Creating a signature in Apple Mail

A signature in Apple Mail is a block of text that appears at the bottom of every email you send — typically your name, phone number, job title, or a closing phrase. You create it once in Apple Mail's settings, and it automatically adds itself to new messages without you typing it each time.

The process takes about two minutes and works the same way on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. You can create multiple signatures and choose which one to use for each email, or set a default that appears on all outgoing messages.

Key Takeaways

  • Signatures are created in Apple Mail's settings under Preferences (Mac) or Settings (iPhone and iPad), not in individual emails.
  • You can create as many signatures as you want and assign them to specific email accounts.
  • A signature can include text, line breaks, and basic formatting like bold or italics, but not images or links.
  • Once you set a default signature, it appears automatically on all new messages from that account.

Adding a signature on Mac

Open Apple Mail and go to the menu bar at the top. Click Mail, then select Preferences. A window will open with several tabs across the top — click the Signatures tab.

On the left side, you will see a list of your email accounts. Click the account where you want to add a signature. In the middle column, click the plus sign (+) button at the bottom. A new signature will appear with the default name "Signature 1" — you can rename it by double-clicking the name.

In the large text box on the right, type the text you want to appear in your emails. You can press Enter to create line breaks, and you can highlight text and use the Format menu to make it bold, italic, or change the font. When you are done, close the Preferences window — your signature is saved automatically.

If you created multiple signatures, you can set one as the default by clicking it and checking the box labeled Always match my preferred reply style at the bottom. If you leave this unchecked, you will choose which signature to use each time you compose a new email.

Adding a signature on iPhone and iPad

Open the Settings app on your device. Scroll down and tap Mail. Tap Signature. You will see options to set a signature per account or use the same signature for all accounts.

If you tap Per Account, you can tap each email account and type a different signature for each one. If you tap All Accounts, you type one signature that will appear on all your email accounts. Type your signature text in the box that appears, then go back — it saves automatically.

What you can and cannot include in a signature

Apple Mail signatures accept plain text and basic formatting. You can use line breaks, spaces, dashes, and asterisks to create visual separation. You can make text bold or italic by selecting it and using the Format menu on Mac, though on iPhone and iPad you are limited to plain text only.

You cannot embed images, logos, or clickable links in an Apple Mail signature. If you need those features, you will have to add them manually to each email, or consider using a different email client that supports richer formatting.

Choosing or changing your signature for individual emails

If you set a default signature, it appears automatically on every new email you compose. If you created multiple signatures and did not set a default, you can choose which one to use when you are writing an email.

On Mac, open a new message. Look at the bottom of the compose window — you will see a dropdown menu labeled Signature. Click it and select the signature you want. On iPhone and iPad, you cannot change the signature within a single email — it uses whatever signature you set in Settings.

Removing or editing a signature

To edit a signature on Mac, go back to Mail > Preferences > Signatures, click the signature you want to change, and edit the text in the box on the right. To delete it, click the signature and click the minus sign (−) button.

On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Signature and edit or delete the text directly in the box. If you are using per-account signatures, you can delete one by tapping the account and clearing the text.

Troubleshooting signatures that do not appear

If you created a signature but it is not showing up on your emails, check that you actually set it as the default. On Mac, go to Mail > Preferences > Signatures and make sure the signature is selected and the checkbox is marked. On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Signature and confirm the text is there.

If you are composing a reply to an existing email, some email clients do not add a signature automatically — you may need to add it manually. Also check that you are using the correct email account; if you set a signature for one account but are sending from a different account, the signature will not appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use different signatures for different email accounts?

Yes. On Mac, go to Mail > Preferences > Signatures, click each account in the left column, and create a separate signature for each one. On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Signature and tap Per Account to set a different signature for each email address you have set up.

Can I add a logo or image to my signature?

Apple Mail does not support images in signatures. If you need a logo or image, you will have to add it manually to each email, or use a different email client like Gmail or Outlook that allows image attachments in signatures.

How do I stop my signature from appearing on replies?

Apple Mail automatically adds your signature to replies. There is no built-in setting to turn this off for replies only. If you do not want a signature on a particular reply, you can delete it from the compose window before sending.

Will my signature appear the same way to everyone who receives my email?

Your signature will appear as plain text to most recipients. If you used bold or italic formatting on Mac, it may not display the same way depending on the email client the recipient uses. Plain text signatures are the most reliable.

Can I create a signature with multiple lines and special characters?

Yes. Press Enter to create line breaks, and you can use dashes, asterisks, underscores, and other keyboard characters to create visual separation. Just avoid copying and pasting from other programs, as formatting can sometimes cause problems.