Unable to edit meeting details in a Shared calendar - Desktop Outlook

Dear @Falguni Patel, 

Thank you for the clear description and for sharing the screenshot. I understand how inconvenient this can be, especially when you need to update meeting details after the room booking has already been approved. 

• In Outlook, a meeting can only be changed by the organizer and the update must be made from the organizer’s own calendar and sent to attendees. Meetings cannot be updated by editing the copy on a room or shared calendar. 
• Room mailboxes are designed only to accept or decline bookings. They should be added as a location, while all meeting updates are managed by the organizer. 
• Since Microsoft’s security update on August 8, 2023, the meeting body in received meetings, including those in a room calendar, is read‑only by design, even after the booking is approved. 

Here are the supported steps you can follow: 

• Update the meeting from the organizer’s own calendar (recommended) 

The original meeting organizer opens the meeting from their own calendar in classic Outlook. 

Select Edit and update the description or any other required details. 

Click Send Update so the changes are sent to all attendees, including the room. 

The room’s calendar is updated automatically and the booking remains valid. This keeps the workflow aligned with how resource mailboxes are designed to work. 

Note: Manager approval is not required again unless the update changes the meeting time, duration, or room booking conditions. 

I completely understand how these limitations in Outlook can feel disruptive. It’s not just about aesthetics; these differences can genuinely affect how smoothly you work and navigate your day. 

As a forum moderator, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly. However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the Outlook · Community. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements. 

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility. If you prefer, I can also submit this great idea on your behalf. Just let me know, and I’ll post it for you and share the link once it’s published. I’m here to help ensure your feedback gets the attention it deserves. 

Additionally, as other users have raised similar concerns and may not be aware of where to share their feedback, I hope this response helps clarify the situation and suggests a potential next step. Highlighting this information can make it more visible to others in the community who may be facing the same issue, making it easier for them to find guidance and contribute their feedback as well. 

Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern. 

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In recent Outlook versions, received or shared calendar meetings are intentionally read-only for recipients, even if they originally created the request or have access to the shared calendar. This behavior is enforced by security updates and cannot be changed by permissions on the shared calendar.

For Outlook for Microsoft 365, the supported way to edit a received/approved meeting is to use the new Edit Meeting command that was added after the August 8, 2023 security update. Once the client is on a supported build, the command can be added to the Quick Access Toolbar or Ribbon and used to edit the meeting body/notes.

To enable this for affected users (Microsoft 365 subscription only):

1. Ensure Outlook is updated to at least Current Channel Version 2311 Build 17029.20068 or the corresponding Monthly Enterprise or Semi-Annual Enterprise versions described in the documentation.
2. In Outlook Desktop, open a meeting from the calendar.
3. Go to File → Options → Quick Access Toolbar.
4. Under Choose commands from, select Commands Not in the Ribbon.
5. Select Edit Meeting, then choose Add >> to add it to the Quick Access Toolbar, and select OK.
   • Alternatively, add it to the Ribbon via File → Options → Customize Ribbon, create a new group (for example, “Edit Meeting”), then add Edit Meeting from Commands Not in the Ribbon to that group.
6. Open the approved meeting and use Edit Meeting to modify the description/notes as needed.

If using perpetual Office versions (Office 2021/2019/2016), the Edit Meeting feature is not available and the meeting body of received items will remain read-only; in that case, users must manage details in another location (for example, Teams or OneNote meeting notes, or a separate appointment).

References:

• Images are blocked and meeting body is read only in Outlook Desktop if calendar items are from other senders for Microsoft Outlook Spoofing Vulnerability released August 8, 2023