Issue/Question
How do I access a WKU shared mailbox (e.g. example.group@wku.edu) account?
Environment
- WKU Shared Mailbox Accounts
Cause
The account has been migrated to Microsoft 365.
Resolution
The manager of the account or the Department Head / Director of your area
must first request access for any new users of a shared mailbox account
before it can be accessed. Please complete
this service request first.
There are several methods used to access a shared mailbox account. Please see below for further instructions depending on your email program.
Method 1
- Log into OWA here as you normally would with your personal WKU email account.
- Click your profile icon in the upper-right corner.
Note: By default this is a circle with your initials in it. If you have uploaded a profile picture for OWA this will display instead.
- Click Open another mailbox.
- Enter in the full shared mailbox address (e.g. example.group@wku.edu).
- Click Open.
- A new window/tab will come up for the shared mailbox account.
Method 1
If the manager or Department Head / Director of your area has requested that you have access to the shared mailbox account it may display in Outlook for your access automatically if there has been enough time allowed for the changes to propagate. Please fully close Outlook and then reopen it to see if the account appears. If it does not, please see the next two methods to access the account.
Note: It can sometimes take Outlook a few minutes to connect to the shared mailbox account after access has been granted. Please allow a few minutes for Outlook to connect.
Method 2
- Open Outlook.
- Click the File tab in the upper left corner.
- Navigate to Account Settings.
- Double-click your personal WKU email address (e.g. big.red@wku.edu).
- Click More Settings.
- Select the Advanced tab.
- Click Add under the additional mailboxes section.
- Enter the full WKU shared mailbox account (e.g. example.group@wku.edu).
- Click OK.
- Click Apply.
- Click OK.
- Fully close Outlook and reopen it. The account should be listed along with your personal account.
Method 3
- Open Outlook.
- Click the File tab in the upper left corner.
- Navigate to Account Settings.
- Click Add Account.
- Enter in the full WKU shared mailbox account (e.g. example.group@wku.edu).
- If asked, select to use Microsoft 365 as the account type.
- When prompted for the username and password, enter your personal WKU email credentials (e.g. big.red@wku.edu and NetID password).
- Click Continue.
- Fully close Outlook and reopen it. The account should be listed along with your personal account.
Method 1
- Open Outlook.
- Click the Outlook menu in the upper-left corner.
- Select Preferences... .
- Select Accounts.
- Click the in the bottom left corner.
- Select New Account... .
- Enter in the full shared mailbox address (e.g. example.group@wku.edu).
- If asked, select to use Microsoft 365 as the account type.
- In the sign in window that appears, select Sign in with another account.
- Enter in your personal WKU email address (e.g. big.red@wku.edu).
- Click Continue.
- Enter in your WKU NetID password.
- Click Continue.
- Authenticate with Microsoft MFA, if prompted.
- Click Done.
- Fully close Outlook and reopen it. The account should be listed along with your personal account.
Method 2
- Open Outlook.
- Click the Outlook menu in the upper-left corner.
- Select Preferences... .
- Select Accounts.
- Select your personal WKU email account (e.g. big.red@wku.edu).
- Click Advanced... in the lower-right corner.
- Select the Delegates tab.
- Click the button under Open these additional mailboxes.
- Enter in the full shared mailbox address (e.g. example.group@wku.edu).
- Click Add.
- Click OK.
- Fully close Outlook and reopen it. The account should be listed along with your personal account.
Currently Outlook for iOS and Android are the only supported methods of accessing shared mailbox accounts on mobile devices. The built in mail applications will not be able to open the shared mailbox accounts at all.
- Add your personal WKU email account to Outlook for either iOS or Android. You can find instructions for iOS here and Android here.
- After you have added your personal account to the Outlook app, tap your profile icon in the upper-left corner of the app to display the settings menu.
- Tap the gear icon located in the bottom-left corner.
- Tap Add Mail Account.
- Tap Add Shared Mailbox.
- Enter the full email address of the shared mailbox account.
- Tap Add Shared Mailbox.
- The account should now be listed as an alternate account. You may switch between the two by tapping your icon in the upper-left corner of the Outlook app.
Method 1
If the manager or Department Head / Director of your area has requested that you have access to the shared mailbox account it may display in New Outlook for your access automatically if there has been enough time allowed for the changes to propagate. Please fully close New Outlook and then reopen it to see if the account appears. If it does not, please see the alternative method below to access the account.
Note: It can sometimes take New Outlook a few minutes to connect to the shared mailbox account after access has been granted. Please allow a few minutes for New Outlook to connect.
Method 2
- Open New Outlook.
- On left pane, right-click Shared with me.
- Click Add shared folder or mailbox.
- Enter the full WKU shared mailbox account (e.g. example.group@wku.edu).
- Click Add.
- Your shared mailbox will now appear under Shared with me.
Method 1
If the manager or Department Head / Director of your area has requested that you have access to the shared mailbox account it may display in New Outlook for your access automatically if there has been enough time allowed for the changes to propagate. Please fully close New Outlook and then reopen it to see if the account appears. If it does not, please see the alternative method below to access the account.
Note: It can sometimes take New Outlook a few minutes to connect to the shared mailbox account after access has been granted. Please allow a few minutes for New Outlook to connect.
Method 2
- Open New Outlook.
- Click File.
- Click Open.
- Click Shared mailbox account....
- Enter the full WKU shared mailbox account (e.g. example.group@wku.edu) into the Account: field.
- Click Add.
- You shared mailbox will now appear beneath your personal account.
Should you have any further problems or questions, please contact the ITS Service Desk or submit a service request.