How to Send and Receive Fax Without a Fax Machine?
Before the advent of email, faxing was the quickest way to send and receive information with other businesses, whether they were down the street or around the globe. Today, businesses conduct most of their communication over email, which means many businesses and individuals don’t fax as often as they used to.
That’s not the case in every industry. Some, especially healthcare, legal, finance, and government, still rely on faxes for transmitting confidential information. In these industries, an online fax service like eFax® simplifies the process.
How to Fax Without a Fax Machine
There are three easy ways to fax documents without a fax machine:
1. Fax with eFax’s Online Dashboard
- Log in to your eFax account on your internet browser.
- Click “Send Faxes”.
- Fill in the recipient’s fax number, first and last name, company name, and country. Or click “Choose from contacts” and select a recipient from your eFax address book.
- If you’d like to use eFax’s simple cover page, check “Include Cover Page.” Write your subject and a brief message which will be added to eFax’s cover page template.
- Click “Browse” and select the document you want to fax from your hard drive or cloud storage.
- If you wish to fax more than one document at once, you can do that too! You can attach up to 20 documents to one fax transmission. Accepted file formats include PDF, Excel, OpenDocument, Plain Text, Microsoft Word, JPEG, and more.
- Once you’ve selected the document you wish to fax, click “Open”.
- You will receive a fax confirmation to your email, so choose which email address you want your confirmation receipt to come to.
- it “Send Fax” and you’re done!
Your fax will be transmitted in no time. When you send fax online, it’s faster and easier than the traditional way. If the recipient also faxes without a fax machine, they’ll receive your fax through their own online fax provider with no dialing and no busy signals. If they fax the traditional way, the document will print on their fax machine along with your cover sheet.
Go from Email to Fax
Faxing by email is another convenient way to send or receive a fax without a fax machine, and you can do it anywhere you have an internet connection. Follow these steps to go from email to fax:
- Create a new email message.
- Add the recipient’s fax number, followed by @send.efax.com.
- Add a subject line to the email, which will be the subject of your cover page.
- Type out your message to the recipient, which will be the body of the cover page.
- Attach the documents you want to fax, and hit the “send” button.
Fax with Mobile App
The eFax mobile app for Android or Apple iOS lets you send and receive faxes right from your smartphone or tablet — without a fax machine.
If you need to send a fax quickly while you’re with your family or running errands, you can do so easily from the app — no need to break out your laptop or find a computer. The mobile app lets you quickly add the recipient’s fax number, name, and company info so you can send a fax without a fax machine from anywhere.
To attach your document, eFax works with most third-party cloud storage providers, like Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud. So it’s easy to access and send your fax wherever you are.
You can also receive faxes on the app where you can add notes, sign paperwork, and fax it back, right from your phone.
How To Receive a Fax Without a Fax Machine
Also Read: How to Receive Faxes Online
Receive Faxes via eFax’s Online Web Portal
- Log in to your eFax account using any internet browser.
- Navigate to the “Receive Faxes” section in your eFax dashboard.
- Incoming faxes will appear in your inbox as PDF attachments.
- View, download and print received faxes directly from your eFax account.
- Manage and organize your received faxes using eFax’s intuitive interface.
Once you set up your eFax® account, incoming faxes will be delivered right to your email as PDF attachments. You open, view, or download them.
Receive Faxes Using the eFax® Mobile App
The eFax® mobile app for Android and Apple iOS enables you to send or receive faxes without a physical machine.
- Download and install the free eFax mobile app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- Access received faxes directly on your smartphone or tablet.
- View, annotate, sign and forward received faxes directly from the app.
- Integrate with cloud storage providers like Google Drive, Dropbox and iCloud to manage received documents effortlessly.
- Stay connected and manage your fax communications efficiently from anywhere with mobile reception capabilities.
Faxing Without a Fax Machine
Explore our guides below to learn how.
How eFax Simplifies Faxing Without a Machine?
When you sign up for eFax®, you’ll receive a dedicated fax number associated with your account. You can request a local fax number to create a presence in your local community. Or, you can ask for a toll-free fax number.
In less than five minutes, you can be ready to send a fax online and learn how to fax without a fax machine.
Start Faxing NowTop Fax Machine Alternatives
Relying on physical fax machines is often costly for the business and inconvenient for employees. A few fax alternatives include:
Mobile Faxing: Employees can download an online fax app or integrated fax software on their mobile phones to send and receive faxes online. Whether you are faxing from Android or faxing from iPhone, you can easily send, receive, and manage documents anytime, anywhere.
Scan and Email: This fax integration alternative enables users to scan, save, and fax to email documents to their recipients. This is also an option on their smartphone, by quickly taking a photo of the document and emailing or faxing it to a contact.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP): FTP transfers files from one site to another via the Internet. The protocol is useful if customers need access to a document, as a user can upload the document to the site and invite the client to sign in and download the file.
Google Docs: Another alternative to fax machines is to save and store documents in Google Docs. Users can save a document in Google Docs, then give trusted contacts a sharable link to view, edit or comment on the document. Google Docs’ Share option also enables users to publish the document online for contacts to access.
Can You Fax Without a Fax Machine?
Absolutely! eFax is an online fax service that lets you send and receive faxes from your desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Here are some of the ways you can send or receive documents online without the need of a physical fax machine:
-
Send a fax on your computer through the eFax portal on your web browser
-
Send a fax on a smartphone or tablet with the eFax app
-
Send a fax via email, anywhere you have an internet connection
-
Receive a fax in the eFax portal, app, or email
Never Miss A Fax Again!
8 Key Benefits of Faxing Without a Fax Machine Using eFax
With an online fax service like eFax, you’re no longer tethered to a bulky fax machine. Instead, you can send a fax as easily as sending an email.
Affordable
No need to purchase a fax machine, pay for a separate phone line, or stock up on paper, ink, or toner.
Convenient
Share documents from anywhere, without going to the store or office.
Reliable
No busy signals when you fax online!
Fast
Receive a fax instantly, with no printing. Plus, faxes will remain in electronic form, so there’s no additional scanning step.
Eco-friendly
No need to waste paper by printing documents before you can fax them.
Confidential
Faxes won’t sit on the fax machine when they come in, where anyone in the office can pick them up.
Handy
With eFax, you can apply your signature digitally and return to the sender with just a few clicks.
Customizable
Get a local fax number or toll-free fax number to send faxes online.
Lower Your Cost of Faxing
You likely don’t think about the cost of sending or receiving a fax, but when you account for the hardware, ink, paper, and maintenance, it can add up pretty quickly. Here are four ways online faxing lowers your costs.
| Fax Machine | eFax | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware/supplies | For traditional faxing, you pay for the fax machine, ink/toner and paper. | With eFax |
| Setup Costs | You may need to install a new phone line for a traditional fax machine. | No infrastructure to install. |
| Recurring Fees | Every month, you will get a bill for the faxing phone line if you use a traditional fax machine. | With eFax |
| Maintenance | Keeping up with a fax machine, printer or scanner can be costly. You may need to schedule yearly maintenance or face replacing your equipment more often. | With eFax®, you will not have any maintenance because everything is done online via the cloud and on devices you already have (phone, tablet, desktop or laptop). |
Improve Security
Every industry has certain expectations about how businesses will protect their clients’ and customers’ privacy. eFax® keeps all documents secure on a server where only authorized users can access them. Traditional faxing also isn’t compliant, while electronic faxes can be transmitted and stored according to the requirements of many industries.
| Fax Machine | eFax | |
|---|---|---|
| Doc Security | Limited. Sensitive documents can be left on the office fax machine. | Faxes are held on a secure server for your access only. |
| Compliance | You may need to install a new phone line for a traditional fax machine. | No infrastructure to install. |
| Delivery | Prints out a delivery confirmation, which can be picked up by anyone in the office, including unauthorized employees. | Provides a delivery receipt with time and data stamp to prove the fax reached the intended recipient at a specific time. |
Fax from anywhere in minutes with eFax
Receiving Faxes Without a Fax Machine
With eFax, receiving a fax without a fax machine is simple and safe. Incoming faxes will go to your online portal, where they’ll be stored in the cloud for easy retrieval.
eFax users also receive faxes by email. Incoming faxes will be forwarded to the email address you associate with your online fax number, whether you use Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook, or any other email provider. You can even automatically forward faxes to more than one email address.
Why Are Faxes Still Used?
While the norm in digital communication may be texting or email these days, there are still plenty of things that can be better achieved by using a fax.
Physical Records, Particularly For Medical And Legal Purposes
In a lot of contexts, a fax is a legally binding and valid document. If you’re creating a paper trail, faxed documents are far more viable than an email chain.
There is a lot of red tape surrounding the sharing of medical records, largely due to the need for HIPAA compliance. One particularly strict rule concerns documents traveling between two or more medical centers or hospitals. Faxing is a HIPAA-approved method of sending patient information, particularly between specialists. As a result, many doctors make use of faxing. The same is true of lawyers, attorneys and other legal professionals. While they’re not bound by HIPAA, they have their own code of principles to abide by. It’s also common in financial services, like banking or real estate.
Older Businesses and Legacy Users
For many established businesses, faxing is a deeply embedded method of communication that doesn’t require change. Even in the modern digital age with all its advances, the use of the fax is maintained because it works.
You Only Need a Number
Unlike the alternative forms of sending paper signatures — e.g., snail mail or courier — the ability to fax vital documents means you need a lot less information to reach your intended recipient. Unlike traditional mailing methods, which require a name and full postal address, all you need to send a fax is the fax number of your intended recipient plus their area or country code if needed.
This also adds another layer of security, as you can make your fax number public and allow anyone to contact you without divulging your physical location. This prevents unwelcome visits.
Long Distance Signatures
Trying to obtain authentic signatures over long distances can be incredibly tough. Faxing and eSignatures make it effortlessly simple. With eSignatures, there’s no need to physically carry a hard copy of your paperwork to the recipient’s location or wait for it to get mailed back to you.
If you’re looking to seal a deal or finalize a contract in the fastest, most efficient way possible, faxing is a sure bet.
FAQs
Yes. eFax® is an online fax service that lets you send and receive faxes from your desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet.
eFax makes it easy to send faxes without a fax machine. You can choose to fax from your email, the eFax mobile app, the eFax Print-to-Fax or your eFax portal — whichever is more convenient for you. Simply create a new fax and enter your recipient’s information and fax number. If you’re using email, the contact will be the person’s fax number @send.efax.com. Then add the document you want to fax, create a cover letter if needed and send it. It’s that simple.
Take a few moments to set up an eFax account. If you already have a fax number you want to use, you can port it to eFax. Then, share your fax number with your contacts and await your first fax. You’ll receive a notification in your email and on the app so you’ll know the moment the fax arrives.
Faxing digitally without a physical machine relies on stable internet connectivity to both send and receive documents. Some recipients may still prefer or require physical fax copies, which digital methods only provide with the added step of printing.
Yes, you can send faxes internationally using online fax services. Enter the international fax number along with the recipient’s details and follow the instructions like any other fax. Be sure to verify the online fax service supports international faxing and check for any specific charges or restrictions that may apply to international transmissions.
Yes, traditional fax machines are outdated. Modern employees spend less time at their desks, making it less convenient to fax their clients and colleagues from physical machines located in the office. So they prefer online solutions like eFax® that simplify the process and save money.