Adding BCC in Outlook on your computer

To send a message to someone without other recipients seeing their address, use the BCC field (blind carbon copy). In Outlook on Windows or Mac, open a new email and look for the "BCC" option in the compose window. If you don't see it, click the "Options" tab at the top, then click "BCC" in the ribbon. The BCC field will appear below the CC line.

Type the email address of the person you want to BCC into that field. You can add multiple addresses separated by semicolons (Windows) or commas (Mac). When you send the message, the person in the BCC field receives the email, but their address is hidden from everyone else on the message — including the main recipient and anyone on the CC line.

The BCC field stays visible once you've opened it, so you won't need to click Options again for your next email in that same session. If you close Outlook and reopen it, you may need to show the BCC field again.

Key Takeaways

  • The BCC field hides a recipient's email address from all other people receiving the message.
  • On Windows or Mac Outlook, click the Options tab and then BCC to make the field visible in your compose window.
  • You can add multiple BCC addresses separated by semicolons on Windows or commas on Mac.
  • BCC recipients see the message but not the TO or CC lines, so they won't know who else received it.
  • The BCC field remains visible until you close Outlook, so you don't need to enable it for every email.

Using BCC in Outlook on the web

If you use Outlook through your web browser, the process is slightly different. Open a new message and look for the "To" field. Click the dropdown arrow or the word "To" itself, and you'll see options including "Cc" and "Bcc." Click "Bcc" to add that field to your compose window.

Type the email addresses directly into the BCC field that appears. Unlike the desktop version, the web version shows the BCC field right away once you click it — you don't need to hunt through tabs. Send the message normally, and the BCC recipients will receive it without their addresses being visible to others.

Why use BCC instead of CC

Use CC when you want everyone on the email to see who else is receiving it. Use BCC when you want to send the same message to someone without the main recipient knowing about it, or when you're sending to a large group and don't want to expose everyone's email addresses to each other.

A common example: you're sending a message to a client and want to loop in your manager for visibility, but you don't want the client to see that the manager is watching. Put the client in the TO field and your manager in the BCC field. Another example: you're sending an announcement to 50 people. Put the message in the body, leave TO blank, and put all 50 addresses in BCC so no one's email is visible to the group.

Common mistakes when using BCC

The most frequent error is putting someone in BCC and then mentioning them by name in the email body. If you write "As Sarah mentioned in our meeting," and Sarah is in BCC, the main recipient will see the reference and realize Sarah received the message. Keep your message neutral if you're using BCC for confidentiality.

Another mistake is forgetting to put an address in the TO field at all. If you only use BCC and leave TO empty, some email systems will reject the message or flag it as suspicious. Always put at least one address in the TO field, even if it's a generic inbox or your own address.

Don't assume BCC is completely private. Your email administrator can still see BCC recipients in the message logs, and if the email is forwarded or replied to, the BCC addresses won't be included — but the person who received it could manually add them back or mention them to others.

BCC in Outlook mobile apps

On the Outlook mobile app for iPhone or Android, open a new message and tap the "To" field. Scroll down or look for an option to add "Cc" and "Bcc" — the exact location varies by device and app version. Tap "Bcc" to reveal that field, then type the addresses you want to BCC.

The mobile version works the same way as the web version: BCC recipients get the message but their addresses stay hidden. If you don't see a BCC option in your mobile app, check that you're using the latest version of Outlook. Older versions sometimes don't include this feature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can BCC recipients see who else got the email?

No. BCC recipients see only the message body and the TO and CC lines. They cannot see other BCC addresses or know that anyone else was BCC'd. Each BCC recipient sees the email as if they were the only one receiving it.

What happens if I reply to a BCC'd email?

When a BCC recipient clicks Reply, their response goes only to the sender, not to the entire group. If they click Reply All, it still goes only to the sender because the BCC addresses were never part of the conversation thread. The original TO and CC recipients do not see the BCC recipient's reply.

Can I BCC myself on an email?

Yes. Some people BCC themselves on emails they send to keep a copy in their Sent folder with a specific label or folder structure. This is useful if your Sent folder settings don't automatically save copies the way you want.

Is BCC the same as CC?

No. CC (carbon copy) shows the recipient's address to everyone on the email. BCC (blind carbon copy) hides the recipient's address from everyone except the sender. Use CC when transparency is fine, and BCC when you want to keep a recipient's involvement private.

Why would Outlook not show the BCC field?

On desktop Outlook, the BCC field is hidden by default to avoid accidental use. Click the Options tab and then BCC to show it. On mobile, make sure your app is up to date. On the web, click the dropdown next to the TO field. If it still doesn't appear, try refreshing your browser or signing out and back in.