How to share your calendar in Outlook on Mac: new and legacy steps for 2026

What you need before you share your calendar

Sharing depends on the account behind the calendar, not on your Mac. Both you and the other person need a Microsoft Exchange account. Microsoft 365 work and school accounts run on Exchange Online, so they qualify. A personal Gmail account added to Outlook is not an Exchange account, so this method will not work for it.

The new Outlook for Mac needs macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or later. Microsoft also lists Current Channel 16.42 as the minimum build for the new app. If your version is older, update it before you look for the steps below.

• Is the calendar in an Exchange account, not a Gmail or IMAP account?
• Do you own the calendar, or did someone share it with you?
• Does the other person also have an Exchange account?
• Do they need to see event details, or only when you are busy?

Share a calendar in the new Outlook for Mac

Microsoft's current steps for the new Outlook for Mac begin in the sidebar. Click Calendar, select the calendar, then open its menu with the three dots button or a Control-click. The steps above follow Microsoft's labels, so match them to what you see on screen.

Once you know where the controls are, sharing takes only a few clicks. The harder part is usually the permission level, which the next section covers.

Choose the right permission level

The permission level decides what the other person sees. Microsoft's calendar sharing article lists the levels below. Most people only need one or two of them.

Microsoft says Mac users need the Reviewer level to see your calendar. Other people get free or busy times by default, so choose the level on purpose. Pick Can view all details when a teammate needs the full picture.

Custom legacy levels such as Author and Contributor exist, but only admins can set them, using PowerShell. You will not see them in the normal menu, so do not plan around them.

Share with Outlook.com, Gmail and other services

Instant syncing needs both people in the same Microsoft 365 tenant, or an Outlook.com owner on the other end. Outside those cases, the other calendar updates on its own schedule.

Microsoft 365 to Outlook.com uses an ICS subscription with about a 3-hour sync. Gmail and other third-party services sync every 24 to 48 hours, depending on the service. Plan around that delay for both new events and changes.

Here is a worked example. You add a meeting on Monday, and a Gmail user can wait a day or two before it appears. If they need it sooner, send the invite directly and skip the calendar.

Share your calendar in Outlook on the web

If the Mac app does not show the option, or you prefer a browser, use Outlook on the web. The sharing steps are short, and Microsoft lists them in its web article.

1. Select Calendar in the left pane.
2. Click Share on the toolbar.
3. Choose the calendar you want to share.
4. Enter a name or email address.
5. Choose a permission level.
6. Select Share.

To change or remove access, right-click the calendar under Calendars and select Sharing and permissions.

Publishing is a separate feature. In Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Shared calendars > Publish a calendar, choose the calendar and detail level, then select Publish. Microsoft documents publishing in the web app, not in the Mac app, so use the web app for that.

Legacy Outlook for Mac: steps and the October 2026 cutoff

Legacy Outlook for Mac uses a different path. It starts with the Calendar button at the bottom of the navigation pane, not the sidebar.

1. Click the Calendar button at the bottom of the navigation pane.
2. Select the calendar you want to share.
3. Go to the Organize tab and choose Calendar Permissions.
4. In Calendar Properties, click +.
5. Search for the person, choose a permission level, then click Add.
6. To remove someone, select them, click the − button, then click Done.

Here is the catch. Microsoft says legacy Outlook for Mac stops working with Exchange Online mailboxes in October 2026. The cutoff follows the Exchange Web Services (EWS) retirement, effective October 1, 2026. That date has already passed, so most work accounts should use the new app.

With security updates only, legacy Outlook for Mac works with Exchange On-Premises mailboxes until October 9, 2029. Technical support after that is best effort, so plan your move before then.

Switch from legacy Outlook to the new Outlook for Mac

Microsoft's migration path is the Legacy Outlook toggle. Open legacy Outlook for Mac, then turn the toggle off. If you can't find the toggle, update the app first.

1. Open legacy Outlook for Mac and find the Legacy Outlook toggle.
2. Turn the toggle off to move to the new app.
3. No toggle? Choose Help > Check for Updates.
4. Still no update? Install Outlook from the App Store.

If the new app gives you trouble, use Help > Revert to Legacy Outlook to go back. To report a problem, choose Help > Feedback > Report a Problem.

Keyboard shortcuts for the Calendar

Outlook for Mac has a few shortcuts that get you to the calendar faster. Microsoft's shortcut list covers Outlook for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Outlook 2024 for Mac and Outlook 2021 for Mac.

⌘2 switches to Calendar view. The number depends on how your apps are pinned, so check which key lands on Calendar on your Mac. ⌘N creates a new appointment, and ⌘O opens the selected calendar event.

No shortcut exists for sharing. Microsoft's list has none, so the sharing steps need the mouse or trackpad.

Stop sharing or change who has access

Removing someone uses the same window you used to add them. In the new app, open Sharing Permissions from the calendar's menu, select the person, click the − button, then click Done.

Every person on the list keeps access until you remove them. Review the list whenever someone changes teams or leaves the company.

Mistakes people make when sharing a calendar

• Choosing free and busy only, then wondering why a Mac user sees no details. Pick Reviewer instead.
• Trying to share a calendar you did not create. Only the original owner can grant permissions.
• Expecting a Gmail user to see changes instantly. Plan for 24 to 48 hours.
• Sharing the wrong calendar, such as Work instead of Personal. Check the name before you click Add.
• Waiting on legacy Outlook after October 2026. Switch to the new app first.

Who can share a calendar that is not yours

A calendar someone else shared with you appears in your list, but you are not its owner. Microsoft says the error Not allowed to share this calendar is by design in Outlook for Mac. Only the original owner can grant permissions to other users.

Calendars you add by accepting an invitation, or through File > Open another user's folder, follow Microsoft's newer sync rules on Mac. Delegate accounts stay on the older schedule.

If you need someone else to share a calendar, ask the owner to make the change. They can follow the steps above, and the level they pick should match what you need.

Next steps after you share

Ask the other person to open your shared calendar and check that they see what they expect. If they see only busy blocks, the level is too low, so raise it to Reviewer.

If you also manage a shared inbox, read how to add a shared mailbox in Outlook on Mac. For help with Outlook screens and buttons, see Lazur's Outlook page.