Microsoft 365: Shared Mailbox

This article explains how to request new Microsoft 365 shared mailboxes, access existing shared mailboxes across multiple platforms, and manage permissions for both shared and resource mailboxes.

In This Article:

• Get New Shared Mailboxes
• Access Existing Shared Mailboxes
  • Outlook Web Application (OWA)
  • Windows—Outlook 365, 2019, and 2016
  • macOS
  • iPhone/iPad (iOS)
  • Android
• Manage Shared and Resource Mailboxes Memberships
  • View Existing Group Membership
  • Add New Members
  • Remove Current Members

Get New Shared Mailboxes

Follow the steps to have a shared mailbox created for Microsoft 365:

1. Go to Microsoft 365 Services,
2. Click the Email, Calendar, and Support button.
3. From the What would you like to request? dropdown, choose Shared Mailbox.
4. Complete the remaining  fields and click Submit.

Access Existing Shared Mailboxes

Once your shared mailbox has been set up, you can follow the instructions below on how to access the shared mailbox.

Outlook Web Application (OWA)

Option 1 (Recommended):

Mailbox name: dept-prefix_mailbox.smb (example:  its_mailbox.smb)

1. Navigate to https://outlook.office365.com/owa/mailbox.smb@ad.unc.edu (substituting the shared mailbox for ‘mailbox’) or https://outlook.office365.com/owa/emailaddress (name@unc.edu).
2. Enter your onyen@ad.unc.edu for the username and onyen password when prompted.
3. After logging in, you will be working in the shared mailbox.

Option 2:

1. Log in to Outlook Web Application (OWA) with your onyen@ad.unc.edu and onyen password.
2. Select the drop-down link displaying your name or icon at the top right corner of the window.
3. In the drop-down, select Open Another Mailbox in this window and enter the name of the shared mailbox.
4. A new window will open and you will be working in the shared mailbox.

Windows—Outlook 365, 2019, and 2016

Option 1 (Recommended):

Adding the Shared Mailbox this way saves any mail sent by the user in the Sent Items folder on the Shared Mailbox. This also lets the user send emails on behalf of or “From” the mailbox.

365 and 2019

1. While logged in to Outlook select File tab and click on the Add Account button.
2. On the Add Account pop-up window enter the following information:
   1. E-mail address: mailbox.smb@ad.unc.edu (substituting the shared mailbox for ‘mailbox’) or Alias (name@unc.edu).
3. Click on Connect
4. On the Microsoft Sign in. Enter the email address as onyen@ad.unc.edu, and click Next.
5. Enter your onyen password.
6. Verify with 2-Step Verification for Microsoft 365 (MFA)
7. You will be prompted to restart Outlook.  You must do this before the shared mailbox will appear.
8. You will now have a permanent link to the shared mailbox in your mail folder hierarchy.

2016

1. While logged in to Outlook select File Tab and click on the Add Account button.
2. On the Add Account pop-up window enter the following information:
   1. Your Name: Enter your name.
   2. E-mail address: mailbox.smb@ad.unc.edu (substituting the shared mailbox for ‘mailbox’) or Alias (name@unc.edu).
   3. Password:  Onyen Password
3. On the Window Security pop-up that says “Connecting to mailbox name”.
4. Click the More Choices link and Use a different account
5. In the Username field enter your username as onyen@ad.unc.edu, and in the password field enter your onyen password.
6. Check the box by Remember my credentials.
7. Select OK.
8. If or when prompted for an additional password, click Sign in with another account.
9. Click the X to clear out the email address there and enter onyen@ad.unc.edu and Onyen Password on the UNC login prompt.
10. Click the Finish button.
11. You will be prompted to restart Outlook.  You must do this before the shared mailbox will appear.
12. You will now have a permanent link to the shared mailbox in your mail folder hierarchy.

Option 2:

1. While logged in to Outlook select File Tab and click the Account Settings drop-down list. Select Account Settings.
2. In the 'Account Settings' window highlight your Microsoft Exchange account and select Change.
3. In the 'Change E-mail Account', window click on the More Settings button.
4. Navigate to the Advanced tab.
5. In the ‘Open these additional mailboxes' display select the Add button.
6. Enter the name of the shared mailbox and select OK.
7. Select OK again and close all previous windows.
8. You will now have a permanent link to the shared mailbox in your mail folder hierarchy.

macOS:

Outlook 365, 2019, and 2016

1. While logged in to Outlook select Tools and then Accounts.
2. In the Accounts window highlight your Microsoft Exchange account and click the Delegation and Sharing button.
3. Click on the Shared with Me tab on the next screen.
4. You should see a section labeled Open these additional mailboxes.
5. Click Add or + button.
6. In the Choose a Person search field, enter the name of the shared mailbox.
7. Highlight the mailbox name then click Add and OK to close all previous windows.
8. You now have a permanent link to the shared mailbox in your mail folder hierarchy.

iPhone/iPad (iOS)

Outlook App (Recommended)

The new Outlook Mobile App does allow the addition of a Shared Mailbox. Please visit the Microsoft Article Add a Shared Mailbox to Outlook Mobile.

Apple Mail Client

The Apple Mail Client no longer works based on the recent updates.  Please use the Outlook App.

Android

Outlook App

The new Outlook Mobile App does allow the addition of a Shared Mailbox. Please visit the Microsoft Article Add a Shared Mailbox to Outlook Mobile.

Manage Shared and Resource Mailboxes Memberships

View Group Membership

1. You can see which mailboxes you manage by visiting SelfService and signing in with your Onyen and password.
2. After signing in, click My AD Groups in the center. The next page will have tabs for Assigned Groups and My Groups. Click My Groups to see the groups of which you are listed as a manager.

3. Due to groups being used to manage the mailbox membership, you will see the name of the groups on this page, not the email address of the shared mailbox or the name of the resource mailbox. These group names will usually have a format of group name mailbox full access for shared mailboxes or group name resource mailbox full access for resource mailboxes.

Add New Members

Difference between members and managers: When looking at the group membership, you will also see a Managers tab. The managers of a group are able to manage the group membership from the selfservice.unc.edu site, but they cannot access the mailbox itself. Only group members can actually access a given resource. If someone needs to be able to access the mailbox and manage its membership, then that person will need to be added as both a manager and member.

1. You can add members to mailboxes you manage by visiting SelfService and signing in with your Onyen and password.
2. After signing in, click My AD Groups in the center. The next page will have tabs for Assigned Groups and My Groups. Click My Groups to see the groups of which you are listed as a manager.
3. On the right side of each group name, you should see Members. Clicking this will show both the current members in a group, as well as the option to add new members.
4. New members can be added to a group at any time. When adding a new member, you can search by the person's Onyen, email address, or PID. 
5. After entering a search term and clicking Search, a new window will appear with the option to Add Entity. Clicking this will add the requested member to the group.

Remove Current Members

1. You can remove members from mailboxes you manage by visiting SelfService and signing in with your Onyen and password.
2. After signing in, click My AD Groups in the center. The next page will have tabs for Assigned Groups and My Groups. Click My Groups to see the groups of which you are listed as a manager.
3. On the right side of each group name, you should see Members. Clicking this will show both the current members in a group
4. Current members can be deleted using the trash can icon on the right side of the page.