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How to Add an Email Signature in Apple Mail (Mac, iPhone & iPad)

Add a professional email signature in Apple Mail on macOS, iPhone, and iPad. Covers rich paste, per-account signatures, and iOS formatting quirks.

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Re: Apple Mail (Mac)

Apple Mail (Mac)

Step 1

Open the Signatures settings

In Mail, click Mail in the menu bar and choose Settings (Preferences on macOS 12 and earlier), then select the Signatures tab.

Step 2

Create a new signature

Select your email account in the left column, click the + button, and give the signature a name you will recognize later, like 'Work 2026'.

Step 3

Paste the rendered signature

Open your finished signature in a browser, select everything, and copy it. Click into the signature box in Mail and paste. Pasting the rendered result from a browser preserves the layout far more reliably than pasting raw code.

Step 4

Uncheck 'Always match my default message font'

This checkbox sits below the signature editor. Leave it off, otherwise Mail overrides your signature's fonts and colors with the default message font.

Step 5

Assign it and send a test

If the signature is not attached to an account yet, drag it onto the account name in the left column. Compose a new message, pick it from the Signature dropdown, and send yourself a test.

Re: Apple Mail (iPhone & iPad)

Apple Mail (iPhone & iPad)

Step 1

Open the Settings app

Go to Settings, then tap Mail and choose Signature. On iOS 18 and later, the Mail entry sits under Settings > Apps > Mail.

Step 2

Choose per-account or all accounts

Tap Per Account if you want a different sign-off for work and personal addresses. Each account gets its own text field.

Step 3

Type or paste your signature

The iOS field is built for text, so a simple version with your name, title, and phone number is the safe bet. You can paste formatted content, but treat preserved styling as a bonus rather than a guarantee.

Step 4

Try shake to undo if formatting is lost

If a pasted signature loses its styling, shake the device right after pasting and tap Undo. This can reverse the formatting change iOS applies on paste. Results vary by iOS version, so check the result in a draft.

Step 5

Send a test email

Start a new message in the Mail app and confirm the signature appears at the bottom. Send it to yourself and check how it looks on a desktop screen too.

Re: Doing it well

Tips for Apple Mail signatures

Get the best results when setting up your email signature.

Paste from the browser, not a code editor
Apple Mail's signature box renders rich content but does not interpret raw HTML markup. Open the signature preview in Safari or Chrome, press Cmd+A then Cmd+C, and paste the rendered result into the signature field.
Watch the default font checkbox
The 'Always match my default message font' option quietly rewrites your signature's typography. If your carefully chosen colors turn into plain Helvetica, this checkbox is almost always the reason. Uncheck it and paste again.
Each device stands alone
The signature you build on your Mac does not appear on your iPhone. iOS reads its signature from the Settings app on that device, so plan on setting up the phone and tablet separately, usually with a shorter text version.
Keep images hosted and small
Use logo images served from public HTTPS URLs and keep each file under 200KB. Large or locally stored images can arrive as attachments or broken boxes for your recipients.
Preview outside Apple Mail
Apple Mail is a forgiving renderer, so a signature that looks perfect there can still break in Outlook. Send tests to a Gmail and an Outlook address before rolling the design out to anyone else.

Re: How it works

Create your signature

Step 1

Choose a template

Browse our collection of professional email signature templates. Pick the layout that fits your style.

Step 2

Enter your details

Add your name, job title, contact info, and brand colors. See a live preview as you type.

Step 3

Copy and paste

Click "Copy HTML" and paste into Apple Mail's signature settings. Done in seconds.

Re: Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Apple Mail email signatures.

Does Apple Mail support HTML signatures?+

Yes, on the Mac. The signature editor accepts rich formatted content, so paste the rendered signature from your browser and Mail keeps the table layout, colors, and links. It just does not offer a raw code view for editing markup directly.

Why does my Apple Mail signature lose its formatting?+

The usual culprit is the 'Always match my default message font' checkbox in Mail > Settings > Signatures. When it is enabled, Mail replaces your fonts and colors with the default message font. Uncheck it, re-paste the signature, and test again.

Do signatures sync from my Mac to my iPhone?+

No. Apple Mail on iOS reads its signature from the Settings app on that device, so each iPhone or iPad needs its own setup. Signatures may carry between Macs signed into the same iCloud account, but phones stay independent.

Can I paste an HTML signature on iPhone?+

You can paste, but the iOS signature field prefers plain text and often strips styling. The shake-to-undo trick restores formatting for some people. If it will not stick, use a clean text version on mobile and keep the full design on your Mac.

Where do I get the signature to paste into Apple Mail?+

Paste HTML from any generator, including BrandFooter's free one, which needs no account. Build the signature, open the preview, copy the rendered result, and paste it into the Signatures tab on your Mac.

Can different accounts in Apple Mail use different signatures?+

Yes. On the Mac, the Signatures tab lists every account in the left column, and you can attach any number of signatures to each one. On iOS, switch the Signature setting to Per Account and every address gets its own field.

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