What blind copy does and when to use it

Blind copy (BCC) sends a copy of your email to someone without letting the other recipients know they received it. When you put an address in the BCC field, that person gets the full email, but their address does not appear in the message header — so the main recipients and anyone else on the email cannot see that they were included.

Use BCC when you need to loop someone in without announcing it to the group. Common situations include sending a copy to your manager or a record-keeping address, protecting privacy when emailing a large group, or documenting a conversation for your own files. BCC is not the same as CC (carbon copy), where everyone can see who else received the message.

One important note: BCC does not hide the fact that an email was sent or create a secret. The person in BCC can still read and forward the entire message. It only hides their address from the visible recipient list.

Key Takeaways

  • BCC hides a recipient's address from all other people who received the email, though the BCC recipient still sees the full message and can forward it.
  • Most email services require you to enable or unhide the BCC field before you can use it, since it does not appear by default in the compose window.
  • BCC is useful for protecting privacy when emailing groups, keeping a record with a separate account, or looping in a manager without announcing it to colleagues.
  • Never use BCC to deceive someone about who is reading their email — use it only when there is a legitimate reason the other recipients should not see that address.

How to find and use BCC in Gmail

In Gmail, the BCC field is hidden by default. Open a new email and look for the "To" field at the top. Click the small arrow or chevron next to "To" — this expands the full recipient options. You will see "To", "Cc", and "BCC" fields appear.

Click in the BCC field and type the email address you want to blind copy. You can add multiple addresses separated by commas. The BCC field stays visible for the rest of your compose session, so you do not have to unhide it again for that email. When you send, the BCC recipients receive the email but their addresses remain hidden from the To and Cc fields.

How to find and use BCC in Outlook

Outlook shows the BCC field by default in the desktop version. When you open a new email, you will see "To", "Cc", and "BCC" fields already visible in the compose area. Click in the BCC field and type the addresses you want to include.

In Outlook on the web, the BCC field is hidden by default. Open a new email and look for the "To" field. Click the dropdown arrow next to "To" or look for a "Cc" option — clicking it will reveal both the Cc and BCC fields. Type your BCC addresses and send as normal.

How to find and use BCC in Apple Mail

In Apple Mail on Mac, open a new message and look at the top of the compose window. You will see "From", "To", "Cc", and "Subject" fields. The BCC field is hidden by default. Click the "View" menu at the top of your screen, then select "Message" and look for an option that says "Show BCC Field" or similar wording (the exact text varies by macOS version).

Once you enable it, the BCC field appears in your compose window and stays visible for future emails. Type the addresses you want to blind copy and send the message. On iPhone and iPad, Mail does not offer a BCC option in the standard compose interface — you would need to use a third-party email app if BCC is essential for your workflow.

How to find and use BCC in other email services

Most web-based email services follow a similar pattern. Yahoo Mail, ProtonMail, and other providers typically hide BCC by default. Look for a link or button near the "To" field that says "Add Cc/BCC", "Show BCC", or "More options". Clicking it reveals the BCC field where you can type addresses.

If you use a desktop email client like Thunderbird or eM Client, the BCC field is usually visible by default in the compose window. Check your email service's help documentation if you cannot locate the BCC option — the exact steps vary slightly depending on which program or service you use.

What happens after you send a BCC email

Once you send an email with BCC recipients, those people receive a copy that looks like it was sent to them directly. They see the To and Cc fields as you wrote them, but they do not see their own address listed anywhere in the message header. The main recipients see only the To and Cc fields — they have no way to know a BCC was used unless you tell them or the BCC recipient forwards the message to them.

The BCC recipient can forward, reply, or take any other action with the email just like a regular recipient. BCC does not restrict what they can do with the message — it only hides their address from the visible recipient list at the moment of sending.

Common mistakes and best practices

The most common mistake is forgetting that BCC recipients can still see and forward the entire email. If you are using BCC to keep something confidential, remember that the BCC person has full access to the message and can share it. BCC is not encryption or a security feature — it is only a visibility tool.

Another mistake is using BCC to hide someone's involvement in a way that could be deceptive. If you BCC your manager on an email to a colleague without the colleague knowing, and they later find out, it can damage trust. Use BCC for legitimate reasons: protecting privacy in group emails, keeping records, or looping in someone who needs context without cluttering the recipient list.

Best practice is to be transparent about why you are using BCC when the situation calls for it. If you are BCCing a manager, you might mention it to the manager beforehand. If you are using BCC to protect privacy in a large group email, that is straightforward and does not require explanation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the BCC recipient tell that they were blind copied?

No. The BCC recipient sees the email as if it was sent to them directly. They see the To and Cc fields, but their own address does not appear anywhere in the message header. They would only know they were BCC'd if you told them or if they compared notes with someone else on the email.

What is the difference between CC and BCC?

CC (carbon copy) shows the recipient's address to everyone who received the email. BCC (blind copy) hides the recipient's address from everyone else. Use CC when you want transparency about who is looped in. Use BCC when you want to include someone without announcing it to the main recipients.

Can I BCC someone on a reply to an existing email thread?

Yes. When you reply to an email, the BCC field works the same way — you can add addresses and they will receive your reply without appearing in the recipient list. The BCC recipient sees only your reply, not the earlier messages in the thread, unless you include them in the message body.

Is BCC secure or private?

BCC is not a security or privacy feature. It only hides an address from the visible recipient list. The BCC recipient receives the full email and can forward it to anyone. If you need to keep an email truly private or encrypted, use email encryption tools instead of relying on BCC.

What happens if I BCC someone and they reply?

Their reply goes only to you, not to the original To and Cc recipients, unless they manually add those addresses. The BCC recipient is not automatically added to the reply chain — they only received the original email you sent.