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

Changing your email signature in Outlook is one of those small tweaks that makes your messages look more professional and personal. Your Outlook signature can include your name, job title, phone number, website, social links, and even a logo or photo.

Outlook doesn’t use a single, universal signature setting. Instead, the steps and options depend on which version of Outlook you’re using: desktop app, web, or mobile. Once you know where to look, it’s straightforward.

Below is a clear walkthrough of how Outlook signatures work, how to change them in different apps, and what can vary from person to person.

What an Outlook Signature Actually Is

An email signature in Outlook is a block of text (and optionally images) that Outlook automatically adds to the bottom of your emails.

You can:

  • Create multiple signatures (e.g., “Full Business Signature” and “Short Reply Signature”).
  • Choose a default signature for:
    • New messages
    • Replies and forwards
  • Use plain text, HTML styling, and sometimes images or logos.

Outlook stores signatures differently depending on the platform:

  • Windows/Mac desktop: Saved locally in your Outlook profile.
  • Outlook on the web (OWA): Saved in your Exchange/Microsoft 365 account.
  • Mobile apps: Have their own in-app signature settings.

This is why changing your signature in one place often doesn’t automatically change it everywhere.

Step-by-Step: Change Signature in Outlook on Windows

These steps are for the classic Outlook desktop app on Windows connected to an email account (Microsoft 365, Exchange, or IMAP/POP).

1. Open the signature settings

  1. Open Outlook.
  2. Go to File in the top-left corner.
  3. Click Options.
  4. In the left sidebar, choose Mail.
  5. Click the Signatures… button (usually near the “Create or modify signatures for messages” text).

This opens the Signatures and Stationery window.

2. Edit or create a signature

In the E-mail Signature tab:

  1. Under Select signature to edit, choose the signature you want to change, or click New to create one.
  2. In the Edit signature box:
    • Type or paste your new signature text.
    • Use the formatting toolbar to:
      • Change font, size, color
      • Add bold/italic
      • Insert a hyperlink (e.g., website or LinkedIn)
      • Insert a picture (such as a logo)

3. Set default signature behavior

On the right side under Choose default signature:

  • E-mail account: Pick which account this default applies to (if you have more than one).
  • New messages: Choose which signature is automatically used for new emails.
  • Replies/forwards: Choose a signature for replies and forwards (or set to (none)).

Click OK to save.

Step-by-Step: Change Signature in Outlook on Mac

If you use the Outlook app on macOS, the path is slightly different but the idea is the same.

1. Open signatures

  1. Open Outlook.
  2. In the top menu bar, click Outlook → Settings (or Preferences in some older builds).
  3. Look for Signatures and click it.

2. Edit or add a signature

In the Signatures window:

  1. Click + to create a new signature or select an existing one to edit.
  2. Type your signature in the editor.
  3. Format it using fonts, colors, links, and images as supported by your version.

3. Assign your default signature

You can usually:

  • Set a default signature per account.
  • Choose which signature appears on new messages and on replies/forwards.

Some Mac versions let you control this when composing a message: in the new email window, a Signature dropdown lets you switch between signatures or set a default.

Step-by-Step: Change Signature in Outlook on the Web (Outlook.com / Office 365)

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

1. Open mail settings

  1. Sign in to Outlook on the web in your browser.
  2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right.
  3. At the bottom of the side panel, click View all Outlook settings.

2. Go to the signature editor

  1. In the settings window, go to Mail → Compose and reply.
  2. Find the Email signature section.

3. Create or edit your signature

  • Type or paste your signature into the editor.
  • Format with bold, color, links, and images if allowed.
  • Web Outlook usually supports HTML formatting similar to the desktop app.

4. Choose when it applies

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

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

Select or clear these checkboxes based on how you want Outlook to behave, then click Save.

This signature is stored in the cloud and used whenever you send mail from Outlook on the web, but not automatically in the desktop or mobile app unless those apps are specifically using the same cloud-based signature feature (which varies by version and account type).

Step-by-Step: Change Signature in Outlook Mobile (iOS and Android)

Outlook’s mobile apps handle signatures separately, and often more simply, than the desktop and web apps.

1. Open signature settings in the app

  1. Open the Outlook app on your phone or tablet.
  2. Tap your profile icon or the three-line menu (top-left).
  3. Tap the gear icon (Settings), usually near the bottom.
  4. Look for Signature in the settings list and tap it.

2. Edit or replace the default text

By default, many Outlook mobile apps use something like:

Sent from Outlook for iOS
or
Sent from Outlook for Android

In the Signature field:

  • Delete the default text.
  • Type your preferred signature (often a shorter version of your desktop signature because of screen size).
  • Some versions support basic formatting and links, others are plain text only.

Changes here apply only to emails you send from the mobile app.

How Outlook Signatures Differ by Platform and Setup

Not every Outlook environment behaves the same. Several variables affect how you change and use signatures.

Key variables that change the experience

  1. Outlook version and interface

    • Classic Outlook for Windows/Mac vs the new Outlook vs web vs mobile.
    • The exact menu names and locations can shift with updates.

  2. Account type

    • Microsoft 365/Exchange accounts (work/school email) often have:
      • Admin-controlled policies
      • Server-side signatures or add-ons
    • Outlook.com personal accounts:
      • Simpler settings, fewer restrictions.
    • IMAP/POP accounts:
      • Signatures are entirely managed on the local Outlook client.

  3. IT and admin policies

    • In organizations, admins might:
      • Enforce a standardized company signature.
      • Add signatures at the server level to all outgoing mail.
      • Lock down signature editing or limit formatting.

  4. Rich HTML vs plain text

    • Some setups use HTML signatures (with logos, colors, links).
    • Others prefer or enforce plain text for simplicity or security.
    • If you send emails as plain text, your rich formatting won’t appear.

  5. Device ecosystem

    • Using multiple devices (desktop, laptop, phone, web) can mean:
      • Different signatures on each device.
      • Some devices using cloud-based signatures, others using local ones.
    • Copying a signature between devices sometimes requires manual steps.

Common Signature Setups and How They Differ

Different users end up with very different signature setups, even though they’re all “just using Outlook.” Here’s what that spectrum can look like.

1. Simple personal email user

  • Typical setup:
    • One Outlook.com or personal email account.
    • One device (e.g., laptop) and occasional phone use.
  • Signature style:
    • Name, maybe a phone number.
    • Short, text-based, minimal formatting.
  • Behavior:
    • A single default signature for all new emails.
    • Often no signature on replies.

This person usually only needs to change the signature in one place and isn’t worried about branding or consistency across platforms.

2. Professional individual (freelancer, consultant)

  • Typical setup:
    • One Microsoft 365 or custom domain account.
    • Uses Outlook on desktop, web, and mobile.
  • Signature style:
    • Name, role, company, phone.
    • Website, LinkedIn, maybe a logo.
  • Behavior:
    • Full signature on new messages.
    • Shorter version on replies and mobile messages.

They often care about consistency across devices, but may accept a simpler signature on mobile for convenience.

3. Corporate or enterprise user

  • Typical setup:
    • Company-managed Microsoft 365 or Exchange account.
    • Outlook on work PC, possibly on mobile.
  • Signature style:
    • Standardized company format.
    • Legal disclaimers, compliance text.
  • Behavior:
    • Signatures sometimes injected server-side by IT.
    • Local editing may be partly or fully restricted.

Here, how you change your signature can be limited or controlled by corporate policy, and not everything is editable from within Outlook itself.

4. Power user with multiple accounts

  • Typical setup:
    • Several email accounts (work, side project, personal).
    • All added to one Outlook profile.
  • Signature style:
    • Different branding/info for each account.
  • Behavior:
    • Multiple signatures tied to specific accounts.
    • Per-account default signatures for new messages and replies.

Changing the signature in this setup isn’t just about the text—it’s also about making sure each account sends the right signature automatically.

Other Details That Matter When You Change Your Signature

When you update your Outlook signature, a few less obvious factors can affect how it looks and behaves:

  • Copying formatting from Word or a website

    • Pasting directly can carry over hidden code.
    • This can cause weird spacing, mismatched fonts, or broken formatting in recipients’ email clients.

  • Images and logos

    • Some recipients see these as attachments.
    • If hosted online, the images may be blocked unless the recipient allows external content.
    • If embedded, they can increase message size.

  • Dark mode and accessibility

    • Light-colored text might be hard to read in dark mode.
    • Multiple fonts and colors can reduce readability.
    • Simple, high-contrast formatting is more reliable across devices and themes.

  • Plain-text recipients

    • Some email clients or settings strip all formatting.
    • Your fancy design will collapse to simple lines of text.

  • Language and region

    • Titles, contact info format (e.g., phone number notation), and legal footers can differ by region or profession.

All of these influence how your changed signature will appear to the people you email, not just how it looks on your own screen.

The Missing Piece: Your Outlook Environment and Needs

The mechanics of how to change the signature in Outlook are mostly about finding the right settings menu in your version—desktop, web, or mobile—and editing the text and defaults.

What changes more from person to person is:

  • Which Outlook version and interface you’re actually using.
  • Whether your email is personal, professional, or corporate-managed.
  • How many accounts and devices you use Outlook on.
  • Whether you need rich branding, simple contact info, or company-compliant legal text.
  • How important consistency across devices is to you vs. keeping each device’s signature short and minimal.

Once you know those details about your own setup, the same core tools in Outlook—signature editors and default signature options—can be adapted to match exactly how you want your messages to look.