how do i set up a shared email account?

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Level 1

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how do i set up a shared email account?

We use Mac's for our business. As we are expanding we would like to set up shared email accounts for our sales team. We use Microsoft Exchange for email. It used to be possible to have shared email boxes set up in Mail. However, I can't find anything official that explains how to do the set up. It is possible in Outlook, but I prefer the native Mail application (and I would also like this feature on my iPhone).

Perhaps it is no longer supported due to the added complexity of MFA on Exchange?

Does anyone have any ideas?

Mail is the one app I use constantly but it still seems to be underwhelmingly supported?! I can live without animated lifelike emojis, but I can't live without Mail - sorry!

Mac mini 2018 or later

Posted on Jul 20, 2020 10:17 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 20, 2020 11:39 AM in response to BobTheFisherman

From the document you shared:

Tip: Before you can use a shared mailbox, the Microsoft 365 admin for your organization has to create it and add you as a member. For more information, ask your admin to see Create a shared mailbox, which describes what the admin needs to do.

It looks like it is only a matter of configuring the shared mailbox on the server side. Then each exhange account on each machine should have the access as per the server configuration. I expect this to be transparent to the mail client, whether it is Outlook or Mail.

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Answer 2

nksimmons Author

Level 1

9 points

Jul 20, 2020 11:05 AM in response to BobTheFisherman

Hi Bob,

I do indeed mean salesteam@xxx.com. However, Outlook (and I believe this used to be the case with Mail too) allows a user to access the account using just their own logon credentials (the admin sets up who has access). There is no need to set up (and pay a separate license for) a separate email account and security isn't compromised by 'sharing' passwords. If one of the group leaves and their individual email account is suspended they no longer have access to the shared email box.

Its a really neat feature. You can read more about it here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/open-and-use-a-shared-mailbox-in-outlook-on-the-web-98b5a90d-4e38-415d-a030-f09a4cd28207?ui=en-us&rs=en-us&ad=us

As I say I'm pretty sure this used to be available in Mail (and iOS equivalent).

Thanks,

Nick

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Answer 3

Jul 20, 2020 11:08 AM in response to nksimmons

use Outlook as your email client rather than Mail if Outlook supports this.

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Answer 4

Jul 20, 2020 10:59 AM in response to nksimmons

What do you mean by "shared" email account? If you mean an account like "salesteam@somedomaine,something" just create the email account and give the login credentials to everyone you want to share it.

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Answer 5

nksimmons Author

Level 1

9 points

Jul 20, 2020 2:12 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Hi Luis,

On the MS365 side everything is set up and functions as expected using Outlook. I was just hoping to be able to use Mail to access the shared mailbox. Unfortunately I haven't been able to figure that part out. Various searches lead to lots of examples of how it should be set up, but I guess they are out of date. As originally posted I assume it must be down to increased levels of security surrounding Microsoft Exchange (multi-factor authentication). I was hoping there might be others here that had encountered this issue or who perhaps use Mail in a business environment where shared mailboxes are common / important.

I could of course, as Bob suggests, just go ahead and start using Outlook, but after 20 years of being a Mac user I would prefer to use the Apple solution that I am so familiar with.

Thanks,

Nick

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Answer 6

nksimmons Author

Level 1

9 points

Jul 21, 2020 3:18 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Hi Luis,

Thanks - that's the exact website and suggested procedure I tried (and the outsourced IT company we pay to support us). Sadly it didn't work. I suspect it was written for a previous version of Exchange.

Kind regards,

Nick

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