If you've ever sent three emails just to find a meeting time that works, you already know the problem. Sharing your Outlook calendar solves it in about 60 seconds. Once it's set up, the people who need to see your schedule can see it. No more "are you free Thursday?" threads. This guide covers every method: desktop, web, and mobile, plus group calendars, shareable links, and how to manage your settings once everything's in place.
And the payoff is bigger than you might think. According to research by Archie, professionals can spend hours every week on scheduling meetings. Sharing your calendar doesn't eliminate meetings, but it removes a significant chunk of the admin that surrounds them.
How do I share an Outlook calendar with someone?
The process differs slightly depending on whether you're on the desktop app, Outlook on the web, or mobile. But the logic is the same across all three: choose who to share with, set their permission level, and send. Here's how it works on each platform.
On desktop (Windows)
- Open Outlook and go to the Calendar view using the icon in the bottom-left navigation bar.
- In the Home tab at the top, click Share Calendar.
- If you have more than one calendar, choose the one you want to share from the dropdown.
- In the sharing window, type the name or email address of the person you're sharing with.
- Use the permissions dropdown to set their access level (more on this below).
- Add a note if you want, then click Send.
The recipient gets an email invitation. Once they accept, your calendar appears in their Outlook alongside their own.
If you're on a Mac, the steps are similar but the Share Calendar button lives under the Calendar menu at the top of your screen rather than in a ribbon tab.
On Outlook web
- Sign in to Outlook on the web and click the Calendar icon in the left-hand navigation panel.
- Right-click the calendar you want to share under "My Calendars" and select Sharing and permissions.
- Type the name or email address of the person you'd like to add.
- Set their permission level from the dropdown.
- Click Share. They'll receive an email invitation to add your calendar to their view.
If you're using a personal Outlook.com account rather than a Microsoft 365 work or school account, go to Settings > View all Outlook settings > Calendar > Shared calendars and use the "Share a calendar" option from there.
On mobile (iOS and Android)
- Open the Outlook app and tap the Calendar icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the menu icon in the top left to open your calendar list.
- Tap the gear icon next to the calendar you want to share.
- Tap Add people and enter the email addresses of the people you're adding.
- Choose a permission level for each person.
- Tap the checkmark in the top-right corner to confirm and send the invitation.
Can I send someone a link to my Outlook calendar?
Yes, and it's useful when you want to share your calendar without requiring the other person to have an Outlook account, or when you want one link you can send to multiple people at once.
The difference between this and email-based sharing is worth understanding. Email-based sharing is live and permission-controlled: you choose who sees what, and they get access directly inside their own Outlook. Publishing a calendar link creates a read-only URL that anyone with the link can view, using any calendar app they like.
To generate a shareable link in Outlook on the web:
- Click the Settings gear in the top-right corner and select View all Outlook settings.
- Go to Calendar > Shared calendars.
- Under Publish a calendar, choose the calendar you want to share and set the level of detail (availability only, or full details).
- Click Publish. You'll get two links: an HTML link (opens in a browser) and an ICS link (for subscribing via a calendar app).
- Copy whichever link suits your needs and share it.
The ICS link is particularly useful because recipients can subscribe to it in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or any other app that supports the format. Their view updates automatically as your calendar changes.
One important consideration: a published calendar link is accessible to anyone who has it. If your calendar contains sensitive meetings or personal appointments, either limit the detail level when publishing, or stick with email-based sharing, where you control exactly who has access.
How do I create a shared calendar for a group in Outlook?
If you need a calendar that multiple people can view and contribute to, the best approach isn't to share your personal calendar. It's to create a new, dedicated calendar specifically for the group. That way your private appointments stay private, and everyone on the team has a clean, shared space to work from.
Here's how to set one up:
- In the Calendar view, click Add Calendar and select Create new blank calendar.
- Give it a name that's easy to identify, something like "Marketing Team" or "Q3 Project."
- Right-click the new calendar in the left panel and select Sharing and permissions.
- Add each team member by name or email address and assign them a permission level.
- Click Share. Each person receives an invitation to add the calendar to their view.
Anyone with "Can edit" access or above can add events to this calendar, which makes it genuinely collaborative rather than just a broadcast.
This approach works well for project timelines, team availability, shared deadlines, and recurring events that everyone needs visibility on. It's one of the simplest ways to get a distributed team coordinated without needing a separate tool.
What's the difference between a shared calendar and a group calendar?
This is a common point of confusion, and it's worth getting clear on before you decide which to use.
A shared calendar is owned by one person, who controls who can see it and what they can do with it. You set the permissions, you manage the list of people with access, and you can revoke it at any time. It's ideal for sharing your own availability or creating a team calendar that one person manages centrally.
A group calendar is created automatically when a Microsoft 365 Group is set up, for example through Microsoft Teams or Outlook Groups. All group members have equal access and can add or edit events without any one person acting as gatekeeper. It's better suited to teams that want genuinely shared ownership of a calendar, where there isn't a single person responsible for maintaining it.
Neither is better than the other. It depends on how your team works and how much central control you need.
How do I check if my Outlook calendar is shared or not?
It's easy to share a calendar and forget about it, especially if your role or team has changed since you set it up. Here's how to check who currently has access, across each platform.
On desktop: Right-click the calendar in the left panel and select Sharing and permissions. You'll see a full list of everyone who has access and their current permission level.
On Outlook web: Go to Settings > View all Outlook settings > Calendar > Shared calendars. Under "Calendars I share with others," you'll see every calendar you've shared and who it's shared with.
On mobile: Tap the gear icon next to the relevant calendar. The sharing panel lists all current recipients.
If you've shared your calendar with someone who no longer needs access, you can remove them from the same panel. Just select their name and delete or remove them from the list. Their access is revoked immediately.
It's worth reviewing this list periodically, particularly if people have left your team, your role has changed, or you've moved to a new project. Calendar access is easy to set up and easy to forget, and it's one of those small hygiene checks that's worth doing every few months.
Where are shared calendar settings in Outlook?
Shared calendar settings aren't always easy to find, especially if you're switching between platforms or working in an organization with a customized Outlook setup. Here's where to look.
On desktop: Right-click any calendar in the left panel and select Sharing and permissions for that specific calendar. For delegate access settings, go to File > Account Settings > Delegate Access.
On Outlook web: Click the gear icon in the top-right corner, select View all Outlook settings, then go to Calendar > Shared calendars. This is where you can manage existing shares, publish calendar links, and review what you've shared and with whom.
On mobile: Tap the Calendar icon, open the calendar list from the menu icon in the top left, then tap the gear icon next to any calendar to access its sharing settings.
From any of these settings panels, you can:
- Change an existing permission level by updating the dropdown next to a person's name
- Remove someone's access by deleting them from the list
- Publish or unpublish a calendar link
- Review every calendar you've shared and with whom
One thing worth knowing: if sharing isn't working as expected, it may be due to your organization's admin settings rather than anything you've done wrong. Some organizations restrict external calendar sharing by default, which means your IT team would need to enable it before you can share with people outside your company. If you're hitting a wall, that's usually the first thing to check.
Getting more time back from your calendar
Sharing your Outlook calendar is one of the simplest ways to reduce the friction that builds up around meetings: the checking, the chasing, the back-and-forth. But it's only one part of the picture.
For most professionals, the meeting itself isn't the problem. It's everything around it. Research from Microsoft's Work Trend Index found that the average employee spends more time in meetings and on email than ever before, with much of that time spent on coordination rather than actual work.
That's where Fyxer comes in. Fyxer's built-in scheduling link gives you a cleaner alternative. Share your Fyxer link with anyone, and they can instantly see your availability and book a time that works for you both, without the email thread, without the guesswork. It's the same idea as calendar sharing, just faster to use in practice.
And once the meeting's in the diary, Fyxer keeps working. It joins your calls, takes notes, and drafts follow-up emails automatically, so nothing falls through the cracks after the call ends. You don't have to think about who said what or remember to send the recap. It's already done.
Shared calendars get people in the room. Fyxer takes care of what happens next.
Shared calendar in Outlook FAQs
Can I share my Outlook calendar with someone who doesn't use Outlook?
Yes. Use the "Publish a calendar" option to generate an ICS or HTML link, which works with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and most other calendar apps. This link is read-only, so the recipient won't be able to edit your events.
What's the difference between sharing a calendar and delegating access?
Sharing gives someone visibility of your calendar at a level you choose. Delegate access goes further: a delegate can create, edit, and delete events on your behalf, and respond to meeting requests in your name. It's typically used by assistants managing a manager's schedule.
Can I share my Outlook calendar with someone outside my organization?
Usually yes, though your organization's admin settings may restrict it. External recipients may only be able to view a read-only version depending on those settings. If external sharing isn't working, check with your IT team first.
How do I stop sharing my calendar in Outlook?
Go to Sharing and permissions (right-click the calendar on desktop, or via Settings on the web), find the person you shared with, and remove them from the list. They'll lose access straight away.
Will changes to my calendar automatically update for people I've shared it with? Yes, for email-based sharing. Updates sync in real time. For ICS link subscriptions, updates sync periodically, with the frequency depending on the recipient's calendar app.
Why isn't my calendar sharing working?
Common causes include an invalid email address, a duplicate entry in the permissions list, or organization-level restrictions on external sharing. Restarting Outlook often resolves minor issues. For persistent problems, your IT administrator is the right first call.