How to Send BCC Texts With Group Blind Texting

Do you want to send a group text without your recipients seeing other contacts’ numbers and replies? Maybe you want to send your customers coupons in a single text, or maybe you want to send your employees a reminder text about an upcoming meeting. A group text would be easy for you, but you don’t want the clutter of replies and you don’t want to expose any sensitive information!

Or, maybe you just want to organize a surprise party for your friend, and using the BCC function allows you to invite guests discreetly without revealing their identities to each other! Luckily, BCC text messages are a simple solution. With the right tools, you can send BCC text messages without any hassle or worry.

In this guide, we cover how to send texts to multiple contacts without creating a group message using an iPhone or an Android device.

For businesses, a BCC text messaging app like SimpleTexting will help you easily organize your communications and stay compliant with SMS regulations.

I’ll show you how to send BCC texts using all three methods.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What Is a BCC Text?
How to Send a BCC Text
Send a BCC Text on iPhone and Android
BCC Text Message FAQs

What Is a BCC Text?

A BCC text message, also known as a mass text or a blind group text, is an SMS message that goes out to a group of contacts where only the sender can see recipients’ phone numbers and replies.

BCC stands for blind carbon copy. According to Merriam-Webster, “This meaning comes from the use of carbon paper, which was used to make copies of documents by pressing pigment onto an additional sheet of paper underneath. ‘Blind carbon copies’ were copies that didn’t let the recipient know it was a copy.”

For BCC text messages, that means:

No giant threads where everyone sees the replies.
No phone numbers shared with the whole group.

It’s like a group text message without reply all — recipients can’t see each other’s replies or phone numbers, and you respond to questions and comments one-on-one.

💡 Did you know you can personalize BCC texts? If you need to send your BCC text to a group of 1,000 people, you can make each one feel like it was sent directly to them by adding custom fields for their name. We’ll cover how in the next section.

A diagram explaining BCC text messages. There is a title "BCC text messages" at the top, followed by a definition that states it's an SMS message that goes out to a group of contacts where only the sender can see recipients’ phone numbers and replies. Below, there are three chat bubbles, each showing a personalized message with a discount code, sent to different recipients named Anna and Jax.

How to Send a Group Blind Text or BCC Text

To send a BCC text message, you’ll need a bulk messaging app. Want to test one out? Sign up for a 14-day trial of SimpleTexting (completely free, and no credit card needed).

If you like what you see after your two-week trial, sign up for a paid plan (starting at $29/month) to get full access to the features I mention in this tutorial.

Note: For now, you can follow along with the steps below and upload up to 50 contacts. Any messages you send will start with “SimpleTexting:”, but the watermark goes away after upgrading your account.

Check out the video walkthrough and written guide 👇

The video above covers exactly how to send a blind group text. Here are the key steps:

1. Gather Your List of Phone Numbers

Get your list of phone numbers together in a spreadsheet and add a header row to the top that says, “Phone Numbers.” Add additional rows for details like your contacts’ first names if you plan to personalize your texts.

A spreadsheet showing a list of contacts with columns for First Name, Last Name, Email, and Phone. This represents the data source for sending BCC text messages, where each row contains individual contact information that can be uploaded to a messaging platform for a BCC text message campaign.

Please note that just because you have a list of phone numbers, it doesn’t mean you’re in the clear to start sending BCC text messages to them.

You must follow the rules set out by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). That means obtaining express written consent (a legalese word for written permission) before a single message goes out the door.

This may sound intimidating, but our SMS compliance guide breaks down the terms you need to know and will point you toward the right resources.

2. Import Your List

Go to Contacts on the left-hand side of your SimpleTexting dashboard. Click Add contacts then follow the prompts: Drag and drop a spreadsheet list, and create a new list. For example, you may name the list “Employees.” Click Next.

After that, just map the fields you want to import and click Next. Confirm your import and agree to the terms and conditions, then click Import.

A screenshot of a user interface for managing contact lists in a messaging platform. There's a section titled "Lists" with options to add contacts or create a new list. A pop-up window titled "Map fields Step 2 of 3" shows how to map contact information fields such as first name, last name, email, and phone to the system's fields, aiding in sending BCC text messages. — It’s easy to upload your contact’s phone numbers into SimpleTexting.

3. Write Your BCC Text Message

Go to Campaigns on the left side of your dashboard. Select New. Give your message a name for your reference, then type out your group blind text message.

Example of a BCC text message in SimpleTexting software

4. Add a Personalized Custom Field to Your Message (Optional)

Because your message will go out to contacts individually, you can choose to personalize each one with your contacts’ information.

For example, if you add %%firstname%% to the beginning of your text message, it will appear on your contacts’ phones with their first names.

5. Schedule Your Message or Send It Now

You can select a specific time and date for your BCC text message to go out or send it immediately. Because our BCC text app will send the message to each person individually, replies will only go to you, the sender.

You may send the text immediately, schedule it for later, or set up recurring text messages.

Send a BCC Text Message on iPhone and Android

We covered how to text from your computer above, but you can also send a BCC text message from your iPhone or Android with the SimpleTexting mobile app.

If a BCC text message app isn’t for you, you can send blind group texts from your personal phone.

Can you BCC text messages on iPhone?

Yes, you can send BCC texts from your iPhone to up to 25 recipients. Here’s a way to send a group text without showing all recipients:

Go to Settings > Messages. Toggle the iMessage and Group Messaging settings off.
From your text inbox, tap the new message button and add your contacts in the “To” field.
Send the message. You’ll receive replies as individual messages in your inbox.

Can you BCC text messages on Android?

You can send BCC texts on an Android device, but you’ll need to download Google’s Messages app first.

In the Messages app, tap More Options (three vertical dots on the top right) and navigate to Settings > Advanced.
Go to Group messaging, and then select “Send an SMS reply to all recipients and get individual replies (mass text)”.
Send a group text as you normally would.

BCC Text Message FAQs

What phone number will my BCC text come from?

When you upgrade your SimpleTexting account, you can decide whether you want a local number, toll-free number, or dedicated short code. Already have a phone number that you’d like to send BCC text messages from? We can text-enable it without affecting your voice service.

Please note that it’s not possible to connect your personal cell phone number to SimpleTexting.

Is there a way to send a mass text individually?

You can send a mass text individually using a BCC text message app like SimpleTexting. Your recipients won’t see other contacts’ phone numbers or replies.

What is BCC in messages?

BCC stands for blind carbon copy, and it means your recipients can’t see other contacts’ phone numbers or message replies. It got its name from the early days of copy machines: You could share a document that was copied onto carbon paper, but the recipient wouldn’t know it was a copy.

Are there legal requirements for BCC text messages?

Yes, there are legal requirements you need to know if you’re going to send text messages for business. You need to have your contacts’ express written consent and include disclaimers on promotional materials for your texting program (like a social media graphic with a keyword to text in to your phone number).

Can people reply to my BCC texts?

Yes, people can reply to your BCC texts. However, this is a group text without reply all. Only the sender (you) can see replies. The best part is that all incoming SMS messages are free and appear in your SimpleTexting inbox. If you don’t want to handle replies, you can set up an away message that will respond for you.

Can I send images or pictures via MMS?

Absolutely, you can send images via MMS. When you use SimpleTexting to send BCC text messages, you can attach rich media including photos and GIFs. These messages, known as MMS, cost three messaging credits to send.

When do you need to send BCC text messages?

BCC texting is helpful in many situations! Some examples are:
– Asking questions: For example, if you need to ask your employees if someone is available to take a shift on Thursday, you can encourage them to reply to your text. With BCC texts, their replies only come to you so the group isn’t overwhelmed with messages.
– Sending alerts and notifications: Keeping customers informed is an essential part of success — BCC texting allows you to accomplish this! You can keep customers in the know about any big changes, upcoming sales or discounts, holiday hours, and more.
– Collecting feedback: Sending surveys and asking for customer feedback can help your business identify areas in need of improvement, allowing you to maximize profit and ensure your customers feel heard.
– Collecting reviews: Never underestimate the power of good reviews! Customer reviews give others solid proof that your business is as good as you say it is. You can use BCC text messages to ask customers to leave reviews of your business on search engines and social platforms like Google and Facebook.
– Sending reminders: Using BCC texting to send customers appointment reminders helps mitigate revenue loss due to missed appointments. This function even gives you the option to ask customers to confirm their appointments, giving you the opportunity to fill in gaps caused by last-minute cancellations.
– Sending promotions: Promotional messages are a great way to drive repeat business! Distributing promotions via BCC text messages is an efficient, effective method for getting customers to your store to take advantage of the deals you send their way.

Learn More About Group Texting Services with SimpleTexting

If you engage in SMS marketing for your business or organizational strategy, we highly recommend investing in a group texting service.

These services can help keep your text marketing running smoothly and fully organized. They’re also great for time-sensitive messaging like emergency text alerts or SMS marketing messages.

SimpleTexting provides powerful text messaging services for businesses. Try a 14-day trial for free today, no card required.

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This piece was originally published January 2021. It was refreshed in March 2023, and most recently in June 2023. Alfredo Salkeld contributed to this piece.

Dani Henion

Dani Henion is the content team lead at SimpleTexting and is continuously looking for ways to make text messaging strategies and tips more accessible to SMBs. When she's not writing or planning new SMS content, you'll find her decorating elaborate sugar cookies or thrifting in Atlanta.

BCC text messages: How to send a group text without sharing recipients’ phone numbers