Outlook Calendar

Question

I have to use new outlook as my old outlook stopped working around a year ago.

I have my outlook calendar settings set to "can view when I'm busy". However, everyone is able to see all the details on my calendar still. Is there a way to fix this so people can only see when I'm busy instead of all the detail? I am not great at remembering to mark compensation or performance meetings with my team members as private so I would rather fix the main issue instead of continuing to do that.

Picture of my calendar settings below to show that I do have it set to only show when I'm busy.

Answer 1

Hello @Anonymous, 

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Community. We're happy to support you with your concern. 

We're sorry to hear that you're experiencing this issue. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and the negative experience this may have caused.  

Based on the situation you described, your Outlook calendar sharing setting "Can view when I'm busy" is intended to show others only your free/busy status without event details, but since others are still seeing full details, the setting may not be properly applied or may be overridden by other policies or settings. 

• Permissions vs. Organizational Policies: Even when your calendar sharing permission is explicitly set to "Can view when I'm busy," organization-level or Exchange server policies can override these settings. Administrators have the ability to set calendar sharing permissions across the organization using PowerShell or Microsoft 365 admin center. It can enforce default calendar sharing policies that grant more access than you intend, which you as an end user cannot override with a simple setting change. 
• Delegate or Elevated Permissions: Some users may have been given delegate or editor permissions that allow them to see full calendar details regardless of your general sharing setting. These permissions are set separately and supersede your general calendar visibility settings. 
• Sync and Client-Specific Issues: Sometimes the new Outlook client or calendar cache can cause a mismatch in what you see versus what others see. Clearing cache, re-sharing the calendar permissions, or testing with Outlook Web Access (OWA) can help identify if this is a client-side issue. 

We kindly suggest that you should double check these again: 

1. Double-check the calendar permissions in Outlook Web Access (OWA): 

• Log in to Outlook on the web. 
• Go to your calendar > Sharing and permissions. 
• Confirm that the permission for your organization or specific colleagues is set to "Can view when I’m busy" only. 
• If the setting looks correct, remove the existing permission and re-add it to force a refresh. 

2. Clear cache and recreate profile: 

• In new Outlook desktop, clear the app cache or recreate your profile to ensure no stale permissions are sticking around. 
• Alternatively, test on another device or Outlook Web Access to isolate if the problem is client-side. 

You may also need to contact your IT department to ask for some more details: 

1. Confirm organization-wide default calendar sharing policies: 

• Ask them if there is an Exchange or Microsoft 365 calendar sharing policy that overrides individual user settings allowing full details visibility. 
• Request them to verify or adjust the default permissions boundary for your mailbox. 

2. Check if users with access have elevated mailbox permissions: 

• Sometimes, users have "Full Access" or "Editor" mailbox permissions granted on your mailbox or calendar explicitly or via group membership. 
• These permissions override simple “Busy” view settings. 

3. Verify if other new Outlook features are causing issues: 

• Ask if these can be temporarily disabled for your account/device for testing. 
• Check if there are any mailbox-level retention or compliance policies affecting calendar events’ visibility: Some specialized configurations or compliance rules might reveal calendar details based on security access or compliance audits. 

We’re sorry we can’t resolve this immediately, but you can try workaround and update us the news. We will keep assisting you and please feel free to reach out again if you need any further assistance. 

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Answer 2

As far as I know, you have to make meetings private if you don't want to share the details. See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/make-an-appointment-or-meeting-private-dc3898f0-22f5-45c6-8cc8-b4d4db84111d .

Answer 3

Hello @Anonymous, 

We're reaching out again to follow up on your issue and to ensure that it has been resolved to your satisfaction. If you are still experiencing difficulties or have encountered any new challenges, kindly provide additional details regarding the specific steps where you are facing obstacles. We will remain at your disposal to offer any further assistance you may require.

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Answer 4

Hello @Anonymous, 

It has been a while and we just follow up to see how you are doing. Do you have any more concerns about this issue? Any updates would be greatly appreciated.

Please don't hesitate to reach out again if you need any further assistance.

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