The BCC field lets you send a copy to someone without other recipients seeing their address
BCC stands for "blind carbon copy." When you put someone's email address in the BCC field, they receive the email, but their address stays hidden from everyone else on the message — including the main recipient and anyone in the CC field. This is different from CC (carbon copy), where everyone can see who else received the email.
BCC is useful when you're sending the same message to a large group and don't want to expose everyone's email addresses to each other. It's also the standard way to protect privacy when you're emailing multiple people who don't know each other.
The BCC field is not visible by default in Outlook. You have to turn it on first, then you can use it on any email you compose.
Key Takeaways
- The BCC field is hidden by default in Outlook and must be enabled before you can use it.
- In Outlook on the web, click the three dots next to "CC" to reveal the BCC option.
- In Outlook desktop, go to the Options tab and check the "BCC" box to show the field.
- Anyone in the BCC field receives the email but their address remains invisible to all other recipients.
- Once you enable BCC, it stays visible for all future emails you compose in that session.
How to show the BCC field in Outlook on the web
Open a new email message. In the "To" field area, you'll see buttons for "To," "CC," and a three-dot menu icon. Click the three dots (sometimes labeled "..." or "More options").
A dropdown menu appears. Select "BCC" from the list. The BCC field now shows up below the CC field, and it stays visible while you're composing this email. When you start a new email later, you'll need to repeat this step unless you've changed your default settings.
How to show the BCC field in Outlook desktop
Open a new email message. At the top of the compose window, click the "Options" tab (in newer versions of Outlook) or look for the "Show BCC" option in the ribbon menu.
Check the box next to "BCC." The BCC field appears below the CC field. Unlike the web version, once you enable it in the desktop app, the BCC field typically remains visible for all future emails in that session, though this can vary depending on your Outlook version.
Entering addresses in the BCC field
Once the BCC field is visible, click inside it and type or paste email addresses the same way you would in the "To" or "CC" fields. You can enter one address or multiple addresses separated by semicolons (;) or commas (,), depending on your Outlook settings.
If you have contacts saved in Outlook, start typing a name and Outlook will suggest matching addresses. You can also copy and paste a list of addresses directly into the BCC field. The recipients you add here will receive the email, but their addresses will not appear anywhere in the message that others see.
What BCC recipients can and cannot see
A person in the BCC field receives the complete email — subject line, body, and any attachments. However, they cannot see the addresses of anyone else who received the email, including other BCC recipients. They also cannot see who is in the CC field or the main "To" field.
From the BCC recipient's perspective, it looks like the email was sent only to them. This is why BCC is useful for sending the same message to multiple people without revealing that others received it too.
Common reasons to use BCC
Use BCC when you're emailing a group of people who don't know each other and you want to protect their privacy. For example, if you're sending a message to ten job candidates, a neighborhood group, or members of a club, BCC keeps their email addresses private from one another.
BCC is also useful when you want to keep someone informed about a conversation without making it obvious to the main recipient. For instance, you might BCC your manager on an email to a client, or BCC yourself on an email you're sending from a shared account so you have a copy in your sent folder.
Some people use BCC to send themselves a copy of an important email as a backup, though this is less common now that most email services automatically save sent messages.
Differences between To, CC, and BCC
| Field | Who sees it | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| To | Visible to all recipients | Primary recipient or recipients who need to respond |
| CC | Visible to all recipients | People who need to see the email but may not need to respond |
| BCC | Hidden from all other recipients | People you want to inform privately without revealing their address |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can BCC recipients reply to the email?
Yes, BCC recipients can reply to the email just like anyone else. However, when they click reply, the message goes only to the sender and the "To" field recipients — not to other BCC recipients, unless they manually add those addresses. This is by design to maintain the privacy of the BCC group.
Will BCC recipients know they were BCC'd?
No. BCC recipients see no indication that they were added to a BCC field. The email looks like it was sent directly to them. There is no way for them to know who else received the message or that they were hidden from other recipients.
Can I use BCC on a reply to an existing email thread?
Yes. The BCC field works the same way on replies as it does on new messages. However, keep in mind that when you reply to a thread, the conversation history is visible to everyone, so BCC only hides the addresses of new recipients you add, not the history of the thread itself.
What happens if I put someone in both CC and BCC by mistake?
If you accidentally add the same address to both CC and BCC, most email systems will send only one copy of the email to that address. The address will appear in the CC field (visible to all), and the BCC entry is typically ignored or removed automatically to prevent duplicate delivery.
Does Outlook on mobile have a BCC option?
Yes, the Outlook mobile app includes BCC functionality. When you compose a new email, tap the "CC" field or the three-dot menu to reveal the BCC option. The steps are similar to the web version, though the exact location of the menu may vary slightly depending on whether you're using iOS or Android.