How Do I Make My Outlook Calendar Private?

Your ability to make an Outlook calendar private depends on two primary strategies: adjusting the overall calendar permissions to control what information is visible by default, and marking individual appointments as private.

The method you use varies slightly depending on whether you're using the Outlook desktop application or Outlook on the web.

Adjusting your calendar's default permissions

For Outlook desktop

1. Open the Outlook desktop application and navigate to the Calendar view by clicking the calendar icon in the navigation pane.
2. Right-click your calendar, typically named "Calendar," in the left sidebar under "My Calendars".
3. From the context menu, choose Properties or Calendar Properties.
4. In the dialog box, go to the Permissions tab.
5. Select the Default entry. This controls what anyone not explicitly listed can see.
6. Under the Permissions section, change the Permission Level dropdown to None or Free/Busy time.
   • None: Hides all details, including your busy status, from users not explicitly granted access.
   • Free/Busy time: Only shows the time slots when you are busy or free. No other event details will be visible.
7. Click OK to save the changes. If a pop-up asks you to confirm applying changes to all users, click Yes.

For Outlook on the web

1. Access your Outlook calendar on the web.
2. Hover over the desired calendar in the left pane, click the three-dot menu (...), and select Sharing and permissions.
3. Find My Organization or Default in the sharing panel.
4. Set the permission level to Can view when I'm busy or remove it entirely using the trash icon.
5. Click Save.

Marking individual events as private

This option is useful for keeping a calendar mostly shared while hiding details for specific appointments. A padlock icon indicates the private status.

For Outlook desktop

1. Open or create an appointment or meeting.
2. In the meeting window, click the Private icon (padlock) in the Tags group.
3. Click Save & Close.

For Outlook on the web

1. Open or create an event.
2. Click the Private toggle or padlock icon in the event window.
3. Click Save or Send.

Revoking access for specific users

If you need to remove sharing permissions for individuals, follow these steps:

For Outlook desktop

1. Right-click your calendar and select Properties.
2. Go to the Permissions tab, select the user's name.
3. Click Remove and then OK.

For Outlook on the web

1. Hover over your calendar, click the three-dot menu (...), and choose Sharing and permissions.
2. Click the trash icon next to the person you want to remove.
3. Click Save.

Making your calendar unpublishable

For work or school accounts, you may need to unpublish your calendar for full privacy.

For Outlook on the web

1. Log in to Outlook on the web and go to Settings > Calendar > Shared Calendars.
2. Under Publish a calendar, select the calendar and choose Unpublish.
3. Click Save.

Advanced considerations

• Delegates: Delegates with specific permissions may still see private items. Review delegate settings under File > Account Settings > Delegate Access.
• Third-party apps: External apps or subscription links might bypass some settings. Remove sharing for these if needed.
• Default organization permissions: Overriding default organizational permissions requires adjusting settings for the "Default" or "My Organization" user.