Can you fax without a landline?

Last Update: August 9th, 2021

Yes, you can fax without a landline. An internet fax service can host all of a fax machine’s infrastructure and let you send and receive faxes through email or the web.

A physical fax machine or computer with fax software will require a landline phone line to operate. VoIP phone lines will not work.

Summary

• You need a landline phone line to fax with a device (such as a fax machine or computer with fax software)
• VoIP phone lines do not work with fax signals.
• An online fax service hosts all of the fax lines. It transmits your documents digitally, and faxes from a central server.

Using a fax service

You can access a fax service using email, the web, computer software, or a smartphone app.

Emailing a fax is the same process as sending an email. The body of the email becomes the cover page, and any attached documents are included in the fax. The email is sent to your destination fax number @ the email server’s domain.

Web interfaces are similar to a webmail email account. There are places for incoming and outgoing faxes, as well as the transmission status of previous faxes.

Computer software and smartphone apps are also similar to an email program. The primary difference is that the system is for fax messages, and not for email.