Faxing in 2023? Yes, faxing is still a relevant and common practice for some businesses. But these days, sending a fax doesn’t require a fax machine. The internet has changed how faxing operates, even though it remains as dependable and safe as ever. Now you can fax online without using the bulky devices that were once connected to telephone lines. Here’s how to send a fax from Gmail.

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Can You Send a Fax Directly from Gmail?

Yes and no. Gmail does not allow you to send or receive faxes. Reason? It doesn’t have a built-in fax-sending feature. But you can use a third-party service. Connect it to Gmail, and you’re good to send a fax.

How to Get a Google Fax Number

Sending faxes via email is a common practice. You typically need an internet fax number to start faxing. You can connect this to your Google account to send faxes from within Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Sheets and receive faxes in your inbox.

Google does not generate Google Fax numbers; online fax providers will assign them to you. The provider’s servers will receive faxes received to your number, convert them to PDF, and then send them to your mailbox. You usually have to pay for this service, but many options have a free trial or free use options.

Which Internet Fax Service is Best?

There are so many options for faxing via Gmail. Here are just a few services you can use:

• CocoFax • MyFax• eFax• Fax.Plus

We used CocoFax for this walkthrough due to its generous 14-day unlimited free trial and free fax number.

How to Send a Fax from Gmail

Once you sign up for an extension or service that allows you to send a fax from Gmail, let’s talk about how to do it!

Step 1: Connect the Fax Service to Gmail

First, you’ll want to ensure any fax service you use is connected to Gmail. In CocoFax, go to your settings and connect the two with a click of a button.

{Insert Gmail Fax Photos 1-2}

Step 2: Open Gmail

Once you pair the two accounts, go to your Gmail account and log in if necessary. From there, you will prepare your fax for sending!

Step 3: Include the Fax Number

In the ‘To’ section, you’ll need to include the fax number you want to send your document or attachment. You typically need to include country code+fax numb[email protected] net. For demonstration, this looked like [email protected] net, but yours may look different.

Step 4: Attach A File

Next up, you want to attach the file of whatever you want to send. With CocoFax you can send .png, .pdf, .docx, .xlx, and more! I included a pdf file to make it easy. When you click to attach a file, a pop-up of all the documents on your computer will show.

You can choose whatever you want to send. And remember, the longer the document, the longer it will take to fax everything over.

Step 5: Draft A Message/Cover Letter

After attaching a file, you can include a message in the body of the email. This will show as a cover letter once you send the fax, so include ATTN TO if you want someone to receive the document specifically.

Step 6: Send

Once you’ve completed the above steps, you can send your fax!

Gmail will send it immediately, but it may take a little while (up to 30 minutes) for your recipient to receive it.

If your fax was sent successfully, you can view it in CocoFax (or your service provider).

How to Send a Fax from Gmail, With Photos Wrap Up

As you can see, faxing from Gmail is easy. And when using an online service, sending documents through fax is a simple process. Just be sure to cancel any trial if you don’t want to pay for the service after you’ve sent your fax, but otherwise, they are great for busy professionals who need to fax items each month!