SMS is a highly effective channel for personal and business communications. As texts are transmitted over telephone networks, they can reach people all over the world at lightning speed, even those in areas without internet access. Its exceptional open and response rates – 98% and 45%, respectively – and unique power to drive recipients into taking action further add to its appeal.
SMS is frequently used for marketing communications, such as introducing a new product or promoting a flash sale. It's also ideal for responding to specific customer interactions, like sending a confirmation when a customer places an order or issuing a PIN code following a 2FA login request. Many businesses also use SMS internally to convey urgent or time-sensitive messages. It's great for teams of remote workers who need a reliable channel while out on the road travelling to different appointments and destinations.
Can you send a text to multiple people at once? Sure – easily. But how do you send mass texts individually? Sometimes, you might want to be discreet and not want recipients to know you've sent the same text to a bunch of them. This concept is common in personal and business emails and can be achieved by adding recipients' email addresses to the BCC field. But can you BCC a text? Yes, absolutely!
Business texts are often sent to large groups of people at once, quickly and efficiently, via a BCC text message that complies with international privacy laws. This article explains how a BCC group text works in both personal and professional SMS messaging and how you can send one using the right app or platform.
What are BCC text messages?
BCC text messages are mass text messages sent to multiple people in a group, but no one can see the list of recipients, only the sender. It looks to each person as though they've received a one-to-one text message. The concept is similar to the BCC feature in emails. BCC is short for 'Blind Carbon Copy,' so BCC text messages are often referred to as blind texts.
A BCC text message isn't the same as a group text on WhatsApp or Messenger. With the latter, the messages aren't 'blind', and each group member can see all other participants' identities and responses.
How do you send a mass text without group messaging?
As a business, it's a legal requirement to keep your customers', prospects', and employees' data safe at all times. A professional mass texting service like Messente allows you to send BCC text messages while ensuring privacy and anonymity for you and all the groups you need to contact.
You can also send a mass text individually on Android and iPhone. Let's discuss in detail all the methods to discreetly text multiple people.
How to send BCC text messages on your personal phone
It is possible to send a BCC text message from your personal Android or iPhone device using the native text messaging app. However, there's often a limit to the number of contacts you can add to the group (one Apple forum discussion suggests the limit is 32 for iMessage chats; some articles suggest that it is even lower: 25 contacts per blind group message). You also have to make sure that your phone is configured correctly so that no members can see each other's replies.
Let's go over some specific processes and tricks to help you with BCC texting on both Android and iOS phones.
How to send a BCC text on an Android phone via SMS
Sending a BCC text message on an Android phone isn't a built-in feature, but there are a few workarounds you can use, depending on which SMS messaging app is natively available on your device.
Since many users prefer using Google Messages for their SMS texting needs, we'll use that as an example. Here's a quick step-by-step process you can use to send a group text and hide the recipients from each other.
Open your Messages app.
Tap the user account icon in the top right corner.
Go to Messages settings.
Tap the phone number you are using (it might appear as your carrier's name right below the General option).
Tap Group messaging.
Select the option 'Send an SMS reply to all recipients and get individual replies (mass text)'.
And that's it! You can then simply compose a new SMS, select the multiple recipients you want to send the mass text individually to, and hit send.
How to send BCC texts on an iPhone via SMS
On iPhones, too, the native Messages app doesn’t support actual BCC texting, unlike email. But you CAN send a blind text by configuring the messaging settings correctly.
Go to Settings.
Scroll down and tap Messages.
Toggle "iMessage" off.
Scroll down to SMS/MMS.
Toggle “Group Messaging” off.
Following these steps will disable the default iMessage protocol and enable SMS, regardless of whether a selected recipient is using an iOS device. It will ensure that each intended recipient receives your SMS message individually without finding out who else you sent the SMS to, and you will also get individual, private replies instead of creating a group message.
How to send a group text without showing all recipients on iPhone or Android using an OTT messaging app
If you want a more seamless BCC texting experience, consider using an OTT (Over-the-Top) messaging app like WhatsApp, Signal, Viber, or Telegram. Many of these apps come with built-in BCC texting features, albeit known by different names, that give you the ability to send text messages to multiple people without showing the recipients' contact details to each other.
On Viber, for instance, you can simply create a Broadcast List, compose your message, and send it out. Each customer will receive the message as if it were sent only to them. Their replies will come to you via their individual chats, too. No group will be formed, and nobody will know that other people were sent the same initial message.
Using these apps for personal texting can save you from SMS charges. Plus, they provide rich messaging options that allow you to share photos, videos, stickers, and more.
How to send a blind group text message using an SMS platform like Messente
For professional bulk messaging campaigns that require large volumes of outbound texts, it's best to use an SMS provider. Here's how you can blind copy a text when you use a professional service for business communication.
1. Create an account
Once you've researched the best SMS provider for your needs, create an account with them. With Messente, you can sign up to get started with your BCC campaigns.
Once you've signed up, you can log in through the dashboard.
2. Set up your account
The next step is to set up your sender ID. This can be your business phone number, a random long code number, a short code, or a branded phrase/name. With Messente, you can request multiple sender IDs to be assigned to your account at no additional cost if you need to use different ones for specific audience groups.
3. Add your contacts
Messente offers a 'Phonebook' feature within the dashboard where you can upload CSV files to add phone numbers for audience groups (a helpful feature for blind texting). Alternatively, you can manually enter all your recipients' phone numbers in the 'To' field when composing a text message.
4. Write your text message
Next, you'll write the content for your BCC text message. You won't have room to write reams of text, so make the wording succinct and impactful. Use simple and clear language and include a call-to-action if you need the recipient to do something after reading (click a link, etc.). Check out these handy tips for writing texts that resonate.
5. Personalise your message
Providing your CSV files contain field headers and the data is formatted correctly (assigned to the right fields), you should be able to personalise your BCC text message using your recipients' first name, last name or any other identifying variables. You can even add titles if your message needs to be formal.
6. Send your message
The final step is to send your mass text messages immediately or save them for later. With Messente, you can schedule messages for a specific day and time in future. This allows you to send texts at optimal times or plan ahead for a seasonal marketing campaign. Before you click 'send', choose the correct sender ID from the 'To' field (if using multiple sender IDs).
How do you get replies to a BCC group message?
Not all texting platforms allow replies to bulk texts. This can be down to a restriction with the type of sender ID you're using, or it could be a premium feature that you need to pay extra for. It may also be a feature that the platform simply doesn't support.
If your chosen platform does support replies to BCC text messages, each response will be delivered to your SMS inbox separately from individual recipients. Other recipients won't see any replies from any member of your contact group, and everybody's identity will be safely preserved.
Five popular mass text use cases
BCC text messaging is useful in the following situations (feel free to copy and paste these examples to use in your own bulk texting campaigns):
New product or service launch announcement
Example:
Just landed! 🌞 Keep cool with our new summer styles, Lyla! To keep things simple, get free delivery until Monday. [URL]
Event reminder
Example:
Hi Mica, just to remind you about your dentist appointment at 10am on 03/03/23. Need to rearrange? Change this appointment online: [URL]
Gathering survey responses
Example:
Hey Tomas, were you satisfied with your recent customer service experience? Help us improve by completing this two-minute survey. [URL]
Text-to-vote campaign (requires two-way messaging)
Example:
We're giving $3,000 to our local primary school. Reply 'A' if we should fund a new school library. Or 'B' to help with new playground equipment.
Time-sensitive offer or flash sale
Example:
Hi Lisa, get 50% off all winter boots – offer expires 12 noon Sunday! Limited stock available; hurry so you don't miss out: [URL]
Get started with blind texting to a mass audience
SMS is ideal for various business communications, including marketing and transactional messages. You now know what BCC means in texting, and how you can send blind texts using various platforms and services.
With a BCC text message, you can broadcast to a large audience group while hiding recipients' identities and responses; it's like individual messages are sent to each person.
It's best to use a professional mass text app such as Messente for BCC texting. This way, you can keep your recipients' data anonymous, reach vast audiences simultaneously, and segment your audience better for more personalised messages.
Get started with Messente today – get in touch.
