoft Outlook 365 (Windows, Web), Microsoft Teams
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-06-17

Summary

This article explains how to create a shared calendar for your team, open a colleague's calendar side by side in Outlook, add calendars from the company directory, manage who can view or edit, and access shared calendars on mobile — all without admin rights.

Prerequisites

• Microsoft 365 work or school account.
• Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the Web (outlook.office.com), or Microsoft Teams.
• No admin rights are required to create or open shared calendars. Creating a Microsoft 365 Group calendar may be restricted by your organization's policy — see the Troubleshooting section if the option is unavailable.

Instructions

1. Create a New Shared Calendar

Create a blank calendar that you can share with specific people. This is ideal for team schedules, project timelines, or resource tracking.

In Outlook for Windows (Classic)

1. Switch to Calendar view by clicking the calendar icon in the bottom-left corner of Outlook.
2. In the left panel, right-click My calendars (or any calendar group).
3. Select Add Calendar > Create New Blank Calendar.
4. Enter a name for the calendar (e.g., Marketing Team Schedule).
5. Choose which calendar group to place it in (e.g., My calendars or Other calendars).
6. Click OK. The new calendar appears in the left panel with a checkbox to show or hide it.

In Outlook on the Web

1. Open outlook.office.com and click Calendar in the left navigation.
2. In the left panel, click Add calendar.
3. Select Create blank calendar.
4. Enter a name for the calendar and choose a color.
5. Under Add to, select the calendar group (e.g., My calendars).
6. Click Save. The calendar appears in the left panel.

Verification: Click the checkbox next to your new calendar to display it in the calendar view. It will appear as an overlay with the color you selected.

2. Share Your Calendar with Colleagues

After creating a calendar, invite specific people and assign them view or edit permissions.

In Outlook for Windows (Classic)

1. In the Calendar view, right-click the calendar you want to share in the left panel.
2. Select Sharing Permissions (or Properties > Permissions tab in older versions).
3. Click Add and type the person's name or email address.
4. Select the name from the directory and click Add, then OK.
5. Set the permission level:
   • Can view when I'm busy — shows only free/busy blocks, no details.
   • Can view titles and locations — shows event titles but not full details.
   • Can view all details — shows complete event information.
   • Can edit — allows the person to create, modify, and delete events on this calendar.
6. Click OK to save. The person receives an email invitation to add the calendar.

In Outlook on the Web

1. In the Calendar view, hover over the calendar name in the left panel and click the three dots (⋯) menu.
2. Select Sharing and permissions.
3. Enter the person's name or email address.
4. Choose a permission level from the dropdown:
   • Can view when I'm busy
   • Can view titles and locations
   • Can view all details
   • Can edit
5. Click Share. The recipient receives a sharing invitation via email.

Verification: Ask the person you shared with to check their Outlook. They should see a sharing invitation email. When they click Accept, the calendar appears in their left panel under People's calendars or Shared calendars.

Tip: For detailed permission options including delegate access, see How to Manage Calendar Sharing Permissions in Outlook.

3. Open a Colleague's Shared Calendar

View another person's calendar alongside yours for scheduling or coordination.

In Outlook for Windows (Classic)

1. Switch to Calendar view.
2. Click Add (in the ribbon) or right-click Other calendars in the left panel.
3. Select Add Calendar > From Address Book (or Open Shared Calendar in older versions).
4. Type the colleague's name and select them from the directory.
5. Click OK. Their calendar appears in the left panel under Shared Calendars or People's calendars.
6. Check the box next to their name to overlay it on your calendar.

In Outlook on the Web

1. In the Calendar view, click Add calendar in the left panel.
2. Select Add from directory.
3. Type the person's name or email and select them.
4. Click Add. Their calendar appears in the left panel.

Verification: Both your calendar and the colleague's calendar should display side by side (or overlaid) in the main calendar view. Events from each calendar appear in different colors.

4. Use a Microsoft 365 Group Calendar

Microsoft 365 Groups automatically create a shared calendar that all group members can access. This is the best option for a permanent team calendar.

1. If your team already has a Microsoft 365 Group (created via Teams, SharePoint, or Outlook), the group calendar already exists.
2. In Outlook, look for the group name in the left panel under Groups. Click on the group.
3. Click Calendar in the group navigation to view the shared group calendar.
4. All group members can view and add events to this calendar.
5. Events added to the group calendar appear in each member's calendar view (if they have enabled the group calendar overlay).

To Create a New Group Calendar

1. In Outlook on the Web, click the Groups icon in the left navigation.
2. Click New group.
3. Enter a Group name, description, and set the Privacy level (Public or Private).
4. Click Create. The group includes a shared mailbox, calendar, file library, and OneNote notebook.
5. Add members by clicking Add members and typing their names.

Note: Creating Microsoft 365 Groups may be restricted by your organization. If the New group option is unavailable, ask IT to create the group for you and add you as an owner — send them the group name you want, whether it should be public or private, and the list of members. See Understanding Microsoft 365 Groups, Teams, and SharePoint Sites for more about how groups work.

5. View Shared Calendars in Microsoft Teams

Access team and group calendars directly from Teams without switching to Outlook.

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Click Calendar in the left panel.
3. Your personal calendar and any group calendars you belong to are visible.
4. To add a channel calendar to a specific Teams channel:
   • Navigate to the channel.
   • Click the + (Add a tab) button at the top of the channel.
   • Search for and select Channel calendar.
   • Name the calendar and click Add.
5. All channel members can now view and add events from the channel tab.

Verification: Create a test event on the channel calendar. All channel members should see it appear in both the channel tab and their personal Outlook calendar (if subscribed).

6. Access Shared Calendars on Outlook Mobile

View shared and group calendars on your phone for on-the-go scheduling.

1. Open the Outlook mobile app on your phone.
2. Tap the Calendar icon at the bottom.
3. Tap the calendar selector (your profile icon or the calendar name at the top).
4. Under Shared calendars or People's calendars, toggle on the calendars you want to see.
5. Group calendars appear under the group name. Toggle them on to overlay with your personal calendar.

Verification: Events from the shared calendar appear in your mobile calendar view with the appropriate color coding.

Tip: If a shared calendar does not appear on mobile, ensure you have accepted the sharing invitation in Outlook on the Web first. See How to Set Up the Outlook Mobile App for general mobile setup.

Troubleshooting

DANGER

When you share a calendar, the recipient must accept the sharing invitation (sent via email) before the calendar appears in their Outlook. If they report they cannot see the calendar, ask them to check their inbox for the invitation email and click Accept.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
"You don't have permission to view this calendar"	Insufficient sharing permissions	Ask the calendar owner to share with you and set an appropriate permission level (Method 2).
Shared calendar shows only free/busy blocks	Permission set to "Can view when I'm busy"	Ask the calendar owner to upgrade your permission to "Can view all details" or "Can edit."
"New group" option is unavailable	Organization restricts group creation	Contact IT to request a group be created on your behalf or to enable group creation for your account.
Colleague's calendar not found in the directory	Person is in a different organization or not licensed	External calendars require the person to share via a sharing invitation email. They cannot be looked up from the directory.
Group calendar events not syncing to personal calendar	Group calendar overlay not enabled	In Outlook, right-click the group in the left panel and select Add calendar to view or toggle the checkbox.
Shared calendar not visible on mobile	Sharing invitation not accepted on desktop	Open Outlook on the Web, find the sharing invitation email, and click Accept. Then check mobile again.
Cannot edit events on a shared calendar	Permission level is view-only	Ask the calendar owner to change your permission to "Can edit" (Method 2).

Related Articles

• How to Create a Calendar Event in Outlook
• How to Manage Calendar Sharing Permissions in Outlook
• How to Use Room Finder in Outlook
• How to Use the Scheduling Assistant and FindTime in Outlook
• Understanding Microsoft 365 Groups, Teams, and SharePoint Sites
• How to Set Up the Outlook Mobile App
• How to Troubleshoot Outlook Calendar Issues (Missing Meetings, Sync Problems)

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