How to fax from a computer

RingCentral provides an easy and convenient way to fax from your computer.

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Employee using RingCentral's online fax service from her laptop

How to fax from computer

RingCentral provides an easy and convenient way to fax via computer, using any device with an internet connection.

We’re going to go into more depth on this a little later in the article, and show you exactly how to send an online fax via the most common methods.

But to get things started, here’s a quick step-by-step guide for how to fax from computer with RingCentral:

Set up an account with RingCentral to get a fax number
Log into your account or open the app
Find the Fax icon or menu and create a new fax message
Add the recipient’s number
Attach documents
Send the fax

Sending via email has slightly different steps, but it’s still very simple. Keep reading to see full instructions for all the different ways to fax from computer.

How online fax works

How to fax online: step 1 - select your fax number

Step 1

Select your fax number.

How to fax online: step 2- download the app and login

Step 2

Download the app or log in online.

How to fax online: step 3- send and receive faxes

Step 3

Start sending or receiving faxes—from any devices.

Sending a fax with your computer using RingCentral

How to send a fax from a computer using RingCentral

Knowing how to fax without a fax machine is pretty simple and easy, and there are multiple ways to use RingCentral for faxing documents from your computer (on Mac, Windows, or via web browser) or mobile device (iOS or Android).

The four most common ways to fax via computer are through your RingCentral account, the RingCentral app, email, a Windows or Mac computer, or a scanner.

RingCentral Fax video

How to fax a document from a computer using your RingCentral account

Log in to your RingCentral account
Click on the FaxOut icon and a pop-up “fax” window will appear on-screen
Enter the recipient’s contact information by either:
- Using the To field to enter the recipient’s fax number (country code + area code + recipient’s phone number) and pressing Enter
- Using the To field to type in the recipient’s name
Attach the relevant files and number of pages (add them from your local desktop or a cloud storage account).
Click Send now.

(If you’re an existing customer or you need more information, go to our support page to learn more detailed instructions on how to fax from your RingCentral account.)

How to fax a document from the RingCentral app

From the desktop and web app:

From anywhere in the app, click the New actions (+) button at the upper right corner
Click Send new fax (Or click Fax in the navigation bar and click the Send new fax icon in the left panel)
In the popup, enter your contacts’ phone numbers or names in the To field
In the Cover page dropdown, select a style or click Add cover page to choose a template from your computer (or just click None)
Click Send now (or choose Send later, enter a date and time, and click Schedule).

From the mobile app:

Tap Fax in the bottom menu (if you don’t see it, click the three-dot More icon)
Tap the plus (+) icon (upper right corner) for iOS or the Message icon (bottom right) for Android
Enter phone numbers or names in the To field, then tap Next
The Fax From field shows the number your fax will be coming from. Click the dropdown to change the number or send from a blocked number
Tap Cover page to change the default cover sheet. Select an existing template, upload a new cover page, or just toggle off if you don’t want a cover page
To send docs and photos with your message, tap Add attachment and select Add files, Add photos, or Take photo
Click Send now (or choose Send later, enter a date and time, and tap Send).

(For more options, see how to fax from your RingCentral App.)

How to fax from email

You can also use your RingCentral Fax-connected email via the email-to-fax feature:

Sign in to your company email account
Create a new email
In the To field, type the 10-digit fax phone number followed by @rcfax.com (If you’re sending to more than one person, put a semicolon and a space between their names.)
- If you want to send to more than 50 recipients at once, add @rcfaxbroadcast.com to the number (you’ll need to have fax broadcasting switched on).
To include a cover page note, enter it in the Subject field
Select attachments from your computer
Leave the body of the email empty. Delete any signatures, images, and footnotes.
Send your email
You’ll receive an email confirmation with the fax transmission results.

How to fax from a scanner

You can use the RingCentral app to send scanned documents by fax when you scan documents directly from the Fax screen. The app will automatically detect and connect to the scanner (it’s best to make sure your scanner has the most current driver and software installed).

First, you need to set up your scanner:

Go to Settings, then click Phone to open your Phone settings.
Scroll down to the Fax section.
Select your scanner from the dropdown next to Scan to fax
Set up your scanner settings: Paper source, File type, and Invert colors

After setup, when you send a new fax you’ll have the option to Scan in the New fax window:

Click the New actions + icon in the top right corner.
Click Send new fax
Click Scan to scan attachments
Enter the phone numbers or names from your contacts list in the To field
Select a Cover page style, click Add cover page to select a template, or select None
Click Send now (or choose Send later, enter a date and time, and click Schedule).

How to fax from a Windows computer

Microsoft has a program called Windows Fax and Scan for sending digital faxes. You’ll need the Windows Fax Printer Driver or Fax Services installed on the computer, and you’ll also need a fax modem connected to your landline.

Hold on—a landline and a modem? Yeah, so this isn’t quite the same thing as online faxing, which uses your internet connection rather than a phone line. If you don’t want to mess about with old tech, you’re better off with the RingCentral desktop app. It’s compatible with Windows 7 and above (pretty handy when most businesses have, at the very least, Windows 10).

Just follow the instructions in “How to fax a document from the RingCentral app” from earlier in the post.

How to fax from a Mac computer

From macOS Sierra onwards, Macs no longer have built-in fax functionality. However, if you have a phone line, you can connect an all-in-one printer that supports faxing. Then you’ll be able to send faxes via the Print dropdown in programs such as Word.

The other (better) option is to use an online fax service like RingCentral. The RingCentral desktop fax app works on Macs with OS 10.10 or later, including Intel Macs and Apple Silicon Macs. Again, just follow the steps we gave you earlier.

Benefits of faxing from computer with RingCentral

Online faxing with RingCentral is so easy to set up and use—all you need to do is download and install the RingCentral app, free of charge. It’s compatible with multiple devices and operating systems, so you can send online faxes from a desktop PC or Mac, a laptop, a tablet, an Android phone or an iPhone.

If you just need a standalone online fax service for your business, you can choose the Fax 3000 plan. Or, if you want to have video, phone, messaging, SMS, and faxing all in one platform, you can upgrade to a RingEX unified communications plan.

Once you have a RingCentral account, you’ll be given a fax phone number. Your contacts can use this to send you a fax, either digitally or from a traditional fax machine. You also have the option to pick out a new toll-free, local, or vanity number. If you sign up for RingEX, you’ll use this same number for all your communications.

Sending a fax to more than one person? You can add up to 50 recipients at once, and create “groups” of contacts for convenient bulk sending. If you want to send a fax to more than 50 people, simply enable the “fax broadcasting” function.

Other useful features include the ability to schedule faxes in advance and customize your cover pages with templates or your own design. Whenever faxes come through, you’ll receive instant notifications by text message or email. You can receive multiple faxes simultaneously with no busy signal, even if you’re also talking on the phone.

RingCentral integrates with cloud storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive, so it’s easy to retrieve your files from the cloud and attach them to faxes.

If you’re a Windows user, you can send a secure online fax within Microsoft Outlook thanks to the RingCentral integration. And for RingCentral customers, a RingCentral fax icon will appear within your Windows applications—such as Outlook and Word.

These documents will be converted to PDF files so that you can send them to any fax machine with a local or international number.

RingCentral gives you enterprise-grade security, with encrypted connection (TLS) and password-protected accounts for storage. You can customize your personal security controls, and block spam faxes—for example, numbers that have a specific area code, start with 1-800, or are identified as spam numbers.

It’s already more secure to fax from computer than to use the traditional method, and RingCentral adds an extra layer of security. So it’s ideal if you’re in an industry that prefers to use faxing for confidential and sensitive documents—such as government institutions, healthcare, and financial services.

Faxing from computer has never been easier or more convenient.
Take RingCentral Fax for a spin by taking advantage of our free trial.

FAQs

When you fax online from a computer, there’s no need to have a separate fax machine taking up space in your office and requiring maintenance and toner refills. Online faxing also saves on paper, which helps the environment.

Even if you start by scanning a hard copy, you’re making it digital so the recipient won’t have to print it out at the other end. That makes the process faster and more convenient, as well as helping to keep confidential documents private.

Faxing from a computer only requires a strong internet connection and a suitable device on which you can download the fax software or access the relevant online service through your web browser. It transmits documents via the internet, rather than over telephone lines.

How can you fax from a computer if the recipient doesn’t have online faxing capabilities? With ease you can still send your digitized faxes to a traditional fax machine.

With RingCentral, you can fax from any device, keep your existing fax phone lines or set up new toll-free, local, or vanity numbers. On the RingEX Advanced plan, you can use the same phone number to receive voice calls and send SMS and MMS as well as faxes.

You can send eFaxes to up to 50 recipients at a time, and schedule faxes in advance. RingCentral integrates with cloud storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive, so you can quickly grab files from the cloud, attach them to your virtual fax pages, and send them.

It’s secure, too, with an encrypted connection (TLS) and password-protected accounts for storage. Plus, you can customize your personal security controls to block spam faxes.

Some online fax providers do offer free fax plans—but they’ll usually limit you to only a few free pages, and only let you send free faxes to local numbers.

Even for small businesses, that’s usually not enough. You’re better off with an affordable paid plan (like those from RingCentral) where you don’t have to worry about such restrictions. And you can check if it’s right for you with a free trial.

Yes, you can send faxes from a computer to any online or physical fax machine, as long as you have its number. If the recipient isn’t using online faxing, they will receive incoming faxes on their traditional fax machine. That’s one of the great things about internet faxing—it’s so versatile.

With an online faxing solution, you can easily fax documents from your computer. Whether your files are stored on your desktop or in a cloud storage account like Google Drive or Dropbox, just attach them when you send your fax message. Got a hard copy you need to send? Scan it into your computer and send it as a digital fax.