How to Change Your Email Signature in Outlook (Desktop, Web, and Mobile)

Updating your email signature in Outlook is one of those small tweaks that makes your messages look more professional and consistent. Whether you’re adding your job title, phone number, or a legal disclaimer, Outlook gives you several ways to create and manage email signatures across devices.

This guide walks through how it works on Outlook for Windows, Mac, the web, and mobile apps, what can vary between setups, and why your ideal signature often depends on your own situation.

What an Outlook Email Signature Actually Is

In Outlook, an email signature is a block of text (and sometimes images or links) that’s automatically added to the end of your emails. It can include:

• Your name and title
• Company name and contact details
• Website links and social profiles
• Logos or banners
• Legal or compliance text

Outlook treats signatures as saved templates. You create one or more signatures, then tell Outlook:

• Which signature to use for new messages
• Which signature to use for replies and forwards
• Whether you want to insert them manually instead

The core idea is the same everywhere, but the menus and options look a bit different depending on which version of Outlook you’re using.

How to Change Your Signature in Outlook for Windows

Step 1: Open the signature settings

In the classic Outlook for Windows interface:

1. Open Outlook.
2. Go to the top left and click File.
3. Select Options.
4. In the left sidebar of the Options window, click Mail.
5. Find the Compose messages section and click the Signatures… button.

In the new Outlook for Windows (the one that looks like Outlook on the web), the steps are closer to the web version:

1. Click the Settings (gear) icon in the top right.
2. Select View all Outlook settings at the bottom.
3. Go to Mail > Compose and reply.
4. Look for the Email signature section.

Step 2: Create or edit a signature

In the Signatures and Stationery window (classic Outlook):

• To edit an existing signature:
  Select the signature name under Select signature to edit and change the content in the Edit signature box.
• To create a new signature:
  1. Click New.
  2. Give your signature a name (for example, “Work – Full” or “Personal”).
  3. Add your text in the Edit signature area.

The editor lets you:

• Change fonts, colors, and sizes
• Add bold, italics, bullets, and numbering
• Insert images (like a logo)
• Add hyperlinks to your website or social profiles

Step 3: Choose when the signature is used

Below the editor, the Choose default signature section controls when Outlook uses each signature:

• E-mail account: Choose which email account this default applies to (if you have more than one).
• New messages: Pick the signature you want added to new emails automatically.
• Replies/forwards: Pick a shorter or different signature for replies, or set it to (none).

Click OK to save your changes.

Step 4: Insert or change a signature in a specific email

While composing an email:

1. In the message window, go to the Message tab.
2. Click Signature in the ribbon.
3. Choose the signature you want, or select Signatures… to edit them.

This is useful if you maintain multiple signatures and switch based on who you’re emailing.

How to Change Your Signature in Outlook for Mac

Step 1: Go to signature settings

Outlook for Mac (New Outlook interface):

1. Open Outlook.
2. On the menu bar, click Outlook > Settings.
3. Under Email, choose Signatures.

Or in some versions:

1. Go to Preferences from the Outlook menu.
2. Select Signatures.

Step 2: Edit or create a signature

In the Signatures window:

• Click + to create a new signature.
• Double-click a signature to rename it.
• Select a signature and use the right-hand panel to edit its content.

You can format text, add links, and sometimes images, depending on your version.

Step 3: Set defaults for each account

At the bottom or side of the Signatures window, you’ll usually see Choose default signature:

• Select your email account.
• Choose which signature to use for New messages.
• Choose which signature to use for Replies/forwards.

You can also assign signatures per account in some views by:

• Right-clicking (or Control-clicking) an account and choosing Edit “ ” settings.
• Then setting the default signature there.

Step 4: Swap signatures in an email

When composing:

1. Click the Signature drop-down in the message toolbar.
2. Select a different signature to insert it.

How to Change Your Signature in Outlook on the Web (Outlook.com / Office 365)

If you use Outlook in a browser (for personal Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 work/school accounts), you change your signature in the web settings.

Step 1: Open the signature settings

1. Sign in to Outlook on the web.
2. Click the Settings (gear) icon in the top right.
3. Scroll down and click View all Outlook settings.
4. Go to Mail > Compose and reply.
5. Find the Email signature section near the top.

Step 2: Create or edit your signature

In the Email signature box:

• Edit the existing signature text, or
• Paste in a new one from another source, then adjust formatting.

You can:

• Change font style, size, and color
• Add bold, italic, underline
• Insert links and sometimes images depending on policies

Step 3: Choose automatic usage

Below the editor, you’ll see checkboxes such as:

• Automatically include my signature on new messages that I compose
• Automatically include my signature on messages I forward or reply to

Tick or untick these based on what you want. You can use a signature only for new emails, only for replies/forwards, or both.

Click Save when you’re done.

Step 4: Insert manually in a message

When composing an email:

1. Click the three dots (…) in the compose window toolbar.
2. Choose Insert signature.
3. If you have multiple signatures, you’ll see them listed to pick from.

How to Change Your Signature in Outlook Mobile (iPhone, iPad, Android)

On mobile, Outlook signatures are usually simpler. They often default to something like “Sent from Outlook for iOS” or “Get Outlook for Android.”

Step 1: Open signature settings in the app

1. Open the Outlook app on your phone or tablet.
2. Tap your profile icon or the home icon, then the Settings (gear) icon.
3. Scroll down to the Mail section.
4. Tap Signature.

Step 2: Change or remove the default text

• Edit the text to your preferred signature.
• Or clear the text if you don’t want any signature from your mobile device.

Depending on your version, you may see:

• A single global signature for all accounts, or
• An option to select an email account and set a signature for each.

Keep in mind that mobile signatures:

• Often support basic text formatting only.
• May not support images or complex layouts.
• Might be overridden by organization policies in work accounts.

Key Differences Between Outlook Versions and Why They Matter

Different versions of Outlook offer different levels of control and formatting. Here’s a quick comparison:

This affects:

• How polished your signature can look (especially with logos and styled text)
• Whether you can keep separate signatures for work and personal accounts
• How signatures sync (desktop vs web vs mobile don’t always share the same signature automatically)

What Changes Your Ideal Outlook Signature Setup

The “right” way to change and use your signature in Outlook depends on a mix of personal and technical variables.

1. Device and platform

• Desktop users can usually create more complex signatures with logos, social icons, and consistent fonts.
• Mobile users may prefer shorter, lighter signatures to keep emails readable on small screens.
• Web-only users (e.g., on shared or locked-down machines) rely on what Outlook on the web allows.

2. Account type and workplace policies

• Work or school accounts (Microsoft 365 / Exchange) may:
  • Restrict certain images or HTML
  • Add a server-side signature or disclaimer regardless of what you set in Outlook
  • Enforce a specific brand template
• Personal Outlook.com accounts are usually more flexible, letting you design what you want.

3. How many accounts you use

If you:

• Use one account for everything, you might just set a single default signature for new emails and replies.
• Separate work and personal email, you may want very different signatures:
  • Formal, detailed signature for work
  • Short, casual signature for personal
• Manage shared mailboxes, you might need signatures that reflect a team role rather than your personal details.

4. How often you reply on mobile vs desktop

• If you mostly respond on your phone, a condensed signature (“Name, role, phone”) may be better.
• If you draft detailed messages on desktop, you might want a full, branded signature on that device, and a lighter version on mobile.

5. Design and branding expectations

• Some roles or industries care about logos, consistent fonts, and full contact info in every message.
• Others prefer minimalist signatures that don’t distract from the content.
• Accessibility considerations (like readable fonts and good contrast) can also affect design choices.

Why Your Own Setup Is the Missing Piece

The steps to change your email signature in Outlook are fairly standard: go into settings, find the Signatures or Compose and reply section, edit the text, choose where it applies, and save.

What isn’t standard is:

• Whether you’re on Windows, Mac, web, or mobile
• Whether your email is personal, work, or school
• How many signatures and accounts you need
• How formal your emails have to be
• How much your organization’s policies limit what you can customize

Once you know where your version of Outlook keeps the signature settings, the rest depends on how you want your emails to look, what devices you use, and what your account will allow.