01
Which Outlook do you have?
- New Outlook for Windows
- The redesigned app, close to Outlook on the web. Signatures are under Settings, Accounts, Signatures, and are stored with your account.
- Classic Outlook for Windows
- The long-running desktop app with a File menu. Signatures are under File, Options, Mail, Signatures, and are stored on that computer.
- Outlook on the web
- Outlook in a browser, for Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com. Same settings as new Outlook.
- Outlook for Mac
- Outlook, Settings, Signatures.
- Outlook for iPhone and Android
- Settings, your account, Signature. Plain text only.
If you can see a File menu at the top left, you have classic Outlook. If you see a gear icon at the top right, you have new Outlook or the web version.
02
Images and formatting.
Every desktop version and the web version accept a formatted signature with images, pasted in from a signature generator. Classic Outlook sometimes pastes as plain text; using the Keep Source Formatting paste option fixes it.
The phone apps keep a plain-text signature only. There is no setting that changes this. Mail sent from Outlook on the web on your phone carries the full signature.
03
What Outlook does with animated GIFs.
Current Outlook for Windows and Mac, and Outlook on the web, play animated GIFs. Older Outlook for Windows, and any Outlook on a computer with animation effects switched off in Windows, show only the first frame.
That is why the first frame matters. Every animated signature the generator makes starts on the finished picture, so a recipient in any Outlook sees your photo complete, never a blank box.
04
One signature per account, in classic Outlook.
Classic Outlook sets the default signature for each email account separately, and keeps it on the computer it was made on. If you send from two accounts, or use two computers, set it in each. New Outlook and the web version keep it with your Microsoft account instead.