Calendar Problems

How to Fix Cannot Open Shared Calendar in Outlook for Mac

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to open a shared calendar in Outlook for Mac because the application incorrectly reports that they lack the necessary permissions.

Product: Outlook 2016 for Mac
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: A user attempts to open a secondary calendar (subcalendar) that has been shared with them by a colleague.
Observed behavior: Outlook for Mac displays an error message stating that the user does not have permission to open the shared Calendar folder, even though the owner has already shared it.

Before you start

Verify that you have an active connection to your Exchange server and ensure the calendar owner is available to modify their sharing permissions.

Solution 1Recommended

Grant Reviewer Permission on the Primary Default Calendar

To bypass the known sharing limitation in Outlook for Mac, the calendar owner must grant the recipient permissions on both the primary and secondary calendars.

Outlook for Mac has a known limitation where sharing only a secondary calendar (subcalendar) fails to authenticate properly. If the primary Calendar folder is not shared, the recipient will encounter a permissions error when trying to access the secondary one.

Open primary calendar permissions

Ask the calendar owner to open their Outlook for Mac, right-click their primary default 'Calendar' folder, and select 'Sharing Permissions'.

Add the recipient

In the properties window, click the 'Add User' button, search for the recipient's name, and add them to the list.

Assign Reviewer access

Select the recipient's name and set their Permission Level to at least 'Reviewer'. Click 'OK' to save the changes.

Share the secondary calendar

Ensure the secondary calendar is also shared with the recipient using the appropriate permission level.

Restart Outlook

Have the recipient restart Outlook for Mac and attempt to open the shared calendar again.

Privacy Consideration: If the owner wishes to keep their primary calendar private, they can set the primary calendar permission to 'Reviewer' but mark their private appointments as 'Private'. The recipient will only see the time blocks as busy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Outlook for Mac say I don't have permission to view a shared calendar?

This typically occurs when a colleague shares a secondary calendar (subcalendar) with you but fails to grant you at least 'Reviewer' permissions on their primary default Calendar folder, which is required by Outlook for Mac to validate access.

Can I share a subcalendar without sharing my primary calendar in Outlook for Mac?

No. Due to a known limitation in Outlook for Mac, you cannot successfully share only a subcalendar. You must also grant the recipient at least Reviewer permission on your primary default Calendar folder.

How do I remove someone's access to my shared calendar in Outlook for Mac?

To revoke access, right-click your Calendar folder, select 'Sharing Permissions', click on the name of the user you want to remove, and either click the minus (-) icon or change their permission level to 'None'.

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