There’s no escaping it—sometimes we just need to scan and fax a document to somebody. Whether we’re updating our details with a government organization, changing healthcare providers, or signing a contract remotely, it’s important to know the easiest and best way to do this so that we don’t have to rely on email services like Gmail, which doesn’t use end-to-end encryption as standard.
Luckily, thanks to services like faxing apps and web faxing, we no longer need to pay for a scanner and a fax machine to fax a document. Our phones or computers can do everything we need using simple software you can easily find online, so now scanning and faxing are easier—and cheaper—than ever!
Here’s how you can start faxing today with a device you already own, from anywhere in the world.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Scanning and Faxing
The easiest and most convenient way to scan documents and send faxes in 2024 is by using a fax app on your mobile phone. Your mobile device is packed with all the technology you need to fax a document with no other equipment necessary, and fax apps are designed to make it as easy as possible, as easy as sending a text or email.
Step 1. Download Fax App
To get started, download the free Android app or iPhone app and sign up
Step 2. Prepare Your Fax
Navigate to the ‘New Fax’ page using the bottom menu on the screen. Here, you’ll see that you can enter the fax number of the recipient, add a cover sheet, and add an image or document.
Step 3. Add an image or document
You can attach images already stored on your mobile phone, or the fax app software can connect to other internet services such as iCloud or Google Docs to let you fax documents stored elsewhere. But to scan a document inside the app, select ‘Scan Documents’.
Step 4. Scan your documents
Your phone will open its camera to use as a scanner, and all you have to do is simply point the camera at the document you want to scan, hold your phone still for a moment, and the document will be saved as a page, ready to fax.
The fax app will convert any image you scan into a pdf, and you can scan as many pages as you need. The app uses clever software to detect the edge of the pages you are scanning, which means that only the document will be in the image. You don’t even have to press the ‘take photo’ button; once your document is detected, the app does the rest.
Step 5. Review your fax
When you have your scanned documents ready, you can review them; the app allows you to rearrange the pages in your fax or edit your cover page before you send. When you’re ready, press send!
Fax apps offer total convenience if you need to scan documents or send and receive faxes, allowing you to do everything from one device in a matter of minutes. There’s no need to pay for a brand new fax machine; just use your phone and sign up to fax online from anywhere in the world.
Users who don’t have access to a mobile device can still scan documents and send or receive faxes. Here are the other ways to do this:
How to Scan and Fax Using a Computer and Scanner
Another convenient way to send a fax is to use your laptop or computer, using an online fax service such as EveryFax. EveryFax is an email-to-fax service which allows users to send a fax on the web, converting an email into a fax and sending it to a fax number.
- Find the right online fax service
Sign up on EveryFax and use a personal or business account to get the best support you need. - Create your fax
Open a new message to get started; you simply have to type the recipient’s fax number into the email address, and then add “@send.everyfax.com” as the domain to send to.
Anything you type in the email will appear as a message, and you can choose from a variety of cover page templates. - Scan or attach your pages
Using a web service means you will need to upload your fax documents, either from a scanner or a phone with a camera, and attach them to the email to complete your fax.
As with the fax app, you can edit the cover sheet and rearrange pages as you want them to appear. - Send your fax
When you are ready, hit send. EveryFax will do the rest of the work to make sure your email is transmitted to the fax machine of your recipient, and you will receive a confirmation report once it has delivered.
How to Scan and Fax Using a Fax Machine
The more traditional way to send a fax is by using a fax machine, and even though your phone offers a more convenient way to fax using the camera and the internet, a fax machine is still secure and easy to use if you have access to one or are at a place nearby that has one.
- Set up your fax machine
Ensure your fax machine is connected to a telephone line, fill up the ink and paper and make sure the scanner is working properly. - Scan documents to send
Unlike using a fax app on your phone, you will first need to arrange your pages in the correct order before scanning them in the fax machine’s scanner, with your cover page on top. Any scanned document should be facing the right way and not be bent or damaged; otherwise, the images from the scanner might not be clear. - Dial and check the fax number
Just like using a phone, dial the fax number of the intended recipient. Remember that phones usually don’t need a “1” dialed before long-distance numbers, but if you have a fax machine connected to a phone line, you may need to dial a “1” before the area code for long-distance faxing. For international faxes, you will need to enter the correct country code of the recipient’s fax number. The fax app helps you with all of this, but when using a fax machine, you may need to double-check these details online or at the store you’re at! When you’re ready, press send!
Fax machines come with higher costs than a fax service on your phone or computer; there is the device cost, printer and paper costs, and phone line maintenance to consider. However, they are still a secure and reliable way to scan and transmit documents if you have access to one.
Start Faxing Today
Download the free Android app or iPhone app to get started with a highly trusted service— our FAX from iPhone app for example has over 300,000 great reviews, and is regularly in the top 30 of all business apps.
FAQ
Do you need a separate app for scanning documents before faxing them?
No, a lot of faxing apps have scanning capabilities included in the base functionality, Fax App among the most popular of them.
What types of document can I scan with my iPhone to fax?
You can fax almost any scanned document – business contracts, agreements, letters, invoices, receipts, or even medical documents since online faxing is actually HIPAA compliant.
Can I add a cover sheet to a scanned document before faxing?
Sure, think of the scanned document as if it was the attachment to an email, you may add all kinds of notes and a cover sheet just like with a regular fax.
What if I have a scanned document already, can I fax it still?
Yes, attach it as you normally would, hit “Choose File” then navigate to the location where your scanned document is saved on your iPhone, select the Document and hit “Send”
