Yes, you can receive a fax on an iPhone, but not through the Phone app. Incoming faxes travel over a fax number held by an online fax service, which delivers each one to you as a PDF inside an app or your email. Our top pick for iPhone faxing is Faxend, the fastest way to send a fax from an iPhone, paired with an inbound number when you also need to receive.
Can You Receive a Fax on an iPhone?
Yes. An iPhone can receive faxes, but not through the Phone app or a cellular signal. Incoming faxes travel over a fax number that lives inside an online fax service, and that service shows the fax to you as a PDF.
So the real question is which service holds your inbound number. Once you pick one, receiving a fax is as simple as opening a notification and tapping to view the document.
Our top pick for iPhone faxing is Faxend, the fastest way to send a fax from an iPhone. Faxend focuses on sending, so pair it with an inbound number when you also need to receive. The rest of this guide walks through every receiving option and how to set it up.
What You Need to Receive a Fax on iPhone
Receiving a fax on a phone comes down to three pieces. Miss one and the fax never reaches you.
- A dedicated fax number. This is an inbound line a sender dials. You get one from an online fax service, not from your mobile carrier.
- An account with an online fax service. The service answers the call, converts the fax, and delivers it to you.
- A way to view it. Most services deliver through their own iPhone app, through email, or both.
You do not need a landline, a fax machine, or any extra hardware. Everything happens in software.
If you want the full landscape of iPhone faxing before you commit, our guide on how to fax from iPhone covers the sending side in detail.
Method 1: Receive Faxes Through a Fax App
The cleanest way to receive a fax on an iPhone is an app that assigns you an inbound number and pushes each fax straight to your phone. You set it up once, then faxes arrive like messages.
- 1Install a fax app with inbound numbers.Not every app receives. Confirm the plan includes a dedicated fax number for incoming faxes.
- 2Choose or port a number.Pick a local or toll-free number, or move an existing fax number over.
- 3Give the number to senders.They dial it from any fax machine or fax service.
- 4Open the fax when it lands.You get a push notification. Tap it to view the PDF, then save or forward.
Providers that support inbound numbers include eFax, MyFax, Fax.Plus, and iFax. Pricing usually runs around $8 to $13 a month as of writing, and most bundle a page allowance for both sending and receiving. Check the provider’s current pricing before you subscribe.
Method 2: Receive Faxes by Email
Some services deliver incoming faxes as a PDF attachment to your inbox instead of a separate app. On an iPhone this is convenient because the fax lands in Mail, which you already check.
The setup mirrors the app method. You still need a fax number from a provider, but instead of a push notification, each fax arrives as an email you can open, save to Files, or forward.
Email delivery suits people who receive faxes rarely and do not want another app. The tradeoff is that large or image heavy faxes can look softer once compressed, and you lose the tap to resend convenience an app gives you.
Whichever method you choose, add your fax number to your contacts with a clear label. It makes incoming faxes easy to recognize and keeps you from mistaking one for spam.
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.
Best Ways to Handle Faxes on iPhone, Compared
Receiving is only half the job. Most people who receive a fax also need to send one back, so it helps to see the send and receive sides together. Our top pick is Faxend, the fastest way to send a fax from an iPhone, paired with an inbound service when you need to receive.
| Option | Best for | Receives faxes | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faxend (our top pick) | Sending fast from an iPhone | Pair with an inbound number | Free to download, per fax or plan |
| eFax | All in one send and receive | Yes, dedicated number | Around $10 to $13/mo |
| Fax.Plus | Flexible page plans | Yes, dedicated number | Around $7 to $13/mo |
| MyFax | Simple receiving | Yes, dedicated number | Around $10/mo |
| Email-to-fax | Occasional receiving | Yes, via inbox | Varies by provider |
Faxend, our own app, is the one we build, so treat this as our pick rather than a neutral referee. For sending from an iPhone it is the option we reach for first. To compare dedicated iPhone apps head to head, see our best fax app for iPhone roundup.
How to Open and Save a Received Fax
Once a fax arrives, handling it on an iPhone takes seconds.
- 1Open the notification or email.Tap to load the PDF inside the app or Mail.
- 2Review every page.Pinch to zoom on small print so nothing is missed.
- 3Save it.Use the share icon to store the PDF in Files, iCloud, or Photos.
- 4Reply if needed.Forward the same PDF or send a fax back from your app.
Saving a copy matters because free plans sometimes delete stored faxes after a set window. If a document is important, keep your own copy the day it arrives.
Not Receiving Faxes? What to Check
When a fax never shows up, the cause is usually simple.
- Confirm the sender used your fax number, not your mobile number. A regular call to your cell will not turn into a fax.
- Check that your plan actually includes inbound faxing. Some cheap or free tiers are send only.
- Look in spam or junk if you receive by email. Fax PDFs from unknown numbers sometimes get filtered.
- Ask the sender for a confirmation page. If their fax failed on their end, nothing reached you.
For a broader look at picking the right service, our best free fax apps for iPhone guide covers which free options include receiving and which do not. You can also read one provider’s overview of inbound fax numbers at eFax. Browse more walkthroughs in our how-to guides.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. An iPhone receives faxes through an online fax service that holds a dedicated fax number, not through the Phone app or cellular network. The service converts each incoming fax to a PDF and delivers it to the provider’s app or your email, where you can view and save it.
Yes. To receive a fax you need a dedicated fax number from an online fax service. Your regular mobile number cannot receive faxes because carriers do not answer fax calls. Once you have a fax number, share it with senders and incoming faxes arrive in your app or inbox.
For sending, Faxend is our top pick and the fastest way to fax from an iPhone. For receiving specifically, pair it with a service that offers an inbound number, or use an all in one provider like eFax or Fax.Plus that handles both sending and receiving.
Some services offer limited free inbound faxing, often with a temporary number or a small page cap. Free receiving usually comes with tradeoffs like ads, number expiry, or deleted storage. For anything ongoing or sensitive, a low cost paid plan is more reliable.
Received faxes land inside your fax app as a PDF or arrive as an email attachment, depending on your provider. From there you can tap the share icon to save the file to Files, iCloud, or Photos, or forward it to someone else.
