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By , IT support technician

Quick Answer

Right-click the name of the shared mailbox in the left sidebar, select Remove shared folder, and then manually add it back to force a fresh sync from the server.

How to Fix Shared Mailboxes Not Updating in "New" Outlook ​

Estimated Time to Fix: 4 minutes

Applies to: New Outlook for Windows
Article Type: Troubleshooting
Last Updated: 2026-07-20

Summary ​

When using the "New" Outlook for Windows, shared mailboxes (like info@ or support@) sometimes stop syncing. You might stop receiving new emails, or emails you send may not appear in the Sent Items folder for your colleagues. This article provides the steps to force the shared mailbox to reconnect and sync properly.

Symptoms ​

  • Your primary personal inbox updates instantly, but a shared mailbox is stuck on an old date.
  • You send an email from the shared mailbox, but it gets stuck in the Outbox.
  • Colleagues can see new emails in the shared mailbox, but you cannot.

Prerequisites ​

  • You must already have permissions granted by IT to access the shared mailbox.

Instructions ​

1. Manually Sync the Folder ​

Sometimes, New Outlook needs a manual push to check for new messages in secondary accounts.

  1. Open New Outlook.
  2. On the left sidebar, scroll down to the shared mailbox and click to expand it.
  3. Click on the Inbox of the shared mailbox.
  4. At the top of the Outlook window, click the View tab.
  5. Click the Sync button (it looks like two circular arrows).
  6. Wait 30 seconds for the folder to update.

2. Remove and Re-add the Shared Mailbox ​

Unlike "Classic" Outlook which auto-maps shared mailboxes, New Outlook handles them differently. Removing and manually re-adding the mailbox often fixes deep sync issues.

  1. Right-click the name of the shared mailbox in your left sidebar.
  2. Select Remove shared folder.
  3. Now, right-click on your Primary Account name (your main email address) at the top of the sidebar.
  4. Select Add shared folder or mailbox.
  5. Type the email address of the shared mailbox (e.g., [email protected]) and click Add.
  6. The mailbox will reappear. Click into it and allow a few minutes for it to download recent emails.

3. Revert to Classic Outlook (Temporary Fix) ​

If New Outlook completely refuses to sync the shared mailbox, it may be a temporary Microsoft server bug. Reverting to Classic Outlook is the fastest workaround to get back to work immediately.

  1. In the top right corner of New Outlook, look for the New Outlook toggle switch.
  2. Turn the toggle Off.
  3. Outlook will close and reopen in the Classic version, where shared mailbox syncing is generally more stable.

Troubleshooting ​

WARNING

If you are newly hired or recently requested access to a shared mailbox, it can take up to 24 hours for Microsoft's servers to fully grant you access. If you get a "Permission Denied" error, wait a few hours and try again before contacting IT.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
"You don't have permission to perform this action"Licensing or PermissionsYour IT department may have removed your access, or you may need an assigned license. Submit an IT ticket.
Emails sent from the shared mailbox go to your personal Sent ItemsExpected behaviorThis is a known issue in New Outlook. Ask IT to apply the "MessageCopyForSentAsEnabled" PowerShell fix to the mailbox.