How to Add a Signature in Gmail on Mac

Email is so popular, it would be weird to find out someone doesn’t have an electronic inbox for you to send messages to. People enjoy using Gmail because it is free and easy to set up. Not only is it favored by individuals, but businesses use it as well.

Adding a signature to your messages is a great way to personalize them. If you send tons of emails every day, having a signature also means that you don’t have to type your name every time you finish your message. Should you find yourself wondering how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac, we’re here to walk you through the process.

Benefits of Adding an Email Signature

Before getting into the steps when asking how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac, it’s helpful to know why you should consider adding this to the end of your emails. Aside from not having to type your name after you finish every email, some of the other benefits of adding an email signature include the following:

Your Signature Can Function as a Business Card

If you happen to be using your Gmail account for business, then adding a signature line allows you to share valuable information with the recipients. This might include your physical address, a phone number, or links to your website or social media accounts.

If you are wondering how to add social media icons to your email signature, don’t worry: we’ll walk you through the process!

You Make Your Emails Authentic

Pretty much everyone uses email to connect with others, including spammers. If you use email to reach out to potential clients to let them know about your business, having a signature line can prevent your email from ending up in their junk box and that you are an authentic individual who is not trying to scam them out of money.

Your Signature Makes You Recognizable

Whether you use your email for personal matters or to run your business, adding a signature can make you recognizable. If your email gets forwarded to another person, they won’t have to hunt for your information. It will be right there waiting for them and easy to access, which is why it’s beneficial to learn how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac.

How to Add a Signature in Gmail on Mac

Now that you know why you should add a signature to the bottom of your emails, you are probably asking how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac. By following the steps below, you’ll learn how to add this important element to your emails.

Step 1: Open Gmail

The first thing you’ll need to do when asking how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac is to open your Gmail account.

Step 2: Click on Settings

This is the gear icon that is located on the far-right side of your screen.

Once the drop-down menu has been opened, you’ll then need to click the “See all settings” button.

Step 3: Go to the “General” Tab

When asking how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac, the “General” tab should be the first tab that opens on your computer.

Step 4: Scroll Down to the Signature Section and Create a New Signature

This is located close to the bottom of the page. You should see the word “Signature” in bold on the left, along with a “Create new” button with a plus sign. Click that button to open a dialogue box.

You may think that this is your final signature for your email, but this is actually the name you are giving to this particular signature (you can create more than one). Once you type that in, click “Create.”

Step 5: Type Your Information in the Box

After clicking “Create,” when asking how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac, a new box will appear. Within that box, you’ll want to type the information that you want to appear at the end of your email. For sure you’ll want to include your name. You can decide if you want both your first name and last name or just your first name.

For personal emails, think about how you normally close your emails. If you end with just your first name, then this might be all that you need to include in your signature line.

If you are using your email for business purposes and you want it to look professional, then adding both your first name and last name is beneficial. That way, customers always know who you are.

You’ll also want to make sure you include your business name if you have a physical address and a phone number where you can be reached. Email is a great way to communicate, but there are times when a customer may want to talk to you directly, and having a number that is easy to find works to your advantage.

Step 6: Determine How Your Signature Will Be Displayed

Once you have typed your signature and any other information into the dialogue box, you’ll then need to determine how you want your email to be displayed.

You have the option of changing the font size and color or making the text bold, italic or underlined.

You can also choose when it is displayed.

Under the signature box, you will see “Signature defaults” and some boxes with arrows. Under “For New Emails Use,” you can choose which signature you want to appear when you draft a new email. If you only have one, that makes the decision easy.

The other box, “On Reply/Forward Use,” allows you to choose if you want to include your signature line when you respond to or forward the email to another person.

One thing to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to use this option is to think about the length of your signature. If you have multiple lines, every time you add this to an email, it will add length. This could make the chain really long or make it hard for the recipient to find the body of the message.

When wondering how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac, you might consider creating a shorter signature for responses, which would be accomplished by following the steps listed above.

The other option you have to choose from is where the signature will be placed in replies and forwards. If you click the box, your signature will come right at the end of your email reply. If you don’t click the box, your signature will be placed at the very bottom of the email chain, which could add unnecessary length and make it hard for the recipient to find your contact information when they look for it.

Step 7: Save Your Changes

When asking how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac, after creating your signature, you’ll then need to scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Save Changes” button.

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Adding an Image to Your Gmail Signature

When learning how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac, one of the things you might want to include to make it more personal is a picture. These are the steps you’ll need to follow to add an image or headshot to your Gmail signature.

Step 1: Log in to Your Gmail Account

If you aren’t already signed in, you’ll need to type in your username and password.

Step 2: Go to Settings

Once you’ve gained access to your account, you’ll then want to click on Settings. This can be found on the right side of your screen, and the icon looks like a gear.

Click on “See all settings.”

Step 3: Go to the General Tab and Look for Signature

This should be the first tab that opens on your screen, and the signature section is near the bottom.

If you have already created a signature line, you’ll need to make sure that is highlighted. For new signatures, the first thing you’ll need to do is create a new one. If you are unsure how to do this, follow the steps listed above.

Step 4: Add Your Image

Place your cursor in the dialogue box where you want your photo to appear.

Then, at the bottom of the dialogue box, you’ll notice a toolbar with various formatting options. To add an image, you’ll want to click on the photo icon. This is a dark square with mountains on the bottom.

Clicking on this will open another window, asking you where you want to upload your image from. You can choose from a web page, your photos on Google Drive, or an image stored on your computer.

Choose the location where your picture is stored and then double click on the image to upload it.

If you want to add more than one image, you can.

Step 5: Resize Your Image

The size of the image that is inserted into your signature box will depend on the size of the file. If it’s incredibly large, you’ll want to resize it.

To do this, click on the image. A menu box will appear with the following size options:

Small
Medium
Large
Original size

If you decide you don’t want this image in your email signature, this box also gives you the opportunity to remove it.

Step 6: Save Your Signature

Once you have added images to your Gmail signature, you’ll then want to scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Save Changes” button.

How to Add Social Media Icons to Email Signature

Another element you might want to add to your Gmail is small social icons for email signature. Whether you’re using your email for business or personal, if you want people to be able to find you on other sites, then adding this information is beneficial.

For the following steps, we are going to assume that you are still in your Gmail account to create your signature. If not, log in, go to Settings, go to the “General” tab, and then scroll down to the signature section.

Step 1: Click on the Image Icon

When wondering how to add social media icons to an email signature, place your cursor in the box where you want the individual social media icons to appear. Then, you’ll need to click on the image icon that appears in the toolbar at the bottom of the signature dialogue box. It is square with a dark background and mountains.

Step 2: Choose Web Address

After clicking on the image icon, a new menu will appear asking where you want to pull the image from. To add small social media icons for email signature, you’ll want to choose “Web Address (URL).”

This will open another menu asking you to “Paste an image URL here.” You will need to paste the URL for the individual social media icons for email signature. Don’t worry! We’ve included them below:

These are all small social media icons for email signature in color, so they won’t take up a lot of space but will still be visible to anyone who reads your email. Open each link in a new tab, and then copy and paste the URL into the box on your Gmail account.

Step 3: Add a Link

In addition to adding individual social media icons for email signatures, you can also add a link to your social media sites.

To do this, you’ll want to highlight the social media icon and then click on the Link button on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. It looks like a chain.

A new screen will pop up with a dialogue box asking for the “Web address.” Paste the link to your social media site here.

When you send your email to a recipient, if they want to find you on Instagram or Facebook, or wherever, all they have to do is click on the image and they’ll be taken directly to your page.

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Step 4: Save Your Changes

After you have added your small social media icons for email signature and included a link, you’ll then need to scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Save Changes.”

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How to Add a Signature in Gmail on iPhone

The instructions listed above are the steps you’ll need to take when adding a signature to Gmail using a laptop or desktop computer. If you are asking how to add a signature in Gmail on iPhone, these are the steps you’ll need to undertake:

Step 1: Open the Gmail App

When wondering how to add a signature in Gmail on iPhone, the first thing you’ll need to do is open the app on your phone.

Look for a multi-colored “M” inside a white circle.

Step 2: Go to Settings

To find Settings, you’ll need to click on the three lines found at the top of the screen. “Settings” is near the bottom of the list and has a gear icon next to it.

Step 3: Choose Your Account

After clicking “Settings,” a new menu will open, and you’ll want to click on your account name.

Step 4: Look for the “General” Section

A list of options will appear, and you’ll want to scroll down until you find the “General” section.

Step 5: Add a Mobile Signature

Under the “General” section, you should see the option to add a “Mobile signature.” Click on this, and then type the information you want to appear at the bottom of your email.

You can add more than one line by hitting the enter key on your phone’s keyboard. For business accounts, this will allow you to add more information so that customers can find you.

Step 6: Go Back to Your Inbox

After learning how to add a signature in Gmail on your iPhone, you can go back to your inbox by clicking the arrow at the top of the screen.

Making Your Gmail Personal

It doesn’t matter if you use your Gmail account for personal reasons or for business, adding a signature line is beneficial for both. If you’re wondering how to add a signature in Gmail on Mac, these are the steps you’ll need to follow: