Do I need a fax machine to fax from Windows?

No fax machine is needed to fax from Windows through a browser fax service. Windows Fax and Scan is a feature on the PC, and Microsoft's pages state no modem or phone-line requirement for a Windows 11 PC. A browser fax service needs only a browser and a PDF, and every Fax Pigeon plan includes fax from email.

Is it HIPAA compliant to fax from Windows?

The Microsoft pages cited in this article do not mention HIPAA, so they cannot confirm that faxing from Windows is HIPAA compliant. When the service that transmits a fax handles patient records, HIPAA requires a business associate agreement with that service. Every Fax Pigeon plan includes a signed BAA at signup. A fax sent through Windows Fax and Scan on your own PC leaves the safeguards to your practice.

How do I know the fax went through?

Fax Pigeon shows delivery proof for every fax on every plan, so a sender on Windows can see that the fax was delivered. The Microsoft pages cited here do not describe a delivery report for a fax sent through Windows Fax and Scan. The steps for confirming a fax are in how to tell if a fax went through.

October 15, 2026

How to fax from Windows

Windows Fax and Scan is available only in certain Windows editions and configurations, and it is not on Arm-based PCs. Without it, save a PDF and send it from a browser fax service.

An old desktop fax machine with a handset and a coiled cord on a white desk

Windows Fax and Scan is an optional Windows feature, and Microsoft says it is available only in certain Windows editions and configurations. The route that needs no fax machine is to print the file with Microsoft Print to PDF, then send that PDF from Fax Pigeon.

Does Windows 11 still include Windows Fax and Scan?

Windows Fax and Scan is not on every Windows 11 PC. Microsoft says it is not available on Windows 11 Arm-based PCs, or on any Windows 11 edition running a Snapdragon processor.

How do you add Windows Fax and Scan?

Microsoft's Office article gives the route through Control Panel, and no Microsoft page confirms a Settings route.

Open Control Panel, then open Programs and Features.
Choose Turn Windows features on or off.
Under Print and Document Services, select the Windows Fax and Scan check box.

What does Windows need to fax?

The Windows Fax and Scan route needs that feature installed, and Microsoft's pages give no modem, phone-line or fax-server requirement for a Windows 11 PC. Microsoft's Windows Server 2012 fax-server guide names modem devices and a telephone line, but that guide covers a Windows Server fax server only.

The table sets out the three routes and what each needs.

Route	What it needs	Suits patient documents?
Windows Fax and Scan	The feature installed, in certain Windows editions and configurations	The Microsoft pages cited here do not mention HIPAA
Office Internet Fax	The Windows Fax printer driver or Fax Services on the computer, with Outlook, Word, Excel or PowerPoint files	The Microsoft pages cited here do not mention HIPAA
Microsoft Print to PDF, then send from a browser	A PDF and a browser, with no fax machine	Yes: every Fax Pigeon plan includes a signed BAA at signup

How do you save a Windows document as a PDF for faxing?

Microsoft Print to PDF sits in the Printer list of the Print dialog, and choosing it saves the document as a PDF file.

Open the document and open the Print dialog.
In the Printer list, choose Microsoft Print to PDF.
Save the output as a PDF file with a name and a location.

If Microsoft Print to PDF is missing, Microsoft's Windows 11 preview note says to enable it from the Windows Features dialog (Windows + R, then optional features).

How do you fax a Windows PDF from a browser?

A Windows PC sends the PDF you made through a Fax Pigeon account. Every plan includes a signed BAA at signup and a fax number that belongs to your practice.

Make the PDF with Microsoft Print to PDF.
Create a Fax Pigeon account and complete the BAA during signup.
Type the receiving number, attach the PDF, and submit the fax.
Read the delivery proof after the fax leaves.

On the Basic plan, $4.99 a month billed annually comes to $59.88 a year for 200 pages. For the delivery record, read how to find out whether a fax was delivered.

Who should switch from faxing on Windows?

Windows users whose PC does not have Windows Fax and Scan should move to a browser fax service. That covers Windows 11 Arm-based PCs and Windows 11 on a Snapdragon processor, since Microsoft says the feature is not available on them. A PC that runs Windows Fax and Scan can keep that feature for papers without patient details, while records go through a service with a signed BAA. For prices, see what Fax Pigeon plans cost, and for the comparison, read how online fax differs from a fax machine.

* Apple's and Microsoft's support pages were read on October 13, 2026. Fax Pigeon prices and plan terms as of October 15, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How do I fax from Windows?: You fax from Windows by Windows Fax and Scan where that feature is installed, by Office Internet Fax, or by a browser fax service. Windows Fax and Scan is available only in certain Windows editions and configurations, and Microsoft says it is not on Windows 11 Arm-based PCs. A PC without that feature can save the document as a PDF and send it from a browser fax service, which needs no fax machine.
Do I need a fax machine to fax from Windows?: No fax machine is needed to fax from Windows through a browser fax service. Windows Fax and Scan is a feature on the PC, and Microsoft's pages state no modem or phone-line requirement for a Windows 11 PC. A browser fax service needs only a browser and a PDF, and every Fax Pigeon plan includes fax from email.
Is it HIPAA compliant to fax from Windows?: The Microsoft pages cited in this article do not mention HIPAA, so they cannot confirm that faxing from Windows is HIPAA compliant. When the service that transmits a fax handles patient records, HIPAA requires a business associate agreement with that service. Every Fax Pigeon plan includes a signed BAA at signup. A fax sent through Windows Fax and Scan on your own PC leaves the safeguards to your practice.
How do I know the fax went through?: Fax Pigeon shows delivery proof for every fax on every plan, so a sender on Windows can see that the fax was delivered. The Microsoft pages cited here do not describe a delivery report for a fax sent through Windows Fax and Scan. The steps for confirming a fax are in how to tell if a fax went through.
Does Windows 11 have Windows Fax and Scan?: Windows Fax and Scan is available on Windows 11 only in certain editions and configurations, according to Microsoft. Microsoft says it is not available on Windows 11 Arm-based PCs or on any Windows 11 edition running a Snapdragon processor. Microsoft does not say it is on every Windows 11 PC, so check the PC before planning a fax route around it.

Fax Pigeon

HIPAA-compliant fax with a signed BAA on every plan

Plans start at $4.99 a month, billed annually, for 200 pages, with your own number and unlimited people. Your first fax is free.

Free porting of your local number
Fax from your email
AI summary of every inbound fax
E-signatures
Contact management
Delivery proof

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Know a practice that still faxes? Refer it through the referral program and earn 20% of its plan, every month it stays.