Fax machines and landline telephones were once essential tools for quickly transmitting documents, especially in industries like finance and healthcare. By the 70s and 80s, fax machines with built-in scanners revolutionized communication, reducing reliance on traditional mail. While digital options like email, texting, and cloud storage have largely replaced faxing, many businesses — particularly in legal, financial, and medical areas — still rely on it. So, how can you send and receive faxes without a phone line or a fax machine?
This article will show you how to fax without a fax machine using modern alternatives.
How do I fax without a fax machine and still send secure faxes?
Although faxing may seem outdated (those bulky machines definitely are), some businesses still prefer it for sharing documents, especially in the medical, legal and financial fields.
The difference between online faxing and fax-machine faxing:
- Technology: Traditional faxing uses fax machines. Online faxing requires an internet-connected device, which you already have if you’re reading this!
- Equipment and supplies: Older fax machines required special thermal paper on rolls. Modern fax machines use traditional copy paper and ink. Internet faxing requires no paper or ink. Download and save faxes to your device or cloud-based storage.
- Convenience: Online faxing lets you send and receive faxes from anywhere with internet access and without the need to be near a physical fax machine. It works with your computer, tablet or smartphone.
How to Send a Fax Without a Landline
It’s possible to send faxes without a landline telephone or even a fax machine. There are two methods for this, depending on whether you have a physical or digital document.
If you have a digital document like a PDF, it’s extremely easy to fax electronically. Fax.Live is a modern, easy to use service that can fax documents directly through your web browser. Fax.Live works on any browser across any device, including your phone or tablet. To get started faxing without a fax machine:
- In the Fax.Live interface, select Send New Fax.
To use Fax.Live’s services, you’ll need to log in with a Google account or sign up for an account using an email address. Fax.Live is free to try and offers affordable subscriptions for regular monthly faxing. With Fax.Live, you get access to your fax history and can set up your account to receive faxes as well as send them.
- Drag and drop your PDF to upload it.
Documents are best faxed in the PDF format to preserve the formatting settings and maintain clarity across all devices. You’ll need to convert your non-PDF documents into PDFs before sending them by fax.
If you have a physical document (hard copy), you’ll need to scan it before you will be able to fax it without a fax machine. If you don’t have access to a printer with a scanner, you have three options:
- Visit an office supply store or library to scan your document(s).
- Download a scanner app on your phone to create a high quality PDF.
- Enter your recipient’s information and select Send Fax!
The only required information to fax is the recipient’s fax number. Optionally, you can add a cover sheet containing additional information, including the name of the person to whom you’re sending the fax, as well as a personal note.
Once you’ve scanned your document, you’ll need to convert it to a PDF. There are lots of great PDF conversion services out there, but we recommend PDF.Live for simple conversions online.
How To Receive a Fax Without a Fax Machine
If you or your office doesn’t have a landline or a fax machine, and you need to receive incoming faxes, Fax.Live is exactly what you need. When you set up your account, you’ll receive your own phone number for receiving incoming faxes.
To do this, head to the Fax.Live dashboard and select Receive a Fax. Your account will then be assigned a personal fax number exclusively for faxes. Once this number is activated, your inbox will be set up to receive incoming faxes.
Your personal fax number will always be viewable on the dashboard in case you need to share it at a later date.
FAQs About Faxing Without a Fax Machine
Can you fax without a phone line or landline?
Yes, if you use a service like Fax.Live, you don’t need a phone or landline to send or receive faxes. This post shows how Fax.Live works.
If you have a physical fax machine, can you fax something without a landline or phone number set up?
No, unfortunately you can’t fax through a fax machine without a connected phone line. Traditional fax machines operate by “calling” other fax machines and transmitting documents through electronic dial tones that only work over the phone. A wireless connection will not support this sort of communication. If you don’t have a landline, your best bet is Fax.Live.
If I have a printer with Wi-Fi, can I send a fax?
If your printer is connected to Wi-Fi, you might be able to send a fax, but only if it has built-in fax capabilities or is connected to an online fax service. Most standard Wi-Fi printers don’t have fax functions, so you’d need to use an online fax service or app to send a fax using your computer or smartphone. To learn how to send a fax from a printer, consult your manufacturer’s instruction manual.
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