Microsoft adds Family Calendar, available from anywhere via Outlook.com

If many members of your family use Outlook.com as their main account for emails, contact and calendars, you may know that Microsoft has introduced some useful family features to manage your kids’ activity. By configuring a family on account.microsoft.com/family, parents can manage screen time on kid’s devices, web browsing activity, Windows Store purchases and more.

However, if you always wanted to configure a shared calendar with other family members, you’ll be pleased to learn that this feature is currently rolling to all users who have set up a Microsoft family (via MSPoweruser). Microsoft MVP Ian Dixon tweeted the following email from Microsoft announcing the new feature:

Just had this from Microsoft about a family calendar is this new? pic.twitter.com/wHylr7YHwU

— Ian Dixon #WIMVP (@isdixon) April 21, 2017

Microsoft has already updated its Microsoft Family FAQ to detail how Family Calendars work:

• It’s an Outlook calendar for your Microsoft family.
• Everyone in your family gets automatic access to it, and can view and setup events.
• Access the shared family calendar on any device (Windows, iOS, Android) when you add your Microsoft account to that device.
• If you don’t see a family calendar just yet, sit tight. We’re still rolling out this new experience, and we’ll send you an email once we create your family calendar.

We just tried to create a Microsoft Family with a personal Outlook.com account, and the new Family Calendar appeared immediately. You can check this calendar on Outlook.com or any Outlook app, and this looks like a very welcome feature overall. As Microsoft explained, users who already created a Microsoft Family will receive an email when their Family Calendar is ready to use.