How Do I Request to View a Calendar in Outlook?

The Microsoft Outlook software platform is most commonly thought of as an email management tool. That being said, the full functionality of this application extends well beyond emailing into a variety of powerful productivity resources, including calendar management, journaling tools, web browsing and more. One of the most common ways in which Outlook is integrated into professional workspaces is via calendar sharing. If you are trying to request access to calendars in Outlook, you can do so using a few simple steps.

The calendar tools included inside of Microsoft Outlook act as far more than just a reminder service. In fact, this particular calendar allows users to create and share group schedules, arrange for meetings and events, create appointments and overlap calendars for different users, among other functions. Particularly in situations where free time is a precious commodity, Microsoft Outlook has managed to streamline and optimize schedule management.

After creating your Outlook account, you should immediately gain access to all of the calendar features included in the software. If you are using Outlook as part of an internal team at your place of employment, it is quite likely that your systems administrator will have already pre-configured your Outlook account to seamlessly integrate with your colleagues.

Outlook also provides the unique ability to send a calendar to anyone, including non-Outlook users, via e-mail. Thanks to a flexible permissions system, these calendars can be modified to only show a specific set of data pre-determined by the owner of the calendar. In order to open the calendar, however, the recipient will need to have access to the Outlook application.

If you are ready to request viewing permissions for a calendar, your first step should be to log in to your Outlook account and navigate to the Calendar tab. Click this tab to open the calendar window. Your next step should be to click the Share Calendar icon found within the top toolbar of the application. Clicking this icon should reveal a list of individuals with whom you can send and receive calendar information.

Find the person whose calendar you wish to view, select their name and then place a check in the box next to the "Request permission to view recipient's calendar" option. In the subsequent Details menu, you can customize permissions settings before clicking Send to transmit your request to the user.

Upon receiving your request to share their calendar, the user in question has the option to click Allow or Deny. If they do click the Allow button, you should gain instant access to their calendar.

If you are still unable to access the other calendar after these steps, you may need to consult with an IT professional. Requesting calendar access for Office 365 and other related software packages doesn't have to be difficult, but it can become somewhat confusing if there are fundamental technology issues needing to be resolved first. With that in mind, communicate clearly with any support staff you may have at your place of work in order to ensure that you can receive the assistance you need in a timely manner.