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How to Edit Group members or Add Group members as a Group Owner

Kari Jones 0 Reputation points
2026-06-10T15:12:34.9533333+00:00

In the Group Settings, I am listed as an Owner, but when I click the Group Settings the dropdown box options to Add Members or Edit Group is greyed out. How can I do this?

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business
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  1. Kristen-L 13,260 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-10T17:15:48.4966667+00:00

    Hi @Kari Jones,

    Good day, and thank you for clearly outlining your concern.

    If the options to Add Members or Edit Group are grayed out even though you are listed as an owner, please try the following:

    1/ Use another Outlook experience

    Check whether the same issue occurs in Outlook on the web or the new Outlook for Windows, as this can help determine if it is specific to Classic Outlook.

    2/ Update Classic Outlook

    Go to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now. Older versions of Outlook may prevent Microsoft 365 Group owners from managing members, but this behavior has been corrected in more recent updates.

    For reference: Microsoft 365 group users may be unable to view or access group ...

    3/ Check how the group ownership is configured:

    If the options remain unavailable, it may be because the group owner is set as a mail-enabled security group. In such cases, Outlook does not allow group management directly. To manage the group in Outlook, the owner must be assigned as a mailbox user or mail-enabled user.

    You can ask your Microsoft 365 administrator to make changes using the admin portal:

    • Go to Teams & groups > Active teams & groups
    • Select the affected group
    • Open the Membership tab
    • Add or remove owners and members as needed.

    For detailed guidance, you may refer to: Manage a group in the admin center - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

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    I hope the information above is helpful. Please try the steps and let me know how it goes. If the issue continues, I’ll be happy to work with you further to find a suitable solution.

    Thank you for your patience and for contributing to the forum.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".       

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-10T15:12:47.2266667+00:00

    In classic Outlook for Windows, group membership can only be managed from the Group itself, not from the Address Book. If the Add Members and Edit Group options are greyed out even though the account is shown as Owner, the most common causes are:

    1. The group is not being opened from the correct place.
    2. Membership is being attempted from the Address Book, which is not supported.

    To add or edit members as a Group Owner in classic Outlook for Windows:

    1. In the folder pane, under Groups, select the group.
      • Alternatively, from the navigation bar select More apps > Groups, then select the group from Groups Home.
    2. On the ribbon, select Group Settings.
    3. To add members:
      • Select Add Members.
      • In the Add Members box, search for people in the organization by name or email address and select them.
    4. To edit or remove members/owners:
      • Select Edit Group.
      • In the Members section:
        • Use Make owner to promote a member to owner.
        • Use Remove owner status to change an owner back to member.
        • Use Remove next to a name to remove them from the group.
    5. Select Save when finished.

    If the options remain greyed out, verify that group membership is not being edited via the Address Book. The Address Book cannot be used to add or remove members and will show errors or disabled options for membership changes. Always manage membership from the Groups area as described above.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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