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How to Unhide a Guest User in Microsoft Entra ID Global Address List

Ayan Masood Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

Administrators need to make a guest user visible in the directory's Global Address List (GAL).

How to Unhide a Guest User from the Microsoft Entra ID Global Address List

Product: Microsoft Entra ID
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing guest account visibility and recipient properties in Microsoft 365.
Observed behavior: The 'Hide from global address list' toggle cannot be changed directly in the Entra ID portal for guest users, keeping their accounts hidden from other users.

Before you start

Ensure you have Global Administrator or Exchange Administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 tenant, and verify that you can connect to the Exchange Online PowerShell module.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Exchange Online PowerShell to Unhide the Guest User

Since the Entra ID portal often restricts changing this attribute for guests, using Exchange Online PowerShell is the most reliable method.

Guest user properties in Microsoft 365 are frequently managed by Exchange Online rather than the Entra ID portal alone. By utilizing the Set-MailUser cmdlet in PowerShell, administrators can bypass the portal limitations and successfully update the visibility setting.

Connect to Exchange Online

Open your PowerShell terminal as an administrator and run the command 'Connect-ExchangeOnline' to authenticate with your administrator credentials.

Run the Set-MailUser cmdlet

Execute the following command, replacing the email address with the guest's actual address: Set-MailUser -Identity "guestuser@domain.com" -HiddenFromAddressListsEnabled $false

Verify the attribute change

Run 'Get-MailUser -Identity "guestuser@domain.com" | Format-List HiddenFromAddressListsEnabled' to confirm the value is now set to False.

Use Exchange Online PowerShell to Unhide the Guest User

Synchronization Delay: Changes made to the Global Address List can take up to 24 hours to fully sync and appear in the Outlook client for all users.

Solution 2

Update Visibility via Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Depending on the account type and directory sync status, you might be able to toggle the address list visibility directly through the main Admin Center.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the 'Hide from global address list' setting grayed out in Entra ID?

For guest users and synchronized accounts, the address list visibility is often controlled by Exchange Online recipient properties or on-premises Active Directory attributes rather than the Entra ID portal directly.

How long does it take for a newly unhidden guest user to show up in the GAL?

After successfully changing the 'HiddenFromAddressListsEnabled' property, it typically takes 24 hours for the Offline Address Book (OAB) to generate and sync to Outlook desktop clients, though it may appear sooner in Outlook on the web.

Do I need special permissions to change this setting?

Yes, standard users cannot change this setting. You must have Exchange Administrator or Global Administrator privileges within your Microsoft 365 tenant to modify recipient visibility in the directory.

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