Learn how to blind copy in Outlook using BCC. Follow simple steps for Windows, Mac, web, and mobile to hide recipient email addresses.
Have you ever needed to send the same email to several people without sharing everyone’s email addresses? It is a common situation when sending group announcements, contacting customers, or sharing an update with people who do not necessarily know one another.
Outlook has a built-in BCC (blind carbon copy) feature that lets you send an email to additional recipients without showing their addresses to everyone else. However, finding the BCC field can be confusing when it is hidden in the message window, especially if you have recently switched to New Outlook or use Outlook on the web.
If you are trying to figure out how to blind copy in Outlook, the process is straightforward once you know where to look. Let’s go through the steps for the different Outlook versions, explain how BCC protects recipient privacy, and cover what to do when the option is missing.
Quick Answer
To blind copy someone in Outlook:
- Open a new email message.
- Show the Bcc field if it is not visible.
- Enter the recipient’s email address in the Bcc field.
- Write your message and check the recipient fields.
- Select Send.
The recipient will receive the email, but their address will not appear in the normal recipient list visible to the other recipients.
The only part that changes between Outlook versions is how you display the Bcc field. In New Outlook for Windows, go to Options > Show fields > Show Bcc. In Classic Outlook, select Options > Bcc in the message window.
If those options do not match your screen, the instructions below cover the other versions.
What Is Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) in Outlook?
Before you start changing settings, it helps to understand what BCC actually does. BCC stands for blind carbon copy. It allows you to send someone a copy of an email without displaying their email address to the other recipients.
Outlook provides three main recipient fields when you compose a message:
- To: The primary recipients of your email.
- CC: People who receive a copy of the email, with their addresses visible to the other recipients.
- BCC: People who receive a copy of the email without their addresses being displayed to the other recipients.
For example, imagine you need to send an announcement to 20 customers. Adding all their addresses to the To or CC field exposes those addresses to the group. Putting the customers in BCC allows you to send the same message without displaying their email addresses to one another.
It is important to understand that BCC hides the recipient list, not the contents of the email itself. The sender can review the BCC recipients in Sent Items, and a BCC recipient can reveal their own involvement by mentioning it in a reply or forwarding the message.
What Is the Difference Between CC and BCC in Outlook?
The difference comes down to visibility. CC is useful when you want recipients to know who else received the message. BCC is useful when you need to keep the additional recipients’ addresses private.
Use CC when visibility is intentional. Use BCC when revealing everyone’s email address is unnecessary or inappropriate.
How to Blind Copy in Outlook
If you simply want to add a hidden recipient to an email, you do not need to change your account settings. You can reveal the BCC field while composing a message, enter the recipient, and send the email as usual.
The location of the BCC control depends on which version of Outlook you use.
How to BCC in New Outlook for Windows
In New Outlook, the BCC field is available from the message options.
- Open Outlook and select New mail.
- Select Options in the message window.
- Open Show fields and select Show Bcc.
- Enter the recipient’s email address in the Bcc field.
- Finish composing your email and select Send.
The BCC field will appear in the message you are composing. You can then add one recipient or several recipients without displaying their addresses to the other people receiving the message.
Microsoft’s official BCC instructions for Outlook for Windows explain this process in more detail.
How to BCC in Classic Outlook
Classic Outlook uses a different interface, so you will not necessarily see the same Show fields menu.
To add a blind copy:
- Open Classic Outlook and select New Email.
- Select the Options tab in the message window.
- Select Bcc to display the BCC field.
- Enter the intended recipient’s email address.
- Compose your message and select Send.
If you are composing your message in the Reading Pane rather than a separate window, look for the Bcc control on the message ribbon.
Once the field appears, the remaining steps are the same: enter the address, check the recipient fields, and send the email.
How to BCC in Outlook on the Web
If you use Outlook in your browser, you can send a blind copy without opening the desktop application.
Open Outlook on the web or Outlook.com and select New mail. Look for Bcc beside or near the To field, then select it to reveal the field.
Enter the recipient’s email address in that field, write your message, and select Send.
If you cannot find Bcc immediately, check the recipient controls around the To line. Microsoft’s official Outlook.com email instructions explain how to add recipients through the Cc and Bcc options.
How to BCC in Outlook for Mac
Outlook for Mac provides a Bcc control directly in the message composition window.
To use it, open a new email and look at the end of the To line. Select Bcc to reveal the field, enter the recipient’s address, and send your message.
If you use BCC frequently, you can also make the field appear by default. Open the Outlook menu, select Settings, go to Composing, and enable Show BCC field by default.
This saves you from revealing the field every time you compose an email. However, it does not automatically fill in an address.
You can find additional guidance in Microsoft’s Outlook for Mac BCC documentation.
How to BCC in Outlook Mobile
The Outlook mobile interface is smaller, so the BCC field may be tucked away with the other recipient options.
On iPhone or Android, open the Outlook app and start a new email. Expand the recipient controls and look for Show Cc and Bcc, or the equivalent option available in your version of the app.
Open the BCC field, enter the hidden recipient’s address, and complete your email.
Before sending, check that the recipient appears in BCC rather than To or CC. If your app’s menu looks different, check for updates to the interface or consult Microsoft’s Outlook email accessibility instructions.
How to Always Show BCC in Outlook
If you regularly send blind copies, opening the BCC field for every new message can become repetitive. Some Outlook versions let you keep that field visible by default.
In Classic Outlook, you can turn on BCC from the Options tab when composing a new message. In New Outlook, use Options > Show fields > Show Bcc. Outlook for Mac also provides a Show BCC field by default setting under Composing.
Outlook on the web has an Always show Bcc setting in supported interfaces. Open Settings and look in the Mail and message-composition settings for that option. Menu names can vary depending on the version and account environment.
You can refer to Microsoft’s mail settings documentation for the available options.
Can You Automatically BCC Someone in Outlook?
There is an important difference between always showing the BCC field and automatically adding someone to every email.
Keeping BCC visible simply makes the field available. You must still enter the recipient’s address yourself.
Microsoft documents an automatic CC rule for supported Classic Outlook versions, but that is not the same as automatically adding someone in BCC. Do not assume that the setting for displaying BCC will automatically copy a recipient on every outgoing message.
If you need automatic BCC functionality, check the options available for your Outlook version and account before relying on a particular workflow. Microsoft’s documentation on automatically CCing someone on every email explains the CC rule and its limitations.
Can BCC Recipients See Each Other in Outlook?
No. BCC recipients cannot see the other addresses listed in BCC through the normal recipient list of the email. This is the main reason to use blind carbon copy when sending a group message.
However, the addresses in To and CC remain visible. If you add one person to BCC but put everyone else in To, the BCC recipient will not be able to see the other BCC addresses, but they can still see the visible recipients.
Can You See BCC Recipients in a Sent Outlook Email?
If you sent the message, you can generally review its BCC recipients from Sent Items.
Open Outlook, go to Sent Items, and open the message you sent. Inspect the message header and expand its details if necessary to view the recipient information.
The exact layout depends on your Outlook version, but the sender can generally review the BCC list associated with a sent message. Other recipients do not get access to the sender’s Sent Items view.
If you are sending confidential information, remember that BCC is designed to hide email addresses from the other recipients. It does not prevent someone from forwarding the message or disclosing their own involvement.
Why Is the BCC Field Missing in Outlook?
If you cannot find BCC, it usually helps to check the interface you are using before changing any settings.
In New Outlook for Windows, open a message and select Options > Show fields > Show Bcc. In Classic Outlook, select Options > Bcc. On Mac, select Bcc at the end of the To line. In Outlook on the web, look for Bcc near the recipient fields.
If you use the mobile app, expand the recipient controls to display additional fields.
The important thing is to follow the instructions for your specific Outlook version. New Outlook and Classic Outlook do not use identical menus, and instructions for one version may not match another.
Can You Blind Copy Someone on an Outlook Calendar Invite?
Email BCC and Outlook calendar invitations work differently. Outlook does not support adding a true BCC recipient to a meeting request.
If your goal is to prevent meeting attendees from seeing the full list of invitees, New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web provide a separate option called Hide attendee list.
In a supported version, create or edit the meeting, open Response options, and select Hide attendee list if the option is available. Then complete the meeting details and send or update the invitation.
This feature is not the same as BCC in an email, and Microsoft does not offer this setting in Classic Outlook for Windows. You can find the details in Microsoft’s official guidance on BCC recipients in meeting requests.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Do I Blind Copy an Email in Outlook?
Open a new email, show the BCC field, enter the hidden recipient’s email address, and send your message. The recipient receives the email without their address being displayed to the other recipients.
What Does BCC Mean in Outlook?
BCC stands for blind carbon copy. It lets you send a copy of an email to someone without displaying their address to the other recipients.
How Do I BCC Multiple Recipients in Outlook?
Show the BCC field and enter each intended recipient’s address. Before sending, verify that the addresses you want to keep private are in BCC rather than To or CC.
Can I Add a Blind Copy in Outlook 365?
Yes. BCC is supported in Outlook for Microsoft 365, including New Outlook, Classic Outlook, Outlook on the web, and Outlook for Mac. The exact steps depend on the interface you use.
Can I Automatically BCC Every Email in Outlook?
Showing the BCC field does not automatically add an address to every message. Microsoft’s documented built-in automatic-copy rule covers CC in supported Classic Outlook versions. Check your specific Outlook setup before relying on a separate automatic-BCC solution.
Can I Blind Copy Someone on an Outlook Calendar Invite?
No. Outlook does not support a true BCC recipient on a meeting request. In New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web, Hide attendee list can help prevent attendees from seeing the full attendee list.
Wrapping Up Your Outlook Email
Blind copying someone in Outlook is a quick process once you know where to find the BCC field. Open a message, reveal the field if necessary, enter the recipient’s address, and check the recipient list before sending.
The main thing to remember is that BCC keeps recipient addresses hidden from the other recipients. It is particularly useful for group emails and announcements where sharing everyone’s contact information is unnecessary.
If you use BCC regularly, keeping the field visible by default can save a few clicks. And if you cannot find the option, make sure you are following the instructions for your Outlook version rather than relying on a different interface’s menu.
Have you had trouble finding the BCC field in Outlook, or does it appear differently in your version? Share your experience or question in the comments.
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