How to Access a Shared Mailbox

  • Created:

    Updated: March 17, 2026

For Windows Users

When you are added as a member of a Shared Mailbox, the Classic Outlook desktop app will pick up that membership change

and automatically add the Shared Mailbox to your Outlook profile, below your regular staff folders.

You do not need to take any action to add the mailbox. Note, this is different for New Outlook.

Steps to Add a Shared Mailbox New Outlook:

  1. Open the new Outlook app.
  2. In the left-hand navigation pane, find your email address or the “Shared with me” folder
  3. Right-click on your account name (or the “Shared with me” group) and select Add shared folder or mailbox.
  4. Type the email address or name of the shared mailbox in the box, then select it from the list.
  5. Click Add to add the mailbox
Key Information:
  • Permissions: You must have permissions assigned by Roanoke College IT admin to access the shared mailbox.
  • Visibility: Once added, the shared mailbox will appear under the “Shared with me” folder in your folder pane.
  • Sending Mail: When sending from the shared mailbox, select the From field in a new message and choose the shared email address to ensure emails are sent from the correct account.
Note: These instructions are for the “New Outlook for Windows” application (identified by the toggle switch in the top right).

For MacOS Users

A Shared Mailbox needs to be manually added to Outlook for Mac. This typically takes about a day to pick up that you

have been added to the mailbox. Once that change has taken effect, follow these instructions to manually add the

mailbox:

  1. Go to Outlook (upper left next to Apple icon) > Settings > Accounts
  2. Click the “+” icon, then “Open Shared Mailbox”
  3. In the Search, type out the Shared Mailbox until you see it highlighted, then click “Add”

The mailbox will add below your regular staff folders along the left-hand pane in Outlook.

For Outlook on the Web (OWA) & New Outlook

There are two ways to access a Shared Mailbox using Outlook online. You can add it as a secondary mailbox below your

own staff account, or you can open it in its own tab.

You can access your inbox here: WebMail

To add as an additional mailbox:

• In webmail, right-click over “Folders” and select “Add shared folder or mailbox”

• Search for the mailbox until you see it highlighted. Click it once to select it, then click “Add”.

To open in a separate window:

• In webmail, select your profile picture/initials in the top right corner, then select “Open another mailbox”

• In the window that appears, search for the Shared Mailbox until you see it highlighted in the results, then click it

once to select it. Next click “Open”