eFax How-Tos
How to Fax From a Computer
Send and receive faxes using a desktop or laptop computer anytime, anywhere.
Quick, Intuitive Faxing Right from your Windows or Mac Computer
Looking for the security of faxing combined with the convenience of a computer-based application? An online fax service is the easiest way to send and receive faxes from your laptop or desktop computer with no outdated fax machine, extra phone lines, printers, or ink.
Can I Send a Fax From My Computer?
It’s easy to send a fax from your computer — no matter what type of computer you have! As long as you have an internet connection, you can send and receive faxes online in minutes.
With eFax’s online fax service, you can turn your computer into a fully-functional fax machine — but without the extra hardware, toner, paper, and busy signals.
All you need is an eFax account. Set one up now in less than five minutes!
Follow These 5 Easy Steps to Send Faxes From a Computer
How to Fax From a Mac Computer
One of the major benefits of an online fax service is that you can fax from nearly any device that has an internet connection. That means your Macbook, iMac, or any other Apple computer is capable of sending faxes with the online portal in your web browser.
How Can I Send a Fax Via Email?
Regardless of what type of computer you use, another way to send and receive faxes without a fax machine is to fax via email.
This method works not only with a computer, but with a smartphone or tablet too!
How to Fax From a Windows Computer
With Windows, you have four primary options that allow you to fax from your computer. One method includes using some included Windows software. The rest require an online fax service.
This simple method lets you fax from a computer in minutes, with no phone line or bulky fax machine required.
eFax can be accessed from the web browser on your Windows computer. Here’s how it works:
Windows Fax & Scan – Setup Process
Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and some versions of Windows Vista include an application called Windows Fax and Scan. This program allows users to send and receive faxes right from their computers.
What you’ll need:
- A computer that operates Windows Fax and Scan
- A landline
- A fax modem (some computers include an internal fax modem, or you can purchase an external modem instead)
- A physical phone cord
As you can see, computers that use Windows Fax and Scan must be connected to an external phone line — just like a traditional fax machine.
You could connect your office phone to your computer to send faxes. The downside is that you’ll tie up your phone line when sending faxes, and you won’t receive faxes when the phone line isn’t plugged in. You could also buy a dedicated phone line for faxing, adding a monthly expense.
Once the fax modem is installed based on the manufacturer’s instructions, connect the fax modem to the landline with the phone cord.
Then, you can begin the setup process.
While Windows Fax and Scan comes included with many versions of Windows, it still requires external hardware, like a modem and a phone line.rnrnWith an online fax service like eFax, you can start faxing from your Windows computer right now, with no extra hardware and no dedicated phone line.rnrnHere are the three primary options for how to fax from a Windows computer with eFax.
Send Faxes with eFax Messenger
eFax Messenger is a desktop fax application for Windows 10. It lets you send faxes, sign documents, view received faxes, and add notes to your faxes in one simple app.
To get started, download eFax Messenger to your computer that operates Windows 10.
Print to Fax is another simple way to send faxes with Windows. This software works with eFax Messenger to make faxing from a computer even easier.
With this tool, you can fax from within Google Drive, Microsoft Word, or a PDF viewer, without manually opening a second application. Start your fax as soon as you finish writing it!
Learn More About eFax Capabilities
Whether you want to fax a PDF or send a fax using Gmail, eFax has you covered. There are lots of cool things your eFax account is able to do. Learn more about your options when using eFax.
Explore Why eFax is the Ultimate Solution
Never wrestle with a clunky fax machine to send an important document again! With eFax’s modern online software, it’s easy to send a fax from your computer with the click of a button. Instead of wondering if your fax arrived, you’ll get an email confirmation when the document is received. eFax combines modern online software with seamless delivery to ensure an efficient experience, whether you’re sending or receiving documents.
Understand the eFax Advantage
As a busy professional, you can’t spend all day tethered to a fax machine. If you’re working with sensitive or confidential documents, it’s especially critical to be able to receive, read, annotate, sign and send them privately. This is where eFax comes in. eFax blends the reliability and authority of traditional faxing with the efficiency and convenience of email. With eFax, you can ditch the paperwork and streamline your document workflow. And you can send to multiple people at once! With the eFax Large File Sharing feature, you can send up to 3GB of files to 20 recipients. Each recipient will receive an email link to easily download your document.
Manage Your Documents in the eFax Portal
In the eFax portal, you can track the status of your faxes, monitor logs and notifications and revisit previously sent faxes in the archive. You get cloud storage with your eFax account so that you can keep track of all your important documents in one place. You can also search the portal to quickly find documents using criteria like keywords, date received or sent, and the recipient’s name. To make searching for faxes easier, tag them with personal keywords to organize files according to your business needs.
Explore a User-Friendly Interface Built for You
When you’re constantly on the go or have tight deadlines to hit, you don’t have time to spend figuring out clunky software. Thankfully, eFax is designed with you in mind. Our sleek, intuitive dashboard makes creating and sending faxes a snap. Create faxes with the tap of a button, quickly select recipients from a contact list and upload documents from a document library. Whether you’re new to sending faxes online or a software pro, eFax delivers an experience you’ll love.
Ditch the Physical Machine
eFax frees you from the restraints of a physical fax machine. Sending faxes from your computer means you can work anytime, anywhere you have an internet connection. Since you don’t need any special equipment, you can flexibly send documents within a few minutes. With an eFax account, you can also receive faxes straight to your email. Open and save faxes right from your inbox! No more waiting around a noisy fax machine hoping to get your documents.
Use the Mobile App
The eFax mobile app is free with your registration, so you can send and receive faxes from the convenience of your mobile phone or tablet! eFax makes it simple to sign documents with your finger or use a handwritten signature. You can add documents from the free cloud storage or upload files from your device. Experience ultimate flexibility and on-the-go availability when you use the eFax mobile app. Learn more about the u003ca href=u0022/features/efax-mobile-appu0022u003eeFax Mobile Appu003c/au003e
What About Receiving Faxes?
You can both send and receive a fax right on your computer with eFax.
After you set up your account, you’ll be able to receive faxes at your new or ported fax number.
Incoming faxes will automatically be delivered to the email address you associate with your account. You’ll be able to open and save faxes right from your email inbox. And since you can list up to five email addresses on each eFax account, you can make sure the whole team gets these important faxes.
If you accidentally delete an email, no worries! The eFax online portal saves all of your sent and incoming faxes. Simply log in to retrieve them. With eFax, you get cloud storage for as long as you have an account!
Will I Need a Special Fax Number?
When you create an eFax account, you’ll be given a FREE dedicated fax number linked to your service. You can choose a local fax number to establish a presence in your community, or a toll-free fax number for a national organization.
Already have a fax number? Great! It’s easy to port your existing fax number into eFax.
Then, you can send and receive faxes from your computer using the eFax portal or email — no matter what kind of computer you use.
Why is Online Faxing Better than Using a Fax Machine?
When the traditional fax machine was invented, it was a revolution in quick document transmission. But with the invention and explosion of the internet, the mechanics of the traditional fax machine became outdated and inefficient — even though the function of faxing is still vital to many businesses.
Run it through the fax machine, hoping to avoid busy signals and paper jams
Fill out and print the cover sheet
Buy and setup the machine
Maintain a landline
Print the document you want to fax
Dial the fax number
Then the person who receives it has to scan it to return it to its original digital format!
With online faxing, your document stays digital the whole time, cutting steps and saving time for both you and the recipient.
Plus, online faxing is more private. This means no more confidential faxes sitting out on the fax machine, where anyone walking by could pick them up.
And when you send and receive faxes with eFax, you’ll also get:
Cloud storage for your eFax account
Large file sharing, letting you use your computer to send documents that are too large to email
Access to an online portal and eFax Messenger (on Windows) for easy faxing from your computer
Electronic signatures — no more printing, signing, and scanning!
Access to an easy-to-use mobile app for faxing from your smartphone or tablet
Sending a fax from a computer with an online fax service is the best, most convenient way to get all the benefits of a fax — with none of the downsides! And with eFax, it’s never been easier or quicker to get started.
“eFax is one of the most feature rich and well-known online fax services on the market and includes features like mobile apps, e-signature capabilities, …compliance and unlimited fax storage…”
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“Sending fax over internet to a local or toll free number is extremely easy using its simple interface integrated with your email account. Enhanced features like digital signature and integration with mobile apps are like icing on the cake.”
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“What I like about eFax is that it includes a share extension, so I can fax from almost all iOS apps that support sharing. This makes it easy to fax a document from almost all of my apps.”
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Related FAQs
How can I send a fax from a computer?
Sign up for an eFax account and download eFax messenger or use the desktop portal. Then, add your recipients and upload your documents. When you’re ready, send the fax. You’ll get an email confirmation that the fax was delivered. It’s that easy!
How can I send a fax from a computer to a fax machine?
You can send a fax from a computer to a fax machine with eFax! When you sign up for an eFax account, you’ll get a toll-free tax number (or you can use your own fax number). Simply log in to your eFax account and enter the destination fax machine number as the recipient. Upload or add your document and send it. Your fax will be sent to the fax machine in minutes!
How can I fax a document from my computer?
Faxing a document from your computer is as easy as sending an email. To fax a document from your computer, sign up for an eFax account. Log in, then enter the phone number of your recipient or browse your contacts list. Upload the document you want to fax, format it if needed and send it!
How can I send a fax from my computer for free?
To send a fax for free from your computer, sign up for the free trial of eFax. After you try it out for a week, you can continue sending faxes from your computer with an affordable monthly subscription.
Can I fax from my computer?
With an eFax account, you can fax documents from the privacy of your computer or mobile device. eFax lets you electronically sign files, provides an intuitive user interface and stores your documents in a cloud-hosted library to access later.