Gmail signature not showing? Here is how to fix it

You set up a Gmail signature, saved it, and now it is not appearing. Or it shows on your desktop but not on your phone. Or it shows on new emails but disappears on replies. Here is how to diagnose and fix each scenario.

Signature not showing at all (desktop)

1. Go to Settings → See all settings → General and scroll to Signature.
2. Confirm your signature exists and is assigned under Signature defaults. There are two dropdowns: one for new emails, one for replies. Both default to "No signature" even after you create one — you have to set them manually.
3. Click Save Changes at the very bottom of the settings page. Changes are not autosaved.

Signature not showing on mobile (iOS or Android)

The Gmail mobile app has its own separate signature setting. Your desktop signature does not sync to it automatically.

1. Open the Gmail app and tap the hamburger menu → Settings → your account.
2. Tap Signature settings and toggle it on.
3. Type or paste your signature text. Note: the mobile app only supports plain text, not formatted HTML.

If you want a rich HTML signature on mobile, some third-party apps (like Spark or Canary Mail) support it, but the native Gmail app on iOS and Android does not.

Signature missing on replies only

Check the second dropdown in Signature defaults: it controls whether your signature appears on replies and forwards. By default it is set to "No signature." Change it to your signature and save.

Signature shows in compose but not in sent mail

This is almost always a sync delay. Sent mail typically updates within a few minutes. If the issue persists, try composing a new email and checking that the signature loads before sending.

Signature is there but looks wrong (broken formatting)

Gmail strips many CSS properties when rendering signatures. Common culprits:

• Background colors on the signature block — Gmail does not render background-color on divs reliably
• Custom fonts — Gmail replaces them with system fonts; stick to Arial, Georgia, or Verdana
• Large images — Gmail downsizes images and may not show them if they exceed its size limits
• Animations — CSS animations are stripped; use animated GIFs for moving elements

Signature appears to recipients but not in your compose window

Some browser extensions — particularly ad blockers, email trackers, or signature management extensions — hide the signature preview in the compose window. Try disabling extensions and reloading Gmail.

Signature was working and suddenly stopped

If your signature worked before and stopped after a browser or app update, the most reliable fix is to delete the signature, create a new one, re-assign it in the defaults, and save again. Gmail occasionally loses the default assignment after certain account changes.