Open a Shared Mailbox or Calendar

Introduction

A Shared Mailbox is a mailbox that multiple or one user can use to read and send email messages for a supplemental account. Shared mailboxes can also provide a common calendar, allowing multiple users to schedule and view items. 

A shared mailbox makes it easy for a group of people to monitor and send emails from a public email alias like its@stcloudstate.edu. When a person in the group replies to a message sent to the shared mailbox, the email can appear to be from the shared address, not from the individual user. You can also use the shared mailbox as a shared team calendar. A shared mailbox is not designed for direct logon.

If a mailbox administrator added you to a shared mailbox, there are no actions required for it to automatically show up under your main mailbox in the left-hand folder pane (after 4-6 hours of being added). If it is not already there, restart Outlook. The instructions below walk you through how to open a shared mailbox using Outlook for Windows or Outlook on a Mac or using Office 365.

Accessing a Shared Mailbox via the Outlook Client on a PC

To manually add a shared mailbox or calendar,

Option 1- Adding a Calendar

• Open Outlook and click on Calendar.
• In the upper right corner, Click Add, then click Open a Shared Calendar
• 
• Type the name of the calendar, then click OK. Example:  SCSU-Academic Calendar
• 

Option 2- Adding a Shared Mailbox in Outlook

• Open Outlook.
• Select the File tab on the ribbon, then select Account Settings > Account Settings.
• Select the Email tab.
• Make sure the correct account is highlighted, then choose Change.
• Choose More Settings > Advanced > Add.
• Type the shared email address or the name of the calendar. Example: SCSU- Academic Calendar
• Choose OK > OK.
• Choose Next > Finish > Close.

New Outlook-

• Scroll down your list of folders.
• Find the one that says "Shared with me".
  • Expand it and you should see all of your mailboxes that were already shared with you. 

OR

• Right-click on your email address 
  • Click on Add shared folder or mailbox 
  • The following box will come up, type in the name of the mailbox you have access to

To send an email on behalf of the shared mailbox,

• To see the from the field in Outlook
• Click New Email
• While in the New Email, click on Options in Outlook
• Click From. This will now show who the email is sent from 
  • 
• Click From, then type the name or email address that you want use to send the email 
• The next time you need to send from that mailbox, select From in a New email and select the appropriate address from the drop-down. 

Accessing a Shared Mailbox via the Outlook Client on a Mac

• Here's a more detailed breakdown:

  • Open Outlook: Launch the Outlook application on your Mac. 
  • Navigate to Tools: Click on the "Accounts" section in Tools. 
  • Click on your Mail Account to be brought to other options
    • 
       
  • Click on Delegates and Sharing
    • 
       
  • Click on the Shared with me tab
    • 
       
  • Click the PLUS sign to add a new mailbox
    • Type in the mailbox name in the Search for a person area.
      • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
    • Click on ADD when you have selected your mailbox.
       
  • Done: The shared mailbox will now be added to your Outlook account and visible in the navigation pane on the left. 

To send an email on behalf of the shared account you have access to on Outlook for Mac

• When in the New email window
• Select the drop-down by your work email on From: 
• You will see a list of your shared accounts to select from

 Accessing a shared Mailbox via Office 365 Webmail

• Login into Office365.com
• Sign in with your StarID@MinnState.edu 
  • If you are a student employee you will use the same credentials
  • If you are part of a club/org as a student you will use your StarID@go.minnstate.edu
• Right-click Folders in the left navigation pane, and then choose Add shared folder.
• In the Add shared folder dialog box, type the email address of the shared mailbox, and then click Add
• The shared mailbox and its folders are displayed in the left navigation pane each time you open Outlook on the web.

Accessing a Shared Mailbox via Outlook on a Mobile Device

(You cannot access shared mailboxes via the iOS Mail Application so you have to install the Outlook Mail Application)

• After you install Outlook from Microsoft on your mobile device, sign in to your Microsoft account using your StarID@minnstate.edu address.
• Tap the Add Account button in the left navigation pane, then tap Add a Shared Mailbox and enter the shared mailbox email address.
• Tap, Add Shared Mailbox to complete the process.
• Tap the Home button on the Outlook screen
• The initials of the shared mailbox will show in the left-hand column of the app, below your initials.
• Tap the initials to switch between mailboxes.

Additional information can be found on the Microsoft support site.

*  If you do not see your shared mailboxes, please give it a few hours to sync with the system. If the next day you don't see them, please contact HuskyTech.

** If you set up a rule on your shared mailbox, it will apply to EVERYONE using that shared mailbox.

• For example- if you set up a rule to move any email from SCSU to your clutter or your inbox, this will affect the shared mailbox and all emails sent to the shared mailbox will be affected.