Windows Fax and Scan: how it works, and faxing without a modem
Windows Fax and Scan is the fax and scanning program built into Windows. It can send a fax only through a fax modem connected to a phone line, or a fax server on your network - its own message says: "To send a fax, you must first connect to a fax modem or server." It doesn't send faxes over a normal internet connection, so on most home PCs today it can scan but not fax.
Below: how to turn it on, what you need to fax with it, and the easier ways to fax when you don't have a modem.
Full disclosure: I make HonestFax, one of the options below. HonestFax doesn't run on Windows - it's an iPhone app.
What Windows Fax and Scan does
The program has two halves:
- Scan: it scans pages from a scanner or printer-scanner connected to your PC, and can save or email the scan.
- Fax: it sends and receives faxes. When you set it up, the account wizard gives two choices - Connect to a fax modem or Connect to a fax server on my network. There is no third option for the internet.
So the scanning part works with any supported scanner, and the fax part needs hardware most homes no longer have: a fax modem and a landline.
How to turn on Windows Fax and Scan in Windows 11
On many PCs it's already installed - search for Windows Fax and Scan in the Start menu. If it isn't there, Microsoft gives two ways to add it:
- Settings: open Settings > System > Optional features, find Windows Fax and Scan and add it.
- Control Panel: open Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off, and under Print and Document Services tick Windows Fax and Scan, then OK.
Microsoft notes that if Windows Fax and Scan doesn't appear in Windows Features, it isn't supported on your version of Windows. And if you turn on Windows protected print mode, Microsoft says fax is removed - you add it back from Optional features after turning that mode off.
How to send a fax with Windows Fax and Scan
You need a fax modem (often a USB modem) plugged into a working phone line, or access to a fax server at work.
- Connect the modem to the PC and to the phone line.
- Open Windows Fax and Scan and switch to the Fax view.
- Set up the fax account when it asks: choose Connect to a fax modem and pick your modem.
- Click New Fax, type the recipient's fax number, attach the file or scan a page, and send.
If New Fax says you must first connect to a fax modem or server, the program hasn't found a modem. That's the most common dead end, and on a PC without a phone line there's no way around it inside the program.
How to fax without a modem
If you don't have a modem and a landline, skip the hardware and send the fax over the internet:
| Way to fax | What you need | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| No modem, no phone line HonestFax on your iPhone | An iPhone; scan the page with the camera, or move the file from your PC | First page free, then pay per fax - no subscription |
| Free fax website | A browser and usually an email address | Free for up to 3 pages; paid above that |
| Online fax service | An account; a web app or email to fax | A small free allowance, then a monthly plan |
| Windows Fax and Scan | A fax modem and a phone line, or a fax server | Free software; the line costs money |
With HonestFax:
- Install HonestFax on your iPhone and open the New Fax tab. No account to fill in.
- Add the pages. Scan paper with the camera - you don't need the PC's scanner at all. If the document is a file on your PC, email it to yourself or save it to OneDrive, Google Drive or iCloud Drive, then attach it from Files.
- Type the fax number, check the page count and the price above the Send fax button, and send.
- Watch it go through until it says Delivered. If it can't be delivered, the credits come back automatically.
After the free first page, a fax of up to 3 pages is $2.99, 10 pages are $4.99 and 30 pages are $9.99, and the pages never expire. The full walkthrough is in how to send a fax from your iPhone.
Prefer to stay at the computer? How to fax from a computer covers free fax websites and online fax services, and free fax online compares the free limits. What an online fax service is, and when a monthly plan makes sense: online fax service.
Using Windows Fax and Scan just to scan
The scan side is still useful: scan the page on your printer-scanner, save it as a file, and fax that file another way. For a clean result on the other side - dark enough, straight, in the right order - see how to scan documents for a fax.
Frequently asked questions
Can Windows Fax and Scan send a fax over the internet? No. It sends only through a fax modem connected to a phone line, or a fax server on your network.
Does Windows 11 still have Windows Fax and Scan? Yes. If it's missing, add it from Settings > System > Optional features, or from Turn Windows features on or off under Print and Document Services.
Why does Windows Fax and Scan say I must connect to a fax modem? Because it can't find one. Without a fax modem on a phone line, or a fax server, it can't send faxes - use an internet fax option instead.
Can I receive faxes with Windows Fax and Scan? Only with a fax modem on a phone line that receives calls, or through a fax server. Without one, you need a fax number from a service - see how to get a fax number.
Checked on October 24, 2026: Windows Fax and Scan's own text on Windows 11 ("To send a fax, you must first connect to a fax modem or server", and the account options "Connect to a fax modem" / "Connect to a fax server on my network"). Microsoft Learn, "Windows Protected Print Mode" (updated September 2, 2026): fax is removed when the mode is on, and is added back from Settings > System > Optional features. Microsoft Support, "Install the Windows Fax driver or service to use Internet Fax in Office": turning it on under Print and Document Services, and that a missing entry means your Windows version doesn't support it. HonestFax prices as shown in the app.