When you need to set up an appointment or meeting, one of the first things you do is look at your calendar. Sharing your calendar for visibility helps keep everyone in the loop. I’m a big fan of Microsoft products like Windows and Office, so I use Outlook Calendar most of the time. Situations arise where I need to share a calendar either internally at work or with friends and family outside the organization.

Whatever the reason, it’s easy to share a calendar with anyone. However, there are two different versions of Outlook on the desktop: the one you get with a Microsoft 365 subscription or Office 2024, and the one which comes preinstalled on your Windows system. This is in addition to the mobile version available for your phone or tablet. The steps for sharing vary slightly between them, but the idea is essentially the same. Here’s a look at how to do it from each version of Outlook.

Share a calendar internally or externally from Outlook 365

If you are hard at work using Microsoft Office, you can easily share your calendar with someone inside or outside the organization.

1. Open Outlook on your PC and click the Calendar icon on the left toolbar.
2. Navigate to Home > Share Calendar > Calendar. Note: If you are using more than one account, make sure to select the correct one.
3. The Calendar Properties window opens to the Permissions tab, where contacts with access to your calendar are listed.
4. Once you have your contact, click the Add button.
5. When your address book opens, highlight the contact(s) you want to share with, click the Add button, and click OK.

   If you share from your organization, typically anyone at your workplace can see when you’re busy, but not specifically which appointments, notes, or meetings. However, the view options will differ between organizations. Talk with your IT department for help if you’re unsure. Also, you can search for the person you need if you have several contacts.

6. Choose the contact’s edit permissions for the calendar, i.e., view only, delegate, view details, or edit.
7. When you are finished, click OK to share the calendar with the contact(s) you selected. A link to it will be sent to their email.
8. When you share the calendar, each contact you’re sharing it with is listed. To stop sharing it, highlight the user and click Remove.

Share using the Outlook Calendar app

If you don’t have Microsoft 365, you can share a calendar from the Outlook app that comes preinstalled on your Windows system. If you don’t see the Outlook app, there’s a chance the legacy Windows Mail, Calendar, and People apps are still installed on your PC.

However, Microsoft plans to end support for them December 31st, 2024. We've known Microsoft has been planning to kill off Mail and Calendar for some time. You should have the modern Outlook app by now, considering Microsoft has been prompting users to update for over a year.

The apps are losing support, but the Mail and Calendar won't disappear completely from your computer. Still, you will likely want to remove them since you'll lose all the ability to send or receive email. With that said, here's how to share a calendar in the app or online (Outlook.com).

1. L​aunch Outlook on your desktop and click the Calendar button on the left toolbar.
2. Select the Home tab, click the Share button on the ribbon, and choose the account with the calendar you want to share.
3. Type in and select the user(s) with whom you want to share your calendar. Contacts will appear as you type.
4. Once you select the contact(s), select their editing permissions, and click the Share button.
5. When finished, a link to view your selected calendar will be sent. It’s important to note that each time you share a calendar, the contact(s) you already share it with will appear in the Sharing Permissions window.
6. Click the Delete button (trash can icon) next to it to stop sharing.

How to share a calendar in Outlook from your phone

Everyone is mobile these days, and sharing your calendar in Outlook from your computer may not be an option. No worries. Sharing your calendar from the Outlook app on your iPhone or Android device is a cinch.

1. Launch the Outlook app and select the calendar you want to share.
2. Tap the Calendar icon in the top left corner.
3. Tap the gear icon next to the calendar you want to share.
4. Select a color for the calendar and tap Add People.
5. Choose the contact(s) you want to share the calendar with and tap the right arrow icon.
6. A list of the people you’re sharing the calendar with will appear. Calendar permissions default to view-only, but you can tap a name to allow them to view and edit. Once you’re finished, tap the confirmation button (check) to send invites or tap the back button to add more people.

Stay organized by sharing your calendar in Outlook

Sharing your calendar with friends, family, or coworkers is beneficial for keeping everyone on the same page. When you share a calendar, you can choose if the contacts can edit it; however, Outlook defaults to view-only on mobile and desktop, which just allows everyone to see when your schedule is busy or available.

Whether you share an Outlook calendar from the 365 app or the free Outlook app installed on your Windows system, the process is straightforward. The steps are essentially the same for each version of Outlook. Open the calendar, find the Share button, choose a contact, and send it off.