How to Add BCC in Outlook: A Complete Guide
If you've ever wanted to send an email to multiple people without revealing everyone's addresses to each other, BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) is the feature you need. Outlook supports BCC across all its versions, but the way you access and use it varies depending on which platform or version you're running.
What BCC Actually Does
When you add someone to the To or CC field, every recipient can see those addresses. BCC works differently — recipients added to the BCC field receive the email, but their address is hidden from everyone else on the message, including other BCC recipients.
This matters in several real-world scenarios:
- Sending newsletters or announcements to a large group while protecting privacy
- Forwarding a message to a manager without alerting the original sender
- Emailing clients or customers without exposing a full contact list
- Keeping someone quietly in the loop on a conversation
BCC isn't just a courtesy feature — in many business and legal contexts, it's a privacy best practice.
How to Add BCC in Outlook for Windows (Desktop App)
In the classic Outlook desktop application on Windows, the BCC field isn't visible by default when you open a new message. Here's how to enable it:
- Open a New Email by clicking New Email in the Home tab
- In the compose window, click the Options tab in the ribbon at the top
- Click BCC in the Show Fields group
Once you click it, the BCC field will appear below the CC field in your compose window. You can now type addresses directly or use the BCC button to open your address book and select contacts.
💡 The BCC field stays visible for all future emails in that session, but it may reset the next time you open Outlook depending on your version and settings.
How to Add BCC in Outlook on the Web (Outlook.com / Microsoft 365)
If you're using Outlook through a browser — whether that's Outlook.com or your organization's Microsoft 365 account — the process is slightly different:
- Click New message to open a compose window
- In the compose window, look for BCC — it often appears as a small link to the right of the To field
- If you don't see it immediately, click the three-dot menu (…) or look for a CC/BCC toggle option near the address fields
- Once BCC appears as a field, type your recipient addresses in
The exact position of the BCC toggle can vary slightly depending on whether your organization has a customized Microsoft 365 layout or whether you're on a personal Outlook.com account.
How to Add BCC in Outlook for Mac
On the Mac version of Outlook (part of Microsoft 365 for Mac), the BCC field is also hidden by default:
- Open a New Message
- Go to the Options menu in the top menu bar (not the ribbon)
- Select BCC Field to make it visible in your compose window
Alternatively, in some versions of Outlook for Mac, you can click the To button in the compose window, which opens the address selector — from there you can switch recipients to BCC directly.
How to Add BCC in the Outlook Mobile App
On iOS and Android, Outlook handles BCC through a slightly different UI pattern:
- Tap the compose icon to start a new email
- Tap on the To field — this usually expands the address area
- Look for a CC/BCC label or arrow that appears when the To field is active
- Tap BCC to expand the field and add your recipients
Mobile interfaces are more compact, so the BCC option is often tucked behind a tap or disclosure arrow rather than being immediately visible.
Key Variables That Affect Your Experience
How BCC behaves — and where you find it — depends on several factors worth understanding:
| Variable | How It Affects BCC Access |
|---|---|
| Outlook version | Classic desktop, New Outlook, web, and mobile each have different UI layouts |
| Account type | Personal Outlook.com vs. Microsoft 365 work/school accounts may have different defaults |
| Admin settings | Organizational IT policies can customize or restrict certain Outlook features |
| Operating system | Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android each use a different version of the Outlook app |
| New Outlook vs. Classic Outlook | Microsoft is rolling out a redesigned "New Outlook" for Windows with a different interface |
A Note on "New Outlook" for Windows
Microsoft has been gradually transitioning users to a redesigned New Outlook experience on Windows, which more closely resembles the web version. If you've recently updated and your Outlook looks different than it used to, you may be on this newer interface — and the BCC button location will more closely match the web instructions above rather than the classic desktop steps.
You can typically tell which version you're on by checking whether the ribbon at the top looks like the traditional Office-style toolbar or a simplified web-like interface.
When BCC Behaves Differently Than Expected
A few things catch people off guard with BCC:
- Reply-all doesn't expose BCC recipients — if someone replies to all, BCC'd addresses are not included. This is by design.
- BCC recipients can see the To and CC fields — they see who the email was openly addressed to, they just can't see each other.
- Some email servers log BCC usage — in enterprise environments, sent mail logs often record BCC fields even if recipients can't see them.
These behavioral details matter depending on whether you're using BCC for privacy, compliance, or internal communication purposes. Your organization's email policies, your IT setup, and even the email client your recipients use can all influence how BCC interactions play out in practice.