Microsoft Outlook: How to Let Users View Declined Events on the Calendar

• Microsoft Outlook is getting a new feature that enables users to retain declined events within their calendars.
• Meetings that have been declined currently land in the Deleted Items folder, posing difficulties when users unintentionally decline or overlook scheduled meetings.
• The new setting will start rolling out to commercial customers in the second half of November 2023.

Microsoft is set to introduce a new time management feature in Microsoft Outlook. This update will allow users to retain declined events, helping Outlook show declined meetings within their calendars, offering a streamlined solution for easily viewing and tracking information related to these events.

Currently, when events are declined, they are relocated to the Deleted Items folder in Microsoft Outlook in order to maintain a clean and clutter-free calendar. As a result, users must manually retrieve declined event invitations from the Deleted Items folder. This process can become incredibly inconvenient when a user unintentionally declines a meeting invitation and later forgets about it.

Microsoft is taking steps to resolve this issue by introducing a new setting in Microsoft Outlook. This feature will allow users to display declined events on their calendars, making it easier to avoid accidentally missing important meetings and appointments. Users can conveniently reschedule declined events by changing their responses directly within the calendar.

“In Settings, once you turn on the feature, declined events will no longer disappear but remain on your calendar so you can easily recollect related info or docs, find associated chats, or even take actions like updating your previous response (RSVP) and forwarding it to someone else; all while keeping your agenda free at that time slot,” Microsoft explained.

How to view declined events in Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft notes that the new feature will be disabled by default for all Outlook users. However, users will be able to enable it by heading to Settings > Calendar > Events and invitations > Save declined events > Show declined events in your calendar. Once enabled, the declined events/meeting invites will begin showing up in the Outlook calendar.

Microsoft expects to begin rolling out the new calendaring feature to all commercial customers in the second half of November. Keep in mind that the feature will only preserve declined meetings from the new Outlook client for Windows, Mac, Microsoft Teams, web, as well as Android and iOS apps. However, Microsoft notes that the classic Outlook desktop app will only let users view the declined events.

FAQs

How can I temporarily show declined meetings in Outlook without changing settings?

To temporarily view declined meetings in Outlook, you can use the calendar search function and type “declined:” followed by the meeting organizer’s name. This will show all declined meetings from that person without permanently changing your calendar settings.

Will Outlook show declined meetings across shared calendars?

When the feature to show declined meetings is enabled, Outlook will display declined meetings on your primary calendar, but visibility in shared calendars depends on the permissions set by calendar owners and their individual settings.

Can I filter or categorize declined meetings separately in Outlook?

Yes, Outlook allows users to create custom views and categories specifically for declined meetings, making it easier to distinguish them from regular calendar items while maintaining a clean calendar appearance.

Does Outlook show declined meetings differently in various time views?

When Outlook shows declined meetings, they appear differently depending on your calendar view (daily, weekly, or monthly). In the daily view, declined meetings appear semi-transparent, while in the month view they show with a distinct visual indicator.

Will Outlook notifications still work for declined meetings that are shown?

When Outlook is set to show declined meetings, notifications remain turned off by default for these items, but users can manually enable reminders for specific declined meetings if needed for reference purposes.