Add a signature to any email account in Apple Mail
A signature in Apple Mail is a block of text that appears at the bottom of every email you send from a particular account. You set it up once in Mail's settings, and it attaches automatically to outgoing messages. On Mac, you can create different signatures for different accounts, and choose which one appears on each email. On iPhone and iPad, you get one signature per account.
The process takes about two minutes and requires no special software or downloads. You will need access to your Mac, iPhone, or iPad and the Mail app that comes built into Apple devices.
Key Takeaways
- Signatures are created in Mail settings, not in individual emails, and they attach automatically to every message you send from that account.
- On Mac, you can create multiple signatures per account and choose which one to use on each email, or set one as the default.
- On iPhone and iPad, you can only set one signature per email account, and it appears on every outgoing message automatically.
- A signature can include your name, job title, phone number, website, or any other text you want to appear at the bottom of your emails.
- You can edit or delete a signature at any time by returning to Mail settings.
How to add a signature on Mac
Open the Mail app and click Mail in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions of macOS). Click the Signatures tab.
On the left side of the window, you will see a list of your email accounts. Click the account you want to add a signature to. Below that, you will see a plus sign (+) button. Click it to create a new signature. A text field will appear where you can type your signature text. Give your signature a name in the field at the top — something like "Work" or "Professional" — so you can identify it later if you create more than one.
Type the text you want to appear in your emails. This can be your name, title, phone number, website, or any combination. When you are finished, close the Settings window. The signature is now saved and will appear automatically on emails you send from that account.
How to add a signature on iPhone or iPad
Open the Settings app on your device (not the Mail app). Scroll down and tap Mail. Tap Signature. You will see a list of your email accounts.
Tap the account you want to add a signature to. A text field will appear. Type the signature text you want to use. When you are finished, tap Back or swipe back to return to the previous screen. The signature is now saved. Every email you send from that account will include this signature at the bottom.
Set a default signature on Mac when you have multiple
If you created more than one signature for the same account, you can choose which one appears by default on new emails. Open Mail, go to Mail > Settings > Signatures, and click your account name on the left.
Look for the dropdown menu that says Choose Signature or Default Signature. Click it and select the signature you want to use most often. When you compose a new email from that account, this signature will appear automatically. You can still change it to a different signature before sending if you need to — just click the signature area at the bottom of the compose window and select a different one from the dropdown.
Edit or remove a signature
To change a signature you have already created, open Mail settings and navigate to the Signatures tab (Mac) or Settings > Mail > Signature (iPhone or iPad). Find the signature you want to edit and click or tap it. Make your changes to the text and close the settings window. The changes take effect immediately on new emails.
To delete a signature on Mac, go to Mail > Settings > Signatures, click your account, click the signature you want to remove, and click the minus sign (−) button. On iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Mail > Signature, tap your account, delete all the text in the signature field, and tap Back. The signature is now removed and will no longer appear on outgoing emails.
Troubleshoot a signature that is not appearing
If you created a signature but it is not showing up on your emails, first check that you created it for the correct account. Open Mail settings and verify the signature is listed under the account you are sending from. On Mac, also check that the signature is set as the default or that you selected it when composing the email.
If the signature still does not appear, quit the Mail app completely and reopen it. On Mac, click the Mail menu and select Quit Mail. On iPhone or iPad, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to close the app, then tap the Mail icon again. This refreshes the app and often resolves display issues. If you are still having trouble, restart your device.
Use different signatures for different accounts
If you have multiple email accounts set up in Mail, you can create a unique signature for each one. On Mac, click each account name in the Signatures settings and create a signature for that account separately. Each signature will appear only on emails sent from its corresponding account.
On iPhone and iPad, you can only set one signature per account, so if you have three email accounts, you will have three different signatures — one for each. When you compose an email, the signature for that account will appear automatically based on which account you are sending from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I include formatting like bold text or colors in my signature?
On Mac, you can use basic formatting like bold, italic, and underline. Highlight the text you want to format, then use the Format menu or keyboard shortcuts (Command+B for bold, Command+I for italic). On iPhone and iPad, Mail does not support formatting in signatures, so your text will appear in plain format only.
Can I add an image or logo to my signature?
On Mac, you can paste an image into the signature field. Copy the image you want to use, click in the signature text field, and paste it. On iPhone and iPad, you cannot add images to signatures through the Settings app. If you need an image in your signature on mobile, you will have to add it manually to each email before sending.
What happens to my signature if I delete an email account?
When you remove an email account from Mail, its signature is deleted automatically. If you add that account back later, you will need to create a new signature for it. The old signature is not recovered.
Can I use different signatures for replies versus new emails?
Mail does not have a built-in option to use different signatures for replies and new messages. The same signature will appear on all outgoing emails from that account. If you need different signatures for different types of messages, you will have to change the signature manually before sending each email on Mac, or edit it after it appears.
Why is my signature appearing twice on forwarded emails?
When you forward an email, Mail may add your signature to the forwarded message, resulting in two signatures if the original sender also had one. This is normal behavior. If you want to remove the duplicate, edit the email before sending and delete the extra signature text manually.