There was a time when “Sent from my iPhone” and “Sent from my iPad” were considered ostentatious, an act of pretension. But it’s also a deliberate exercise – you can delete it, after all – in short, concise grammar. One of the most subtle marketing strategies in the history of modern computing.
Ever since the first iPhone launched in late 2007, we’ve been living with this recurring refrain that provides some private information but also reminds us, in a polite way, that we’re using a specific device. It expresses commitment, responsibility and ubiquity. Talk about a time and a context. There is much more literature between the lines than a simple “bye”.
This is something researchers Caleb T. Carr and Chad Stefaniak have confirmed. While looking for the conceptual author of this idea, I came across an academic article that caught my attention: “The medium and the message as keys to the professionalism of the sender in mobile telephony”. But before continuing here, where did the idea for ‘Sent from my iPhone’ come from?
The author of ‘Sent from my iPhone’
The mastermind or originator of this idea is none other than the internal development team. Apple’s marketing department has nothing to do with it. Every smartphone goes through five key stages: prototyping, EVT (engineering team validation), DVT (final design), PVT (product validation) and launch pad.
It was in the penultimate where that key chord was given, this moment when it is confirmed which applications will be compatible, which will be installed as standard. This is also the last iteration of forward testing, where the terminal most similar to the final version that will go into mass production will be put through its paces.
And it drew attention, no doubt. None of the early critics ignored this detail, which not only did not go unnoticed but also became the watchword of a specific technological generation. In Applesfera we also echoed the first comments and we even got to test it in depth, highlighting the consistency of its interface and its speed in general performance. And still today, the iPhone 15 continues this trend and this desire to sign emails with a ‘Sent from my iPhone’. A registered trademark.
If you make a mistake, you are protected
Let’s go back to the psychology of this “Sent from my iPhone”, this information which is ultimately a behavioral label, a “Hello” disguised as technical jargon. Because we haven’t talked about a password yet: if you make a mistake in the email you sent, nothing happens, after all, it’s a message sent from your iPhone. The others leave at a disadvantage to judge you, you are not on an equal footing, which implies that you would not have made this error if you had composed your e-mail in front of a computer, in a calm manner.
In this case, the study conducted by Stefaniak and his co-author, Caleb Carr, showed 111 students a series of emails riddled with errors and with a capital distinction. On the one hand, with the aforementioned “Sent from my iPhone” and, on the other hand, without this message attached at the end. Young people were more sympathetic towards errors in emails where the sender attached said message.
“Organizational prestige”, they called it. “That forgiveness for grammar and formal communication can overshadow the fact that someone might not be good at grammar,” Stefaniak says. “The risk is that the mobile device can obscure someone’s true credibility. You might perceive it as credible when it really isn’t.” Unsurprisingly, over the years we have seen how hundreds of people falsely include this message, even when writing from a Samsung or Xiaomi mobile.
How to remove the message “Sent from my iPhone”
And yes, of course, there is a chance to eradicate this message. To prevent the message from being attached, you must follow these steps:
- First go to the ‘Settings’ system and choose the ‘Mail’ application.
- Now scroll down to the ‘Signature’ section, at the very end.
- If you’re signed in to multiple accounts, you’ll have the option to choose “All Accounts” or go one at a time.
- In both cases, inside the text box, you can directly modify or leave the “Sent from my iPhone” field empty.
- Now touch back and from “Mail”, touch in the upper left corner to save the changes.
- And now, you will have changed the signature of your emails.
Whether it’s because you don’t like it or if you simply want to get rid of this burden —linguistic, but also emotional—, this message will no longer appear. Because believe it or not that ‘Sent from my iPhone’ speaks more about you than your smartphone.
Just look at its symbolic power: it says you’re away from the desk or office and you answer anyway, that you’re not careless or ignorant if you make mistakes, because that’s normal, and also you are someone who has not become stagnant in the past, that technologically you have the right tools.
