How to Delete an Outlook Calendar: A Definitive Guide

Deleting a calendar in Outlook, whether it’s a redundant holiday schedule or an outdated project timeline, is a surprisingly nuanced process. The specific steps depend heavily on the type of Outlook you’re using (desktop application, web version, or mobile app) and the type of calendar you’re trying to eradicate (primary, shared, subscribed, etc.). Let’s cut through the confusion and provide a clear, concise, and immediately actionable guide.

In a nutshell, to delete an Outlook calendar, you need to:

1. Identify the Calendar Type: Determine if it’s your primary calendar, a calendar someone shared with you, a subscribed calendar, or another custom calendar.
2. Access Calendar Settings: Navigate to the calendar view in your Outlook application (desktop, web, or mobile) and find the calendar management settings.
3. Remove or Unsubscribe (Not Delete Directly): For shared or subscribed calendars, the typical action is to remove the calendar from your view or unsubscribe from it, rather than directly deleting it. For custom calendars you’ve created, a delete option will usually be available.
4. Address the Primary Calendar (Carefully): You cannot delete your primary Outlook calendar (the one associated with your main email address). You can, however, hide it. Attempting to delete it could have unintended consequences for your account.

Now, let’s dive into the specifics for each scenario.

Deleting a Secondary Calendar You Created

This is the most straightforward scenario. These are calendars you’ve manually added to your Outlook profile.

Outlook Desktop Application

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click the Calendar icon at the bottom left.
3. In the left pane, you’ll see a list of calendars under “My Calendars”.
4. Right-click the calendar you want to delete.
5. Select “Delete Calendar”.
6. Confirm the deletion.

Outlook Web (Outlook.com or Outlook Web App)

1. Open your browser and go to Outlook.com or your organization’s Outlook Web App.
2. Log in with your credentials.
3. Click the Calendar icon in the app launcher (usually the square of dots in the upper left).
4. In the left pane, find the calendar you want to delete under “My calendars”.
5. Click the three dots (…) next to the calendar name.
6. Select “Remove”.
7. Confirm the removal.

Removing a Shared Calendar

When someone shares a calendar with you, you don’t actually own it. Therefore, you can’t delete it. Instead, you remove it from your view.

Outlook Desktop Application

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click the Calendar icon.
3. Locate the shared calendar, which will likely be under a heading like “Shared Calendars” or the sharer’s name.
4. Right-click the calendar you wish to remove.
5. Select “Delete Calendar”. This removes the calendar from your view, but doesn’t affect the owner’s calendar.

Outlook Web (Outlook.com or Outlook Web App)

1. Open your browser and go to Outlook.com or your organization’s Outlook Web App.
2. Log in.
3. Click the Calendar icon.
4. Find the shared calendar in the left pane.
5. Click the three dots (…) next to the calendar name.
6. Select “Remove”.

Unsubscribing from a Subscribed Calendar

Subscribed calendars are those you’ve added through an iCalendar (.ics) URL or similar method. To get rid of them, you need to unsubscribe.

Outlook Desktop Application

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click the Calendar icon.
3. Locate the subscribed calendar in the left pane.
4. Right-click the calendar.
5. Select “Delete Calendar”. This unsubscribes you.

Outlook Web (Outlook.com or Outlook Web App)

1. Open your browser and go to Outlook.com or your organization’s Outlook Web App.
2. Log in.
3. Click the Calendar icon.
4. Find the subscribed calendar in the left pane.
5. Click the three dots (…) next to the calendar name.
6. Select “Remove”. This unsubscribes you.

The Primary Calendar: Proceed with Extreme Caution

Your primary Outlook calendar is the calendar associated with your main email account. You cannot directly delete this calendar. This is a fundamental part of how Outlook works. Deleting it would likely require deleting your entire Outlook profile, which is almost certainly not what you want.

The closest you can get to “deleting” your primary calendar is to hide it. In the Outlook desktop application, you can simply uncheck the box next to your primary calendar in the calendar list. It will no longer be visible, but it still exists.

Mobile Outlook App (iOS and Android)

The mobile Outlook app has limited calendar management capabilities. You can typically hide calendars from view, but deleting them outright isn’t usually an option. Go to the calendar settings within the app (often accessed through the account settings) and uncheck the calendars you don’t want to see.

FAQs: Your Outlook Calendar Questions Answered

Here are 12 frequently asked questions to further clarify the ins and outs of managing and “deleting” Outlook calendars.

1. Can I delete someone else’s calendar?

No, you cannot delete a calendar that belongs to someone else. You can only remove or unsubscribe from calendars that have been shared with you.

2. What happens if I delete a recurring appointment in a shared calendar?

If you delete a recurring appointment in a shared calendar, you’ll only delete it from your view of the calendar. The owner of the calendar and other attendees will still see the appointment. To truly delete it, the calendar owner needs to do so.

3. How do I delete all events from a calendar without deleting the calendar itself?

The easiest way is often to switch to List View in the Outlook desktop application. Then, select all the items (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A) and press the Delete key. Be careful, as this is permanent! For larger calendars, consider exporting the data, deleting the calendar, and recreating it.

4. Can I recover a deleted Outlook calendar?

Generally, no. Once a calendar is deleted, it’s permanently gone. Shared or subscribed calendars are easier to “recover” – simply re-add or re-subscribe. Regularly backing up your Outlook data is crucial for disaster recovery.

5. How do I stop receiving notifications for events in a shared calendar I removed?

Even after removing a shared calendar, you might still get notifications. Check your notification settings within Outlook. You might need to specifically disable notifications for the account associated with the shared calendar.

6. How do I delete an Internet Calendar Subscription (ICS)?

This is the same as unsubscribing from a calendar. Follow the steps for unsubscribing outlined above.

7. What’s the difference between removing and unsubscribing?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but generally:

• Removing usually refers to a shared calendar. You are simply removing it from your view.
• Unsubscribing usually refers to a calendar you’ve subscribed to via an internet calendar subscription (.ics).

Both actions achieve the same result: the calendar disappears from your Outlook.

8. How do I hide my primary calendar in Outlook?

In the Outlook desktop application, simply uncheck the box next to your primary calendar in the calendar list. In the web version, the option to hide the primary calendar may be limited.

9. I accidentally deleted the wrong calendar. What can I do?

If it was a calendar you created, and you had a recent backup, you might be able to restore it. If it was a shared calendar, simply ask the owner to reshare it with you. There’s no undo button for deleting calendars in Outlook.

10. Why can’t I see the “Delete Calendar” option when I right-click?

This usually means you’re trying to delete a calendar that you don’t have permission to delete, such as your primary calendar or a calendar where you only have viewing rights.

11. Will deleting a calendar delete the underlying email account?

No. Deleting a calendar only removes the calendar itself. It will not delete your email account.

12. Can I export a calendar before deleting it?

Yes, absolutely. It’s highly recommended to export a calendar as a .pst file or other format before deleting it. This provides a backup in case you need to restore the data later. To export, go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export in the Outlook desktop application. Follow the wizard to export your calendar to a file.

By following these steps and understanding the nuances of Outlook calendar management, you can confidently remove unwanted calendars and keep your schedule organized. Remember to always proceed with caution, especially when dealing with your primary calendar, and back up your data regularly.