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how to check others calendar in outlook

Here’s how to check someone else’s calendar in Outlook so you can see when they’re free and book meetings more easily.

What you can (and can’t) do

  • You can only see another person’s calendar if:
    • They use the same Microsoft 365/Exchange organization as you.
* They’ve shared their calendar with you or your organization allows free/busy visibility.
  • If you don’t yet have access, Outlook will let you send a sharing/request email so they can grant permission.

Think of it like opening a shared office door: if it’s unlocked (shared), you can walk in; if not, you ask for access first.

Method 1 – Add their calendar in Outlook (Windows/Mac)

Windows desktop (classic Outlook)

  1. Go to Calendar view in Outlook.
  1. On the Home tab, find Add Calendar (or Open Calendar / Open Shared Calendar) in the Manage Calendars group.
  1. Choose From Address Book.
  1. Search for the person’s name in your address book list.
  1. Select their name and click OK.
  1. Their calendar appears in your calendar list on the left; tick/untick it to show or hide.

If you don’t have permission, Outlook may prompt you to send a calendar access request email , which they must accept before you can see details.

Outlook for Mac

  1. Open Calendar in Outlook for Mac.
  1. Click Organize or the Home tab in Calendar.
  1. Choose Open Shared Calendar (or similar option).
  1. Type the person’s name or email , then select it from suggestions.
  1. Click Add. If they haven’t shared their calendar, Outlook sends a sharing request instead.
  1. Once they accept, their calendar shows in the calendar list and you can view it side‑by‑side with yours.

Method 2 – Check availability using Scheduling Assistant

If you only care about when they’re free (not seeing all their events), Scheduling Assistant is usually enough.

  1. In Outlook, create a New Meeting (not just an appointment).
  1. Add the person as a Required attendee.
  1. Click Scheduling Assistant (top of the meeting window).
  1. You’ll see a horizontal timeline comparing your schedule with theirs, showing busy/free blocks.
  1. Adjust the meeting time until both calendars show free at the same slot.

This is a very common “new to Outlook” trick: you may not see their full calendar, but you can still find a mutually free time quickly.

Method 3 – Use shared calendars

Sometimes, teams share a common calendar (e.g., department or project). You’ll view it similarly to a personal shared calendar. To view a shared calendar that’s been granted to you:

  1. Go to Calendar in Outlook.
  1. On the navigation pane, look for Open Calendar or Open Shared Calendar.
  1. Click it and enter the name of the person or shared calendar.
  1. Select it and click OK ; it appears under Shared Calendars or Other Calendars in the left pane.
  1. Right‑click it to Remove if you no longer need it.

You can also share your own calendar by opening it, choosing Share Calendar , and adding coworkers with specific permissions (view only, edit, etc.).

Method 4 – Outlook on the web / newer Outlook

The exact labels keep changing (especially in 2025–2026 updates), but the flow is similar: you add or subscribe to someone’s shared calendar.

Typical steps:

  1. Open Outlook in a browser and go to Calendar.
  1. Look for Add calendar or Subscribe from web in the left pane.
  1. If your org uses simple directory sharing:
    • Choose People’s calendars or From directory.
    • Search for the person’s name , select, and add.
  1. If they share via a web link :
    • Ask them to send their calendar sharing link (ICS URL).
 * In Outlook on the web, choose **Subscribe from web** , paste the link, name the calendar, and **Import**.

This “subscribe from web” model is becoming more common as Microsoft modernizes Outlook and calendar sharing.

Quick troubleshooting & tips

  • If you see only “Busy/Free” but not event details, your colleague probably shared limited details only.
  • If their name doesn’t appear, they may not be in your directory or not on the same organization/Exchange.
  • If Outlook prompts you to send a request, customize the email politely (e.g., “Can you share your calendar so I can schedule meetings more easily?”).
  • For teams or managers, consider a group or shared calendar so everyone can see team availability in one place.

Mini example scenario

You’re new to a team and your manager says, “Just check my calendar and put something in.”

You could:

  • Create a New Meeting → add your manager → open Scheduling Assistant to see free slots and pick one.
  • Or, in Calendar, click Add/Open Calendar → From Address Book , add your manager’s calendar so you can see their schedule side‑by‑side with yours going forward.

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TL;DR: To check someone’s calendar in Outlook, either add their shared calendar from the address book or directory, or use Scheduling Assistant in a meeting invite to see their free/busy times.

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