While it might not be necessary for personal emails or when you’re sharing funny cat videos with family members, a lot of Gmail users like to have an email signature for business reasons. Rather than typing out your phone number or contact information every time, Gmail will do all the legwork for you.
Since this isn’t a default option, you’ll need to head into your Gmail settings to add or change an existing Gmail signature.
How to add a signature on your desktop
Step 1: Launch your favorite browser and log into your Gmail account as you normally would.
Step 2: Next, click the Settings gear icon the upper-right corner of the screen, and then click on the See All Settings button.
Step 3: Under the General tab, scroll down until you see Signature. Click on the Create New button.
Step 4: In the dialogue box that pops up, enter a name for your new signature. Then click Create. Then, you’ll be taken back to the Settings screen, and a new text box will appear next to your signature’s name. Type your desired email signature into this text box.
Optional: Below the signature field, you’ll see a check box that allows you to add your signature before quoted text in email replies. This will make your signature more visible in email threads. It’s worth toggling on if you’re using your email for professional correspondences or if you want your signature to remain visible in follow-up messages. This section below the signature field also contains two other drop-down menu options that allow you to choose if your signature shows up in new emails or in replies and forwarded emails.
Step 5: After you’re satisfied with your signature, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save Changes button. That’s it! Your signature will now appear on all new messages and outgoing mail.
If you have an email address from Yahoo, Outlook, or another email service, you can also send emails via that address using Gmail’s Send Mail As feature. You can set that feature up from within your account settings, and once you do, you’ll be able to create a different signature for that email address. Just click the drop-down menu that appears within the Signature section of the Settings page’s General tab. You should see this menu underneath the phrase Signature Defaults. Choose your preferred email address from that menu. Then, from the drop-down menus beneath that menu, choose your preferences for new emails, replies, and forwarded emails. When you’re done, scroll down, and click Save Changes.
How to add a signature on your Android or iOS device
Keep in mind that you won’t be able to personalize this app on your mobile device to the extent that you can on your computer. Plus, the signature you set up on the app will only appear when you send email messages from that same device, so you will have to set up your signature on each device separately.
Here’s how to customize your signature via the Gmail smartphone app.
Step 1: Download the Gmail app to your phone and launch it as you would normally.
Step 2: Tap the Three Horizontal Lines (also known as the hamburger menu) in the upper-left corner.
Step 3: Tap the Settings option in the resulting pane. You’ll need to scroll down to see it.
Step 4: Select the account you want to add a signature for by tapping on the entry. Note: if you only have one email account connected, it will be your only choice.
Step 5: On your iOS device: Click Signature Settings, then hit the option to enable Mobile Signature. For Android devices: Tap on the Mobile Signature option (you can find it under the General section).
Step 6: Type your signature the way you want it.
Step 7: On iOS: When you’re finished, tap Back to save your newly-minted signature. With Android: After your signature looks exactly right, tap OK so it will save your updates.
Customizing your Gmail signature might inspire you to change other things in your Google account, like away messages, filtering, and even the look of your mailbox background. There are several other ways to customize your Google email account. For starters, check out our guide on how to change your Gmail account photo. With just a little work on your part, your Google profile will be cohesive, professional, and convenient everywhere you’re on the web.
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