To receive a fax on Android, sign up with an online fax service that gives you a virtual fax number, then have incoming faxes delivered to an app or your email as a PDF. Android has no built in fax hardware, so a service does the receiving for you. Our top pick for phone faxing is Faxend, though it is iOS only, so Android users pair it with a virtual number service.
The Short Answer
To receive a fax on Android, you need an online fax service that hands you a dedicated fax number. Your phone has no fax modem and no phone line, so it cannot answer a fax call on its own. The service catches the incoming fax on its servers, then delivers it to you as a clean PDF.
Setup is quick. You install an app or sign up on the web, claim a fax number, and choose how incoming faxes reach you. Most people use app notifications, email, or both.
Our top pick for phone faxing is Faxend, the fastest way to send a fax from an iPhone. Faxend is iOS only, so on Android you will pair it with a virtual number service for receiving. If you also own an iPhone or iPad, that is where I start for sending.
Method 1: A Fax App With Its Own Number
The cleanest way to receive faxes on Android is a dedicated fax app that includes an inbound number. You pick a local or toll free number during signup, and every fax sent to it lands in the app.
The upside is convenience. You get a push notification the moment a fax arrives, and the document opens right inside the app. For a full breakdown of the Android options, see our best fax app for Android guide.
Most of these apps charge a monthly fee for the number. Pricing shifts often, so check the provider’s current plans before you commit. Free receiving usually comes with page caps or ads, which I cover in the best free fax apps for Android roundup.
Method 2: Receive Faxes by Email
Fax to email works on any Android phone, because you only need your inbox. The service assigns you a fax number, then forwards each incoming fax to your email as a PDF attachment.
This method suits people who already live in Gmail or Outlook. You do not learn a new app, and every fax sits in your normal email search. Saving to Google Drive takes one tap.
The tradeoff is speed and organization. Email can delay a fax by a few minutes, and a busy inbox can bury it. If faxes are central to your work, a dedicated app keeps them separate and easier to track.
Faxend is our top pick for sending a fax from an iPhone. It is the app we build, it is free to download, and it turns a photo or PDF into a fax in a couple of taps. Per-fax or plan pricing applies.
Set Up Fax Receiving on Android, Step by Step
Follow these steps to start receiving faxes on your Android phone within a few minutes.
- 1Choose a service. Pick a fax app or web service that offers an inbound number on Android.
- 2Claim a number. Select a local or toll free fax number, or port your existing one.
- 3Set delivery. Turn on app notifications, email delivery, or both.
- 4Send a test. Fax yourself one page to confirm it arrives and looks clean.
- 5Save and back up. Store received faxes in Drive or your cloud of choice.
What to Look For in an Android Fax App
A good receiving setup is about more than a number. When I test a service, I check how fast the notification lands, how readable the PDF is, and whether saving and forwarding take one tap or five.
Here is how the picture looks as of writing. Prices change, so treat plan details as a starting point and confirm on each provider’s site.
| Service | Platform | Inbound number | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faxend (our top pick) | iOS | Send focused | Fastest way to fax from a phone |
| eFax | Android, iOS, web | Yes | A well known name, check current pricing |
| iFax | Android, iOS, web | Yes | App plus web access in one plan |
| Fax.Plus | Android, iOS, web | Yes | A free tier for light use |
Faxend, our own app, is the editor’s choice for sending a fax from a phone. It runs on iOS, so Android users pair it with one of the number services above for receiving. You can read more about providers like eFax on their own sites before you sign up.
Reading, Saving, and Forwarding a Received Fax
Once a fax arrives, opening it is the easy part. In an app, you tap the notification and the PDF loads. With fax to email, you open the attachment in Gmail or your PDF viewer.
Saving matters more than people expect. Android lets you send any received fax to Google Drive, Files, or another cloud in a couple of taps. I always keep a backup, since app inboxes can clear old faxes on free plans.
Forwarding is common for medical and legal documents. Most apps let you resend a received fax to another number, or share the PDF by email. Check that the resend keeps the original resolution so nothing turns blurry.
When Faxes Do Not Arrive
If a fax never shows up, the cause is usually simple. The sender may have the wrong number, the file may exceed a page limit, or notifications may be switched off on your phone.
Start by confirming your fax number with the sender, digit by digit. Then check that the app has notification permission in Android settings. For email delivery, look in spam, since PDF attachments from unknown senders sometimes land there.
Send yourself a one page test fax after setup. If it arrives clean, your number and delivery settings are working before anything important comes in.
For more walkthroughs like this, browse our how-to guides.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. An Android phone cannot receive a fax on its own, but an online fax service can. You sign up for a virtual fax number, and incoming faxes are delivered to a fax app or your email as a PDF. Setup usually takes only a few minutes.
Yes. To receive a fax you need your own inbound fax number, which an online fax service provides. The sender dials that number, the service answers the call, and the document reaches you as a PDF. Without a number, there is nowhere for a fax to land.
Some services offer free receiving, but they usually cap pages, show ads, or drop the number after a trial. For occasional use it can work. For steady receiving, a paid plan with a permanent number is more reliable. Our free Android roundup covers the current options.
Received faxes are stored inside the fax app or arrive as PDF attachments in your email. From there you can save them to Google Drive, Files, or another cloud in a couple of taps. Keeping a backup is smart, since free plans sometimes clear old faxes.
Our top pick is Faxend, the fastest way to send a fax from an iPhone. It turns a photo or PDF into a fax in a couple of taps. It is iOS only, so Android users pair it with a virtual number service for receiving.
