Why do people include 'Sent from my iPhone' in email copy?

Key findings

• Default setting: The signature's origin is Apple's default setting for its Mail app on iOS devices. Many users simply don't change it.
• Implied urgency: It suggests the sender is mobile and responding quickly, setting an expectation for brevity or informality from the recipient.
• Apology for errors: Many interpret it as a subtle pre-apology for typos, grammatical errors, or formatting issues that might arise from typing on a small screen.
• Status symbol: Historically, it could also function as a subtle indicator of ownership of a premium Apple device.
• Recipient engagement: While not a direct deliverability factor like email authentication, it can subtly influence how recipients perceive the sender's professionalism and care.

Key considerations

• Professional image: In formal business communication, a generic mobile signature can detract from a professional image. Consider if your email content aligns with this.
• Branding impact: It's a missed opportunity to include consistent branding, contact details, or other important information found in a custom signature.
• Customization: The signature is easily changeable in iPhone settings, allowing users to replace it with a more appropriate one.
• Recipient expectation management: Some users intentionally keep it to manage recipient expectations about response quality or length.
• Perceived laziness: A generic signature can sometimes be perceived as a lack of attention to detail or laziness, particularly in professional contexts, as discussed by MEL Magazine.

Key opinions

• Unprofessional appearance: Many marketers view it as unprofessional for business communications, especially if it's a mass email or a formal response.
• Branding inconsistency: It disrupts consistent branding, which is critical for marketing efforts.
• Perceived inauthenticity: If a long, complex email with an unsubscribe link contains this signature, it can appear disingenuous, leading to a loss of trust.
• Recipient impression: The signature can create a negative or ambivalent first impression, which is vital for new customer interactions.
• Lost opportunity: It's a missed chance to utilize the email signature for marketing purposes, such as links to social media or a company website.

Key considerations

• Audience and context: Marketers must consider whether the informality of a mobile signature aligns with the audience and the message's purpose. Internal communications might differ from external ones.
• Brand guidelines: Companies should have clear guidelines for email signatures to ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints.
• Signature customization: Encouraging or enforcing custom signatures is essential for maintaining a professional appearance and can prevent deliverability issues related to poor presentation.
• User training: Educating employees, particularly those in sales or client-facing roles, on the importance of professional email signatures can improve overall brand perception.
• Reputation building: A polished signature contributes to a positive sender reputation and trust, even in subtle ways.

Key opinions

• Reputation implications: While not causing direct deliverability issues, a consistently unprofessional signature can subtly degrade sender reputation over time due to negative recipient perception.
• Trust signals: Every element of an email contributes to recipient trust. A generic signature can signal a lack of attention to detail or brand legitimacy.
• Branding for recognition: Experts emphasize that consistent branding, including signatures, helps recipients quickly identify legitimate senders, reducing the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.
• Beyond technical checks: Even with perfect technical email authentication, an unprofessional appearance can still impact engagement and deliverability.
• Educating senders: Promoting proper email etiquette and signature management is a key part of maintaining good sender hygiene, reducing the chance of unwanted recipient actions.

Key considerations

• Sender reputation management: Monitor domain reputation as part of a holistic deliverability strategy, noting how even subtle content choices can affect recipient behavior.
• Policy enforcement: Organizations should implement policies for consistent email signatures across all employees and devices.
• Mobile optimization: Focus on ensuring emails are mobile-responsive and easy to read on small screens, so the signature isn't an implicit excuse.
• Perception of spam: An unprofessional signature might contribute to a recipient's decision to mark an email as spam, even if it passes technical spam filters.
• Professional standards: For serious email programs, all elements, including signatures, should align with professional standards. This contributes to overall brand credibility.

Key findings

• Default signature setting: iOS Mail app automatically applies "Sent from my iPhone" as a signature unless manually altered by the user.
• User customization: Documentation provides clear steps for changing or removing this default signature within the device's Mail settings.
• HTML support: Many mobile email clients support HTML signatures, allowing for more complex formatting and branding than plain text.
• Device-specific settings: Signatures are typically configured per device and often do not sync automatically across multiple devices or email clients.
• Account-level signatures: Signatures can often be set per email account configured on the device, allowing for different signatures for personal and professional addresses.

Key considerations

• Ease of modification: Documentation confirms that modifying the signature is a straightforward process within the iPhone settings.
• Cross-platform consistency: Users should be aware that signatures set on one device may not carry over to others, requiring manual setup for uniformity. This is key for consistent sender identification.
• Formatting limitations: While HTML is supported, complex designs might not render identically across all mobile and desktop email clients.
• Mobile versus desktop signature: Users can set different signatures for new messages and replies, and also distinguish between mobile and desktop signatures.
• Accessibility of settings: The relevant settings are found under Settings > Mail > Signature on iOS devices.