How to Fax from Your Cell Phone
Any carrier, any phone, any connection. Open OneFaxNow in your phone's browser, upload a document, enter the fax number, and pay. No app to download, no account to create, no landline required. Your fax is delivered in minutes.
Why your phone cannot dial a fax machine directly
Cell phones use digital signals. Fax machines use analog signals over phone lines. Your cell phone's dialer cannot communicate with a fax machine — no matter what carrier you have.
Instead, you need an online fax service that acts as a bridge: you upload your document over the internet, and the service transmits it to the recipient's fax machine over a phone line. That is exactly what OneFaxNow does.
It is a network limitation, not a plan limitation
No carrier (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or any MVNO) offers built-in faxing from your phone. This is because cell networks use digital protocols incompatible with analog fax signals. An online fax service bridges the gap — and all you need is a data connection.
What you'll need
Cell phone
iPhone, Android, or any phone with a browser
Document
PDF, photo, DOCX, or TXT
Fax number
U.S. or Canada number
Payment
Card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay
Step-by-step: Fax from your cell phone
Open OneFaxNow in your phone's browser
Open any browser on your cell phone — Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet, or any other — and go to OneFaxNow.com. Tap "Send a Fax" to open the fax form. No account creation or app download required.
Upload your document
Tap "Choose Files" to upload from your phone. You can select files from your phone's storage, cloud drives (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox), or email attachments.
- PDF — from Files, email attachments, or cloud storage
- Photo — JPG or PNG from your camera roll
- DOCX / TXT — Word documents or plain text
Tip: You can upload up to 15 files (50 pages total) per fax. OneFaxNow merges them automatically in the order you add them.
Enter the fax number and your email
Type the recipient's U.S. or Canada fax number. The form auto-formats as you type — just enter the digits.
Enter your email address to receive a delivery confirmation when the fax goes through.
Optional: toggle "Add Cover Page" to include sender/recipient details and a message on the first page of your fax.
Pay and send
Review your fax details — number, email, page count, and price — then tap "Pay & Send".
Pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a credit/debit card. Your payment is authorized but not charged until the fax is delivered successfully.
Pay-on-success guarantee: If the fax fails after 3 automatic retries, the authorization is released and you're never charged.
Track your delivery
After payment, you'll see a live status page that updates in real time: Sending → Delivered.
- Watch transmission progress live on your phone
- Automatic retries if the line is busy (up to 3 attempts)
- Email confirmation when delivery is complete
Works on every phone, every carrier
OneFaxNow runs in your phone's web browser. If your phone can open a website, it can fax.
iPhone
Safari or Chrome. App also available on the App Store.
Android
Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet, or any browser. App on Google Play.
Older smartphones
Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or older Android with a web browser.
Basic phones
Any phone with a web browser and data or WiFi can access OneFaxNow.com.
Every carrier, every plan
AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Mint Mobile, Visible, Google Fi, Metro by T-Mobile, Boost, and every other MVNO and prepaid carrier. OneFaxNow works over the internet, not your carrier's voice network — so your plan type does not matter.
WiFi or cellular data — both work
Sending a fax uses under 5 MB of data, comparable to sending a few photos. Both WiFi and cellular data work fine. You do not need WiFi to fax from your cell phone.
Cellular data
- Works on any carrier
- Uses minimal data (under 5 MB)
- 4G or 5G both fine
- No WiFi needed
WiFi
- Home, office, hotel, or public WiFi
- No cellular data used
- HTTPS encrypted on any network
- Great if you have limited data
Want more details on WiFi faxing? See our Fax over WiFi guide.
Cell phone fax options compared
| Feature | OneFaxNow (browser) | Fax apps (subscription) | Retail fax location |
|---|---|---|---|
| App download required | No | Yes | N/A (in-store) |
| Account creation | No | Yes | No |
| Monthly subscription | No — pay per fax | Most require $8-15/mo | No |
| Cost (10 pages) | $3.50 | $8-15/month minimum | $15-25 at $1.50-2.50/page |
| Works from any location | Yes | Yes | Must drive to store |
| HIPAA option | Yes ($6.50) | Varies | No |
| Pay only on success | Yes | No | No |
Sending medical or sensitive documents from your phone?
Toggle HIPAA mode before sending. You get encrypted transmission, automatic file deletion after delivery, a full audit trail, and an instant Business Associate Agreement (BAA). HIPAA fax starts at $6.50 for 1-10 pages.
Send HIPAA FaxSimple pricing
Lite
1-10 pages
$3.50
$3.99 via iOS app
HIPAA add-on: +$3
Standard
11-50 pages
$5.00
$5.99 via iOS app
HIPAA add-on: +$5
Pay only on successful delivery. Authorization released on failure.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fax from my cell phone without downloading an app?
Yes. Open your phone's web browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or any other), go to OneFaxNow.com, and send a fax directly. No app download, no account, no subscription.
Does my phone carrier matter for faxing?
No. OneFaxNow works over the internet, not your carrier's voice network. AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, prepaid, MVNO — any carrier works as long as you have a data connection or WiFi.
How much data does sending a fax from my phone use?
Very little — typically under 5 MB, comparable to sending a few photos. Even a slow cellular connection is more than enough.
What file types can I fax from my cell phone?
OneFaxNow accepts PDF, DOCX, JPG, PNG, TIFF, and TXT files. You can upload files from your phone's storage, cloud drives, or email attachments.
How much does it cost to fax from a cell phone?
On the web: $3.50 for 1-10 pages, $5.00 for 11-50 pages. Via the iOS app: $3.99 and $5.99 respectively. HIPAA add-on available for medical documents. You only pay on successful delivery.
Can I send a HIPAA-compliant fax from my cell phone?
Yes. Toggle HIPAA mode before sending to get encrypted transmission, automatic file deletion, audit logs, and an instant Business Associate Agreement (BAA). Works from any phone.
Ready to fax from your cell phone?
Upload your document and send in under 5 minutes. Any carrier, any phone, no account.