How to Fax a Document from Gmail
Gmail has no built-in fax feature, but you do not need one. Download your attachment, upload it to OneFaxNow, and your fax is delivered in minutes. No account, no add-on, no email-to-fax gateway.
Can Gmail send a fax? No — but the workaround is simple
Gmail is an email service. Faxes travel over phone lines. Gmail has never included a fax feature, and Google Workspace does not add one either.
Most "fax from Gmail" guides tell you to sign up for an email-to-fax gateway like Fax.Plus or eFax, compose a specially formatted email (e.g., 12125551234@fax.plus), and pay a monthly subscription. That works, but it is overkill if you just need to send one document.
The faster approach: download the attachment from Gmail, open OneFaxNow.com, upload the file, and send. No account, no add-on, no subscription. Done in under 5 minutes.
What you'll need
Gmail attachment
PDF, DOCX, JPG, or other file
Browser or phone
Any device with internet
Fax number
U.S. or Canada number
Payment
Card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay
Step-by-step: fax a Gmail attachment
Open Gmail and find your document
Log in to Gmail on your computer or phone. Open the email that contains the document you need to fax.
Look for the attachment at the bottom of the email. Gmail lets you preview PDFs, images, and Office documents directly in the browser before downloading.
Download the attachment
Hover over the attachment and click the download arrow icon. On mobile, tap the attachment, then tap the download button.
The file saves to your Downloads folder (or your phone's Files app). Supported types: PDF, DOCX, JPG, PNG, TIFF, and TXT.
Tip: If the document is in the body of the email (not an attachment), select the text, paste it into a Word document or Google Doc, and export as PDF. Then download that PDF.
Open OneFaxNow and upload the file
Open a new browser tab and go to OneFaxNow.com. Tap "Send a Fax" to open the fax form. No account creation, no sign-up required.
Click "Choose Files" or drag and drop the file you just downloaded from Gmail. You can upload up to 15 files and 50 pages per fax.
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, 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
- Automatic retries if the line is busy (up to 3 attempts)
- Email confirmation when delivery is complete
OneFaxNow vs. email-to-fax gateways
Email-to-fax services ask you to set up an account and learn a special email format. Here is how the two approaches compare for a one-time fax.
| Feature | Email-to-Fax Gateway | OneFaxNow |
|---|---|---|
| Account required | Create account, verify email, pick plan | No account needed |
| Subscription | $4.99-$15.99/mo minimum | Pay per fax: $3.50 for 1-10 pages |
| Setup time | 5-15 min (account + format) | Under 2 min (upload, number, pay) |
| Gmail add-on | Often required (Workspace approval) | Not needed — works in any browser |
| Special email format | e.g., 12125551234@fax.plus | Just enter the fax number in a form |
| HIPAA option | Enterprise tier ($25+/mo) | $6.50/fax with instant BAA |
| Pay-on-success | Most charge upfront | Authorization released on failure |
Tips for faxing Gmail attachments
PDF works best
If your Gmail attachment is a PDF, fax it as-is. PDFs preserve formatting and are optimized for fax transmission. OneFaxNow auto-compresses large PDFs.
Photos from Gmail? Save as JPG
Image attachments in Gmail (JPG, PNG) upload directly to OneFaxNow. If someone sent you a scanned document as an image, it will fax clearly.
Medical or legal docs?
If your Gmail attachment contains protected health information, toggle HIPAA mode before sending. You get encrypted transmission, auto-deletion, and an instant BAA.
On your phone?
Download the attachment from the Gmail app, then open OneFaxNow.com in your mobile browser. Works on any phone. See also: How to Fax from iPhone.
Why OneFaxNow instead of an email-to-fax gateway
Faster than a gateway
Email-to-fax services require account creation, plan selection, and learning a special email format. OneFaxNow: open, upload, send.
No subscription
Pay $3.50 for up to 10 pages. No monthly fee, no credit packs, no auto-renewals to cancel later.
Under 5 minutes
Download from Gmail, upload to OneFaxNow, enter the number, pay, done. Most faxes deliver within 60 seconds.
Simple 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 Gmail send a fax directly?
No. Gmail has no built-in fax feature and Google has never offered one. To fax a document from Gmail, download the attachment and upload it to an online fax service like OneFaxNow. No account or Gmail add-on required.
Is there a free way to fax from Gmail?
Some email-to-fax services offer limited free tiers (1-3 pages with ads on the cover page). OneFaxNow charges $3.50 for up to 10 pages with no ads, no account, and a pay-on-success guarantee — you are only charged if the fax is delivered.
Do I need to install a Gmail add-on or extension?
Not with OneFaxNow. Download your attachment from Gmail and upload it at OneFaxNow.com. No add-ons, no browser extensions, no Google Workspace admin approval needed.
Can I fax a Gmail attachment without creating an account?
Yes. OneFaxNow requires no account and no sign-up. Download the file from Gmail, upload it, enter the fax number, and pay. The entire process takes under 5 minutes.
Is it HIPAA-compliant to fax from Gmail?
Email-to-fax gateways route your document through email servers, which may not meet HIPAA requirements. OneFaxNow's direct upload keeps your document off email entirely. Toggle HIPAA mode for encrypted transmission, auto-deletion, full audit logs, and an instant Business Associate Agreement.
What file types from Gmail can I fax?
Any file you can download from Gmail can be faxed through OneFaxNow: PDF, DOCX, JPG, PNG, TIFF, and TXT. You can upload up to 15 files and 50 pages per fax.
Ready to fax your Gmail attachment?
Download, upload, send. No account, no subscription, no email-to-fax gateway.