Permission & Access Issues

Can Microsoft 365 Groups Provide Read-Only Calendar Access?

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

A group owner wants to restrict Microsoft 365 Group members to view-only access for calendar events, preventing them from editing or deleting events created by owners.

Product: Microsoft 365 Groups
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: An administrator or owner is trying to manage permissions for a Microsoft 365 Group created in Outlook, with the goal of protecting owner-created events from being modified by standard members.
Observed behavior: By default, Microsoft 365 Groups grant all members full editing rights, allowing anyone in the group to modify or delete calendar events.

Before you start

Confirm whether your group was created via Outlook, SharePoint, or the Microsoft 365 admin center, as this determines which alternative sharing methods are available to you.

Solution 1Recommended

Understand Microsoft 365 Groups Limitations and Submit Feedback

Currently, Microsoft 365 Groups do not natively support read-only calendar permissions for members. The official recommendation is to submit a feature request.

Because Microsoft 365 Groups are designed for flat collaboration, all members inherently receive edit access to shared resources like the group calendar and inbox. There is currently no administrative toggle to switch group members to a 'read-only' or 'view-only' state.

Visit the Feedback Portal

Open your web browser and navigate to the official Microsoft Feedback Portal for Microsoft 365.

Search for existing requests

Type 'read-only permissions for Microsoft 365 Groups calendar' into the search bar to find similar submissions.

Upvote or create a request

If you find a matching request, click the upvote button. If not, click 'Send feedback' to create a new submission detailing your need for view-only calendar access.

Feature Limitation: This limitation applies strictly to the group calendar. It does not necessarily reflect SharePoint document library permissions, which can be managed separately.

Solution 2

Workaround: Use a Standard Shared Calendar

Since Microsoft 365 Groups cannot restrict editing, you can use a standard Outlook shared calendar as an alternative to grant view-only access.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set a Microsoft 365 SharePoint site to read-only for group members?

Yes, while the group calendar itself cannot be read-only, you can independently adjust the underlying SharePoint site permissions. You can move the 'Group Members' from the Members group to the Visitors group in SharePoint to grant them view-only access to files.

Is it possible to restrict email access in a Microsoft 365 Group to read-only?

No. Similar to the calendar limitation, Microsoft 365 Groups do not offer read-only access for group email conversations. All members have the ability to read and reply to group emails.

What is the best alternative for a read-only team calendar?

The most effective native alternative is to create a Shared Mailbox or use a standard Outlook calendar, then share it with specific users or distribution lists while strictly selecting the 'Can view all details' permission level.

Document & File Issues