Join, leave, or follow Groups in Outlook

Join a Group in classic Outlook

In classic Outlook, from the navigation bar select More apps > Groups. (To pin, right-click  Groups and select Pin.)

From  Groups Home you can see all your groups at once.

1. On the Home tab, select Browse Groups.
   
   

2. Enter a group name in the search box or scroll the list to find the one you want.

3. Select Join.

   If the group is private, a request will be sent to the group's admin, who can accept or decline the request.

Join a Group in classic Outlook from an email

1. If you receive an email message from a group that you're not a member of and decide to join the group, select Join on the group header in the right corner of the reading pane.

   If the group is private, you'll see Request to Join instead, and will be asked to provide a reason for joining.

   

2. Wait for your request to go through, or for the group's admin to add you if you're trying to join a private group.

3. Once you've joined the group, you'll see detailed membership status as well as a shortcut to navigate to the group's inbox.

Leave a Group in classic Outlook

1. In classic Outlook, from the navigation bar select More apps > Groups. (To pin, right-click  Groups and select Pin.)

   From  Groups Home you can see all your groups at once.

2. Select a group name.

3. From the ribbon, select Group Settings.

4. Select Leave Group.

Follow a Group in classic Outlook

When you follow a group, all the email messages and meeting invitations are sent directly to your inbox. But they’re also stored in your group folder. So don’t worry about accidentally deleting something or creating a rule to move mail from your inbox to a private folder. Delete it from your inbox after reading it and know there’s still a copy safely stored in your searchable group folder; in fact, all the messages since the group began are stored in the group folder. Even if you weren’t a member at the beginning, you’ll get to see the full history once you join.

1. Select a group from the navigation pane.

   

2. From the ribbon, select Group Settings, and under Follow in Inbox, select which emails or events you'd like to receive directly in your personal inbox. To stop receiving group emails in your personal inbox, select No Emails or Events.
   
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Join a Group in Outlook on the web

1. In the navigation pane, under Groups, select Discover groups.

2. In the search box, type a search term and press Enter.

3. Select Join if the group is public or Request to join if the group is private.

4. Once you've joined a group you'll receive a welcome message that contains important information and links to help you get started. If the group is public, you'll get the message right away. If the group is private, you'll get the welcome message after you've been approved by group owner.

Leave a Group in Outlook on the web

If you've been added to a group, you can leave the group at any time. 

1. From the navigation bar select   Groups.

2. On the Group Home tab, select a group card.

3. Select Group Settings .

4. Select Leave Group.
   
   

Follow a Group in Outlook on the web

When you follow a group, all the email messages and meeting invitations are sent directly to your inbox. But they’re also stored in your group folder. So don’t worry about accidentally deleting something or creating a rule to move mail from your inbox to a private folder. Delete it from your inbox after reading it and know there’s still a copy safely stored in your searchable group folder; in fact, all the messages since the group began are stored in the group folder. Even if you weren’t a member at the beginning, you’ll get to see the full history once you join.

1. From the navigation bar select   Groups.

2. On the Group Home tab, select a group card.
    

   Tip: Select the entire (or blank space) of the group card to access that group's home. When you select the group name or icons, you'll access different features.

   

3. Use the drop-down list to choose your follow preference.
   
   

Join, leave, or follow a Group in Outlook​​​​​​​.com

Join a group  |  Invite people to join a group  |  Leave a group  |  Follow a group

Join a Group in Outlook.com

You can only join an Outlook.com group when an owner or member adds you. Learn how to add members, or see below for how to invite people.

Invite people to join your group in Outlook.com

You can invite people to join your group. If it's a private group, the group owner will receive a request from the invitee to join the group. You can also invite guests to join the group. They'll receive group conversations and calendar events in their inbox. However, guests can't be group owners, view the global address list, view all information on group member contact cards, or view membership of the group.

1. In the folder pane, under Groups, select your group.
   
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2. In the group header, select Add members .

3. Enter the email address of the person you would like to invite to the group.
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Leave a Group in Outlook.com

If you've been added to a group, you can leave the group at any time. 

1. Select the group you want to leave.

2. Select the group name to pull up the group card.

3. Go to the Member tab.

4. Select the X next to your account to remove yourself from the group. You can also remove any other members you have added to the group.

Follow a Group in Outlook.com

When you follow a group, all the email messages and meeting invitations are sent directly to your inbox. But they’re also stored in your group folder. So don’t worry about accidentally deleting something or creating a rule to move mail from your inbox to a private folder. Delete it from your inbox after reading it and know there’s still a copy safely stored in your searchable group folder; in fact, all the messages since the group began are stored in the group folder. Even if you weren’t a member at the beginning, you’ll get to see the full history once you join.

1. From the navigation bar select   Groups.

2. On the Group Home tab, select a group name from the list.

3. Use the drop-down list to choose your follow preference.