How to set a password for a shared mailbox

Problem:

You want to learn how to set a password for a shared mailbox in Microsoft 365 (Office 365), for example, to add the mailbox as a standard user account (secondary account) in your email app.

Solution:

Follow the steps below to set a password for a Microsoft 365 shared mailbox:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Users > Active users in the left-hand navigation menu, locate your shared mailbox on the list, and click it (Fig. 1.).

Fig. 1. Opening shared mailbox properties in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

2. Click the Reset password option (Fig. 2.).

Fig. 2. Locating the Reset password option for a shared mailbox.

3. Clear the two checkboxes shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3. Clearing the checkboxes that are selected by default when opening the password reset pane.

4. In the Password textbox that appears, type the password, making sure it’s strong enough – you’ll need it later to add the shared mailbox to your email app. Finally, click Reset password (Fig. 4.) and allow some time for the change to propagate.

Fig. 4. Defining a new password for your shared mailbox.

5. Additionally, make sure that sign-in is not blocked for the shared mailbox – if it is, the Sign-in blocked information will be displayed for this mailbox, as shown in Fig. 5. To enable sign-in, simply click Unblock sign-in, clear the Block this user from signing in checkbox, and save your changes (Fig. 5.).

Fig. 5. Unblocking sign-in for the shared mailbox.

5. Once the changes propagate, you can add the shared mailbox as a standard (secondary) account in your email app. If you're using Outlook, see the articles below to learn how to do it in your version:
   • Outlook for Windows
   • Outlook for Mac
   • Outlook for Android
   • Outlook for iOS

When prompted for password, type the password you created in step 4.

See also:

• Changing email addresses in the From field in Outlook – how it affects CodeTwo add-ins