How to Add a Signature in Gmail on Desktop and Mobile

Your signature is the bit of every email that does quiet marketing for you. It tells people your name, what you do, where to find you and how to get back in touch, without you typing it out a hundred times a week. In Gmail it takes a couple of minutes to set up, though the computer and the phone app keep separate signatures, which surprises a lot of people.

Here's how Google's help says to create one on a computer, how to set different signatures for new emails and replies, and how the mobile version works.

Creating your Gmail signature on a computer

1. Open Gmail in your browser.
2. Select the Settings cog at the top right, then See all settings.
3. Stay on the General tab and scroll to the Signature section.
4. Select Create new, give the signature a name, and type your sign-off in the box. You can add an image or change the text style with the toolbar.
5. Scroll right to the bottom of the page and select Save Changes.

Forgetting that final Save Changes button is the most common reason a signature seems to vanish. It sits at the very bottom of a long settings page, well below the signature box.

What to put in a small business email signature

Keep it short and useful. Your name, your role or business name, one phone number or booking link, and your website is plenty for most people. A logo or headshot can work well, but Google's help says a signature can be up to 10,000 characters and images count toward that limit, so a giant graphic is a bad idea.

• Name and what you do, in one line.
• One way to contact you that you really check.
• Your website or booking page.
• Optionally, one small image such as a logo.

If you want your sign-off to work harder for you, my guide to using email signature marketing to grow your business covers what to add and what to leave out.

Setting separate Gmail signatures for new emails and replies

Google lets you create several signatures and choose defaults. That's handy when you want a fuller version on brand new emails and a lighter one in a back-and-forth thread.

1. Go back to Settings, See all settings, General, Signature.
2. Create a second signature with its own name.
3. Under Signature defaults, choose which one Gmail uses for new emails.
4. Choose which one it uses on reply or forward.
5. Select Save Changes at the bottom.

If you send from more than one address in the same Gmail account, the defaults area lets you pick a signature for each address too.

Switching signatures while writing a Gmail message

You aren't stuck with the default. While you're writing, select the Insert signature icon, which looks like a pen, at the bottom of the compose window. Pick a different signature from the list, or choose no signature for a quick informal note.

Adding a signature in the Gmail app on Android and iPhone

The mobile signature is separate from the one on your computer, and it's plain text. Google's help gives these routes, though the wording varies a little by app version:

• Android: open the Gmail app, tap Menu, then Settings, choose your account and tap Mobile signature. Type your signature and tap OK.
• iPhone and iPad: open the Gmail app, tap Menu, then Settings, then Signature settings. Turn on Mobile Signature and type your text.

Google also says that if you never create a mobile signature, the app uses the one you set on your computer. So if you're happy with your desktop version, you may not need to touch the app at all.

Gmail signature ideas for creators and side hustles

If you sell a service, run a small shop or post content, your signature is a free, permanent spot in front of everyone you email. A few ideas that tend to work well:

• Point to one thing at a time, such as your newest product, your booking page or your latest video, rather than a long list of every profile you own.
• Swap the line when your focus changes. It's a two-minute edit in settings, so keep it fresh.
• Use a lighter reply signature so long threads don't fill up with the same logo over and over.
• Keep the wording plain. A short line people can read on a phone beats a design that only looks right on a big screen.

Remember that your phone may be sending a plain-text version, so check how your emails look when you reply on the go.

Removing or editing a Gmail signature

1. Open Settings, then See all settings.
2. On the General tab, find the Signature section and select the signature you want to change.
3. Edit the text, or select Delete and confirm.
4. Select Save Changes at the bottom.

If your Gmail signature isn't showing up

• Check that you selected Save Changes after creating it.
• Look at the Signature defaults: if new emails are set to No signature, nothing will appear automatically.
• On your phone, check whether a separate mobile signature is overriding your computer one.
• If an image looks broken, try a smaller image, as images count toward the 10,000 character limit.

Once your signature is sorted, there are plenty of other built-in settings that save time, and I've rounded up my favourites in my guide to getting more done in Gmail without extra apps.

Frequently asked questions

How long can a Gmail signature be?

Google's help says a Gmail signature can be up to 10,000 characters, and images count toward that limit.

Can you have more than one signature in Gmail?

Yes. You can create several signatures and choose one default for new emails and another for replies and forwards.

Why doesn't my computer signature appear on my phone?

The Gmail app has its own mobile signature setting. Google says that if you never create one, the app uses the signature from your computer, so check whether a mobile signature has been set.

How do I change signature for just one email?

While writing, select the Insert signature icon, which looks like a pen, at the bottom of the compose window and choose a different one.

How do I delete a Gmail signature?

Go to Settings, See all settings, General, select the signature, choose Delete, confirm, then select Save Changes.