How to Add BCC (Blind CC) in Outlook: A Complete Guide

Whether you're sending a company-wide announcement, a newsletter, or just want to protect recipients' privacy, knowing how to use BCC in Outlook is an essential email skill. Here's everything you need to know about what BCC does, why it matters, and how to enable it across different versions of Outlook.

What Is BCC and Why Does It Matter?

BCC stands for Blind Carbon Copy. When you add someone to the BCC field, they receive a copy of the email — but their address is hidden from everyone else on the thread, including the main recipients (To field) and CC recipients.

This differs from CC (Carbon Copy), where all recipients can see each other's email addresses.

Common reasons to use BCC:

• Privacy protection — sending to a large group without exposing everyone's addresses
• Professional etiquette — keeping recipient lists confidential in business communications
• Preventing reply-all chains — BCC recipients can't accidentally reply-all to the full list
• Internal monitoring — copying a manager or compliance address discreetly

📧 One important note: if a BCC recipient hits "Reply All," their reply goes only to the original sender — not to the full recipient list. This is by design.

Why the BCC Field Isn't Visible by Default

In most versions of Outlook, the BCC field is hidden by default when composing a new message. This is simply a UI choice to keep the compose window clean. You have to manually reveal it — but once you do, it typically stays visible for future messages in that session or permanently, depending on the version.

How to Add BCC in Outlook for Windows (Microsoft 365 / Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021)

This applies to the classic desktop Outlook application on Windows:

1. Open Outlook and click New Email to compose a message
2. In the compose window, go to the Options tab in the ribbon at the top
3. Click BCC in the "Show Fields" group
4. The BCC field will now appear below the CC field in your message
5. Type the BCC recipient's email address into the field

The BCC field will remain visible for all new emails going forward in that Outlook profile — you won't need to repeat this every time.

How to Add BCC in Outlook on Mac

The process is slightly different in Outlook for macOS:

1. Open a New Email compose window
2. Go to Options in the top menu bar
3. Select BCC Field to toggle it on
4. The BCC field appears in your compose window

Alternatively, in some Mac versions you can use the keyboard shortcut or find the BCC option under View depending on your Outlook version.

How to Add BCC in Outlook Web App (OWA / Outlook.com)

If you're using Outlook through a browser at outlook.com or via your organization's webmail:

1. Click New mail to open a compose window
2. In the compose window, click the BCC link — it typically appears to the right of the To field or below it
3. The BCC field expands and you can type addresses directly

🖥️ The exact placement of this link varies slightly between the consumer Outlook.com interface and the business-focused Outlook Web App, but both follow the same general pattern.

How to Add BCC in the New Outlook for Windows

Microsoft has been rolling out a redesigned "New Outlook" experience for Windows that aligns more closely with the web version. In this version:

1. Click New mail
2. In the compose window, look for BCC as a clickable option near the To/CC fields
3. Click it to expand the field
4. Enter your BCC recipients

How to Add BCC in Outlook on Mobile (iOS and Android)

On the Outlook mobile app, the BCC field is tucked away:

1. Tap the compose (pencil) icon to start a new email
2. Tap the small arrow or chevron next to the To field — this expands additional recipient options
3. The CC and BCC fields will appear
4. Tap the BCC field and enter addresses

The exact icon or gesture can vary slightly between iOS and Android versions of the app, but the expand/collapse toggle near the To field is consistent across both platforms.

Key Differences Between BCC, CC, and To

Variables That Affect Your BCC Experience

Not every Outlook setup behaves identically. A few factors shape how BCC works in practice:

• Outlook version — Classic desktop, New Outlook, web app, and mobile all have slightly different interfaces. The BCC toggle isn't always in the same location.
• Account type — Microsoft 365 business accounts, personal Outlook.com accounts, and Exchange-connected accounts can have different default settings and admin-enforced configurations.
• Admin policies — In enterprise environments, IT administrators can restrict or modify compose window behavior through Exchange or Microsoft 365 admin settings.
• Operating system — macOS and Windows versions of desktop Outlook differ in menu structure and keyboard shortcuts.
• App version — Outlook updates frequently. UI elements can shift between major releases, so menus described here may appear slightly differently depending on when your app last updated.

Common BCC Mistakes Worth Knowing

• Replying to a BCC email — If you were BCC'd and you reply, only the original sender sees your response. But avoid "Reply All" — it can expose that you were on the thread.
• Assuming BCC is completely invisible — The sender's mail server logs typically still record BCC recipients. BCC is not encryption or full anonymization.
• Using BCC when you mean CC — If you want recipients to know about each other, CC is the right field. BCC is specifically for when that visibility isn't appropriate or needed.

How useful BCC is in your workflow — and which method of accessing it fits best — depends on which version of Outlook you're running, whether you're on desktop or mobile, and how your email account is configured.