Faxing via email is changing the way people around the world think of fax machines. Instead of being seen as an annoying-but-necessary part of doing business, many have realized that faxing via email can be amazingly convenient.
Today, I’m going to explain how fax to email works and how it easily integrates with various email platforms. Whether you’re using Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, or any other email platform, I’m going to show you why email faxing is an easy solution to your faxing needs.
How Faxing Over Email Works
Faxing via email is surprisingly easy to understand. It’s also surprisingly easy to use.
A traditional fax machine scans a document and then translates that document into binary computer code. This data can easily be sent down phone lines just like you would send a phone call. Once the fax arrives at the receiving machine, the receiving machine reverses the process and translates the encoded information into a “facsimile” document before printing it off.
Faxing over email works in a similar way. However, fax machines are replaced with computers at various steps in the process:
- The sender creates a new email and attaches a document – like a .DOC or .PDF document
- In the email address field, the sender types [Recipient’s Fax number]@[EmailFaxProvider.com]. Some fax-to-email providers also allow users to simply type in the recipient’s fax number.
- The body of the email is left blank. The sender clicks ‘Send’ and the fax-to-email service receives the message and translates the attached document into a format readable by fax machines. Then, the information is transferred down a phone line to the recipient’s fax machine.
- The recipient’s fax machine receives the fax and produces a facsimile document
Receiving a fax from gmail, hotmail, outlook, etc works in the reverse way. The sender faxes the document using their fax machine and types in your fax number. That fax travels down the phone line of your email fax provider, gets decoded, and is sent via email attachment to your inbox.
Where does the fax number come from? Online fax providers can either take an existing fax number and transfer it to their email fax service, or they can give customers a brand new fax number.
Which Email Services Support Email Faxing?
All email providers support online faxing because email faxing does not require any specialized equipment on your end.
When you subscribe to an virtual faxing plan, you’re effectively paying to borrow fax machine equipment. All you need in order to access that equipment is an email account with the ability to send attachments. That’s it.
Whether you use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, or an ISP-provided account, you shouldn’t have any problems getting started with email faxing.
How To Send A Fax From Gmail
Gmail is one of the world’s most popular email providers. Hosted by Google, Gmail started as an invite-only service before evolving into one of the world’s leading email leaders in terms of user base, features, and connected services.
Sending a fax from Gmail is extremely straightforward. If you already have an email fax provider like Ringcentral, then you won’t need to install any special software or hardware on your PC. Instead, all you need is the following steps:
Step 1) Start a free trial with an email fax provider or sign up for a paid subscription account with the fax to email provider of your choice. You will absolutely need to do this before sending a fax from Gmail.
Step 2) Log into your Gmail account at Gmail.com
Step 3) Compose a new email. Address the email to your recipient by typing in the recipient’s number at your fax service’s website. If your recipient’s number is 123-4567 and your fax provider is BestFaxEver.com, then you would type 1234567@BestFaxEver.com into the contact field.
Step 4) Attach the documents you wish to fax. Most computer fax providers accept .DOC, .DOCX, and .PDF documents, although depending on your provider, other file formats may be supported. Most providers also accept between 5 and 10 documents per email.
Step 5) Click send and your fax will automatically be sent to your email fax provider’s server before being directed to your recipient’s fax machine. The entire process doesn’t take more than a few seconds from start to finish.
That’s it!
Can I get a Google fax number?
There is no such thing as a “Google fax number” because Google is not an email fax service provider. However, you can sign up for an email fax account and use your Gmail account as the primary address.
Can I receive faxes over Gmail?
Yes, you can absolutely receive faxes over Gmail. Faxes will be received just like any other email with attached documents. If you can’t find a fax you were expecting to receive, consider checking the Spam folder. Otherwise, your fax should be right in your Gmail inbox.
Can I separate faxes from the rest of my Gmail inbox?
Recent Gmail updates allow users to sort through emails based on their assigned folders. By default, your Gmail account has three folders: Primary, Social, and Promotions. Users, however, can add their own folders. Consider creating a “fax” folder to separate your important faxes from the rest of your email inbox. To do that, click the ‘+’ symbol to the right of your folders menu and type in the name of your new folder. Then, drag and drop any received faxes into that folder. Gmail will automatically assign all future received faxes to that folder.
Can I send faxes over Gmail from my mobile device?
Whether you use Android, the iPhone, or some other mobile device, you shouldn’t have any trouble sending a Gmail fax over your smartphone or tablet. Simply open the Gmail app and follow the instructions listed above. If you don’t have a Gmail app, then open your browser window and go to Gmail.com, then continue following the directions listed above.
How To Send A Fax From Outlook Or Hotmail
Microsoft recently bundled Outlook and Hotmail together under one name: Outlook. If you haven’t signed into your Hotmail email address in a while, then you will find that it has been switched into an Outlook address.
It’s the same service – just branded under a different name. Here’s how to easily send a fax over Outlook or Hotmail:
Using Outlook.com to Send a Fax:
Step 1) Go to http://www.Outlook.com and login to your email account
Step 2) Create a new email
Step 3) Address that email to your recipient by typing 1234567@FaxProvider.com into the “To” field, where “1234567” is your recipient’s fax number and “FaxProvider.com” is your fax provider’s website.
Step 4) Attach the documents you wish to fax to the email
Step 5) Click Send and the email will instantly be delivered to your fax provider, who will then transfer your attached documents to the fax machine of your recipient
Using Outlook 2013, Outlook 2010, Outlook 2007, or Outlook 2003 to Send a Fax:
Step 1) Click the Create Mail button
Step 2) Write the recipient of your fax in the “To:” field. Instead of typing an email address, type in 1234567@FaxProvider.com, where 1234567 is your recipient’s fax number and FaxProvider.com is your fax provider’s website
Step 3) Attach the document or documents you wish to send to your recipient
Step 4) Click ‘Send’ to send your email. Your fax provider will receive the email and convert the documents into faxable form before sending them down the phone line to your recipient’s fax machine.
That’s it! Whether you’re using Outlook.com or the Outlook program itself, it’s surprisingly easy to send a fax from your Outlook.com email address.
Can I receive faxes in my Outlook email inbox?
Yes. Receiving faxes in your Outlook email inbox is just like receiving any ordinary email with an attachment. Provided your Outlook account has room to receive an email with small attachments, your fax provider will deliver the faxed documents directly to your inbox.
Why didn’t I receive a fax in my email inbox?
There are a few possible reasons why your fax didn’t arrive in your Outlook email inbox. It may have been assigned to the spam folder. Or, you may simply need to click the ‘Send/Receive’ button.
How To Send A Fax With Yahoo Mail
Yahoo Mail has been a top email service provider since the 1990s. Sending a fax with Yahoo Mail is easier than ever:
Step 1) Go to Mail.Yahoo.com and login using your email account and password
Step 2) Click Compose to create a new email
Step 3) In the ‘To’ field, type in your recipient’s fax number using the system 1234567@YourProvider.com, where 1234567 is your recipient’s fax number and YourProvider.com is your email fax provider’s URL
Step 4) Attach the documents you wish to fax to that email
Step 5) Scroll down to the bottom of the email window and click the purple Send button to send your email. Within seconds, your email-to-fax provider will have converted your email attachments into faxable formats and forward them to your recipient’s fax machine.
That’s it! Sending a fax with Yahoo Mail is as easy as sending it with any other provider.
How To Send A Fax With Any Other Email Provider
Whether you’re using Squirrel Mail, the email platform for your university, or a unique ISP email service, sending a fax with any email provider involves the same basic steps:
Step 1) Sign up for a free trial with an electronic fax provider or sign up for a paid subscription
Step 2) Login to your email service provider’s website
Step 3) Compose a new email
Step 4) Address that email to your recipient using the address format RecipientFaxNumber@YourEmailFaxProvider.com, where “RecipientFaxNumber” is your recipient’s fax number and “YourEmailFaxProvider.com” is whichever online fax provider you’ve chosen to work with.
Step 5) Attach the documents you’re trying to fax to that email. Typical acceptable file formats include .DOC, .DOCX, and .PDF, but some emal fax providers have branched out to include image formats like .PNG, .JPG, and others. Check with your online fax provider to make sure you’re sending a compatible document.
Step 6) Click Send. Your message will be sent to your email fax provider’s servers, where it will be instantly converted into faxable format. The information will be sent down phone lines to your recipient’s fax machine, where your attached documents will be printed out for your recipient to read.
That’s it! Many people are surprised to discover how easy it is to send a fax using any email service. Whether you’re using a software-based email program on your desktop PC, a mobile email app, or an email provider, faxing via email has never been easier.
Things To Remember When Sending A Fax With Any Email Service Provider
International dialing codes: If you’re sending a fax to a fax machine outside of your own country, then you’ll need to enter an exit code for your country and an entry code for the country in which the recipient is located. Sending a fax from the United States to China, for example, would require the numbers: 011 86 to be typed at the beginning of your local number. 011 is the exit code for Canada and the United States and 86 is the dialing code for China.
You can email fax from virtually any internet-connected device: Whether you’re using a tablet, smartphone, or 15 year old laptop computer, you should be able to easily send a fax. All you have to do is open an internet browser, login to your email account, create a new email, and attach the documents you’re trying to fax to that email.
