The Short Answer: Macs no longer have built-in fax modems — here are the five ways to fax from one in 2026
Here’s a quick comparison table with all the options:
The “Old School” Way: Using a Multifunction Printer
Look, if you really want to relive the office vibes of 2005, macOS does technically support faxing the old-fashioned way. It feels a bit like plugging a VCR into a modern 4K TV, but hey—it works if you have the hardware.
Apple hasn’t put a fax modem inside a Mac for over a decade, but the software to handle one is still buried deep in your System Settings. If you happen to have a multifunction printer (the big chunky ones that scan, print, and fax) and an active landline, you can wire your Mac directly to it.
Here is how to do it (if you have the gear):
- Plug it in: Connect your Mac to the printer via USB (or Wi-Fi if it’s a newer model) and—this is the kicker—make sure the printer itself is plugged into a live telephone wall jack.
- Go to Settings: Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS) and head to Printers & Scanners.
- Find the Fax: If your printer is connected properly, you should see a specific “Fax” version of your printer in the list.
- Send it: Open the document you want to fax (like a PDF or Word doc), hit File > Print, and in the printer dropdown menu, select that “Fax” version. Instead of printing ink on paper, it’ll ask for a fax number and dial out through the landline.
The verdict? It works, but it’s heavy on the “setup” side. You need a physical phone cord, a paid landline subscription, and a printer that probably hasn’t had a firmware update since I was in high school. It’s reliable, sure, but for most of us working from a coffee shop or a home office without a landline, it’s a non-starter.
2. The Modern Way: Using a Fax App (Municorn)
If you don’t have a landline (and who does?), the standard solution in 2026 is to use a dedicated fax app. These apps act as a “virtual bridge,” taking your digital file and transmitting it over the phone network for you.
There are plenty of options on the App Store (eFax, Fax.Plus, etc.), but for this guide, we’ll focus on the Municorn Fax App because it has the best integration with macOS features like iPhone Mirroring.
There are two ways to use it on your Mac: the “Ecosystem Hack” (my favorite) or the Native Mac App.
3. The “Corporate” Way: Email-to-Fax
If you’re the kind of person who lives inside Apple Mail or Outlook, downloading a separate app just to send one document might feel like digital clutter.
The good news is you can actually fax straight from your inbox using an Email-to-Fax service. Think of this as a “translator” layer: you send a regular email, the service catches it, converts it into analog fax signals, and delivers it to the recipient’s machine.
This is a favorite method for lawyers and healthcare pros because it combines the ease of email with the legal security of faxing. Services like EveryFax are HIPAA-compliant, meaning they wrap your document in a layer of encryption that standard email just doesn’t have.
Here is exactly how to do it:
- Compose: Open your email client (Mail, Outlook, Gmail—doesn’t matter) and start a new message.
- Address It: In the “To” field, you won’t type an email address. Instead, type the recipient’s fax number followed by the service’s domain.
- Example: If you are using EveryFax, it would look like
[email protected].
- Example: If you are using EveryFax, it would look like
- Attach: Drag and drop your documents into the email.
- Note: You don’t need to convert them first. Whether it’s a PDF, Word Doc, or a JPEG, the service will automatically convert them into fax pages in the order you attached them.
- Send: Hit send. You’re done.
Use the tool below to generate the exact email address for your fax number — just pick your service and enter the recipient’s number.
After a few minutes, you’ll receive an automatic confirmation email in your inbox telling you the fax was successfully delivered. It’s the best option if you want to keep a strict “paper trail” of everything you send without leaving your email workflow.
4. The Browser Way: Online Fax Services
If you don’t want to download any apps, you can use a browser-based service. These work on Safari or Chrome and allow you to fax from any Mac you log into.
Here are a few of the top competitors we’ve tested:
eFax
eFax is the “legacy” giant of the industry. They offer a web portal where you log in, upload a document, and hit send.

What I like: eFax has a huge range of platforms to access it from – apps for iPhones or Android devices, a web platform, and email-to-fax, meaning you don’t just need a Mac to use it. It’s also incredibly secure (ISO 27001 certified) and reliable.
What I don’t like: The interface feels a bit “Windows 95.” It’s clunky compared to modern apps. Also, their basic plans often have strict page limits (e.g., 30 pages/month), whereas Municorn offers unlimited options.
Fax.Plus
Fax.Plus is another top online fax service which supports faxing from Mac computers via web browsers, email, or with a mobile app. Fax.Plus allows you to create a free account to try it before you buy it, and overall feels like a very premium experience.

The easiest way to fax from Mac with Fax.Plus is by using the web browser service, which has a simple and intuitive layout and is easy to use. If you’re struggling, however, their YouTube channel can talk you through the process.
What I like: The design is clean and matches the “Mac” aesthetic better than eFax.
The Catch: Watch out for the “transmission time” pricing. Some plans charge you for 2 pages if 1 page takes longer than a minute to transmit.
5. Free Options (With Limits)
Faxing costs money because it uses real telephony infrastructure. However, if you only need to send a one-off page and don’t care about cover sheets, there are limited free options.
FaxZero: Offers 5 free faxes per day. It’s reliable but adds a “FaxZero” branding logo to your cover page, which might not look professional for business documents.
GotFreeFax: Allows 2 free faxes per day (US/Canada only). No sign-up, but the quality is mid-tier.
Final Verdict: Which method is best for Mac?
- For everyday Mac users: The Fax App via iPhone Mirroring is the fastest workflow if you’re in the Apple ecosystem — no extra hardware, no browser tabs, just mirror your phone and send.
- For one-offs: Any browser-based service works fine. No account needed with FaxZero for occasional pages.
- For lawyers and healthcare: Email-to-Fax is the right call — it keeps everything in your existing inbox workflow and services like EveryFax are HIPAA-compliant.
- If you already have a landline and printer: The built-in macOS fax support still works, though setup is fiddly and you’re tied to a physical phone line.



