How to Add Public Folders in Outlook Web, Desktop & Mobile
If you don’t know how to add public folders in Outlook, this blog will teach you. Just follow our step-by-step instructions and access the public folder on any device that can run Outlook, even those that others thought were impossible.
Let us start with the most straightforward approach, which is the Outlook Web. Here we are telling you the combined steps for both the web and the new Outlook for desktop since they are very similar to each other.
How to Add Public Folders in Outlook Web and New Desktop Client
The steps for the web and the new desktop Outlook app are nearly identical because of the similar UI. Follow this tutorial:
Step 1. Log in to the Outlook Web portal or open your new desktop client if you are using it.
Step 2. Right-click the main parent folder to open the flyout menu.
Step 3. Then, click on the “Add public folder to Favorites” option.
Step 4. A new window appears from the left side of your screen with the list of all Public folders made by the admin.
Step 5. Select one (you can only select one at a time) and click the Add Public Folder button (with the star icon) at the topmost part of the pane.
Note: Once you add a particular folder, it won’t disappear from the list. So be careful, because if you try to add the same folder again, it will throw an error: “We couldn’t add the public folder. Please try again.” Moreover, the caution statement is misleading, as trying again won’t change anything.
Step 6. The Add a Public Folder window will remain open unless you close it on your own, so you can add multiple folders one by one.
That’s how you add a new public folder in Outlook 365. We also have the steps for those who operate the classic version.
Access Public Folders on Outlook Classic
If you are using the classic desktop version of Outlook, you must know how to add public folders in Outlook. Here, accessing public folders is quite straightforward, as the feature is fully supported.
Also Read: Difference between Public Folder and Shared Mailbox
Step 1. First, open your Outlook application on your desktop.
Step 2. Look at the bottom of the Folder Pane on the left-hand side of your screen. You will see several icons for Mail, Calendar, People, and Tasks.
Step 3. Click on the three-dot icon (…) at the end of the row to reveal more options.
Step 4. From the menu that pops up, select “Folders.” This will change the view of your Folder Pane to show all available folders.
Step 5. Scroll down the list in the Folder Pane. You will find a main heading for “Public Folders.”
Step 6. You should see a small triangle icon next to “Public Folders” to expand it. This will show the “All Public Folders” subfolder.
Step 7. Expand “All Public Folders” to witness the full hierarchy of folders that the admin has made available to you.
Step 8. Click on any public folder to view its contents directly in the main Outlook window.
These steps should also work for earlier Outlook desktop editions like Outlook 2019, 2016, and 2013, as all of them had a similar UI. So feel free to use these steps.
How to Add Public Folders in Outlook Mobile?
Currently, it is not possible to add public folders to the Outlook mobile app. Both Android and iOS devices have this limitation. However, if you still want to access public folders from a mobile device, there is a way.
Step 1. Use any browser on your mobile and visit the official Outlook login page.
Note: You may receive an alert to switch over to the Outlook app; skip it.
Step 2. After logging in, trigger the desktop view option. On most mobile browsers (Chrome, Safari, etc.), the option can be found by tapping the 3-dot/hamburger menu icon at the top-right or top-left corner.
Step 3. Open the drop-down menu and check the “Desktop site” box. Your browser will reload, and you should now see the same Outlook web UI as in any laptop or computer’s browser.
Optional Step. For some users, the text size might be too small; you can pinch out to zoom.
Step 4. Go to the Favorites tab to access all of the public folders on your mobile.
Step 5. To add a new public folder, perform a long press on your main account name.
Step 6. This will force the hidden menu features to show, which contain the “Add public folder to favorites” option. Tap it.
Step 7. This will open a new pane (you might have to readjust the screen a bit to see the options clearly).
Step 8. Tap on “All public folders” to reveal the list.
Step 9. Tap on any one public folder (make sure it’s not already added).
Step 10. Then tap the “Add public folder” button at the top.
Step 11. This will help you attach the public folder in the Favorites section, making it easily accessible even on mobile.
Best Way of Adding a Public Folder from a User in a Different Tenant
If you are an admin and you dont know how to add public folders in Outlook belonging to a user in a diffrent domain, this section is especially for you. Here we will tell you about the best way to bring in the public folder data of a user who is on another O365 domain.
The SysTools Office 365 Migration software just got a brand-new update, which now allows it to fully migrate public folders from one domain to another.
Admins can try the demo today and use this next-gen way to transfer and add Outlook public folders between two tenants. If, for some reason, public folders are not showing in Outlook, you might have to try something else.
Conclusion
Here we saw exactly what to do if you don’t know how to add public folders in Outlook. We gave clear-cut steps for Outlook Web and for both the new & classic desktop editions. Moreover, in this tutorial, we explained how you could add public folders in Outlook from your mobile device.
To top it all off, we gave admins access to the best public folder adding mechanism when data is coming not from your own but from a different domain.
Frequently Asked Questions on How to Add Public Folders in Outlook
Q. Can you add two public folders in Outlook that have the same name?
Although you can’t add a single folder more than once, it is still possible to add two public folders with the same name if they belong to different hierarchies. Like one is a child of another.
Q. Can I add one public folder to another public folder within the Outlook portal?
There is no such option in the UI when you trigger the hidden menu pane of a public folder; none of the available choices list a hierarchy shift. Moreover, if you try to drag and drop a folder into another, it will simply bounce off and reposition.
Q. Can I create a new public folder as a user?
Users cannot make new public folders on their own, but can only add what the admin has made available for them.
Q. I am on a free tier of Outlook. How to add public folders in Outlook here?
The public folder facility is a collaboration tool that allows multiple members in an organization to have a common digital cabinet directly accessible through their mailboxes. So, None of the regular M365 plans have this option, not even the paid personal or family plans. Therefore, you need to subscribe to a business or enterprise edition of Office 365.
Q. How do I remove a public folder I added accidentally?
The Add Public Folder menu has no option to undo accidental additions. You need to close the pane and look for the wrong public folder in the favorites section.
Right-click (or hover and click on the three horizontal dots), then click the remove from favorites option present inside the fly-out menu.