There was a time when offices would go into a slight frenzy when they heard the tone of a fax machine: it meant something urgent and important had come up. But times have changed, and with them so has the way we send and receive faxes.
Although sending faxes remains as reliable and secure as ever, the advent of the internet has altered how the process works. Today, you can send a fax over the Internet without relying on those heavy machines of the bygone days connected to phone lines.
In this article, we will discuss and learn about:
- how to get fax numbers from google
- how to send a fax from gmail
- how to send a fax from google docs and sheets
- how to send a fax through other email service providers (outlook, yahoo, etc.)
how to get fax numbers from google
Using an online service is now the most popular way to send faxes. however, to do so, you need an online fax number. This can be linked to your Google account, allowing you to send faxes within Gmail, Docs, Drives, and Sheets, and receive faxes directly to your inbox.
Google fax numbers are not generated by Google, but are assigned to you by online fax services such as Cocofax. all fax messages sent to your number are sent to the provider’s servers, then converted to pdf and delivered to your inbox.
You will need to register with a third party service provider to get a google fax number. This service provider will make sure that all data passing through their servers is encrypted and secure.
how to send fax in gmail
Sending a fax via email is just as easy as sending an email, but with a few extra easy steps. using cocofax as an example, to send a fax from gmail you just need:
- open your gmail account
- click compose
- enter a subject line and a copy of the email body
- attach the document to be faxed from your local office drive or google drive
- enter in the ‘to’ field the recipient’s fax number, expressed as country code+fax number+@cocofax.net, for example 77123456@cocofax.net
- press send
If you only need to occasionally fax documents from gmail, you can make use of the 30-day free trial offered by online fax services like cocofax to send faxes for free.
If you want to receive a fax via gmail, simply give your fax number online to the sender. You will receive the fax as a pdf file, which you can easily view on any computer.
how to fax in google docs and sheets
Many of us store our important documents in the cloud, protecting us from worrying about data loss. If you’re using Google Drive to store Google Docs and Sheets, it’s possible to send them as faxes directly from Drive.
- open google drive in your browser
- click the ‘plugin’ tab on the right sidebar
- select your fax service provider’s plugin and install it
- after installation you will be asked to authorize the link between the fax and your google accounts
- select and open the document/sheet you want to fax
- select the fax plugin in the sidebar
- fill in the required fields and press send
- once the data has been transmitted, the service provider will send a confirmation email to your inbox
sending fax from google drive is more than convenient. It also allows you to share incoming faxes with other Google accounts and is cheaper than traditional fax methods. Plus, you can safely store fax backups in the cloud.
faxing via outlook, yahoo and other email service providers
it is possible to send faxes through email clients other than gmail. the process is the same, except for the first part.
- Choose a fax service provider, such as cocofax
- Register an account to receive your fax number online
- During the registration process, provide your fax id outlook email or yahoo
- open your email and compose an email with the document you want to fax attached
- fill in the ‘to’ field as before
- press send
- you will receive a notification to confirm delivery of the fax
frequently asked questions
can you send a fax directly from google drive?
yes, with the help of a reliable online fax service provider.
what file formats can be faxed online?
Depending on your service provider, you can typically send .docx, .pdf, .xls, .xlsx, .png, and .jpg files.
where will I receive my faxes?
You will receive faxes in your inbox from the registered email account. for example, gmail, outlook or yahoo.
Online faxing is an easy and secure way to share important and time-sensitive business documents. It’s easy, fast and uncomplicated. all you need to do is sign up with a reliable service provider and you’re good to go.