How to Get a Fax Number on Your Phone
Need a number people can fax? Learn how personal, temporary, and free fax-number options work on a phone, including receiving, pricing, and setup.
You can get a fax number on your phone without adding a landline or buying a fax machine. A fax app assigns you a real number, and documents sent to it arrive in the app as digital files.
If you are new to incoming faxes, first read how to receive a fax without a fax machine. That guide explains the full receiving workflow. This article focuses on choosing and keeping the number itself.
The main thing to know is that receiving is usually a paid service. Sending one or two pages for free is common. Keeping a dedicated number ready for incoming faxes costs the provider money, so it is normally attached to a subscription.
Personal, temporary, or free: which fax number do you need?
A personal fax number is the normal choice when an office may send more than one document or you want to keep the same number for future use. It stays assigned while the receiving plan remains active.
A temporary fax number can make sense when you expect one document and know when it should arrive. Providers rarely rent a number for exactly 24 hours, so this usually means choosing the shortest receiving plan available. Read the practical guide to using a temporary fax number for one day before publishing it on a form.
A free fax number is harder to find. A trial may include receiving, but many offers described as free cover only outgoing pages. The guide to receiving a fax for free explains what to check before relying on a trial for an important document.
How to get a fax number on your phone
Install a fax app
Choose an app that explicitly says it includes receiving and a personal fax number. A send-only app is not enough.
Choose receiving
Open the receiving or personal-number section. Review the available plan before you subscribe.
Claim your number
Follow the app's setup flow. Once the number appears, save it somewhere you can find even when the app is closed.
Send a test fax
Ask a colleague or another service to send one ordinary page. Confirm that the file and notification arrive.
In #Fax, the receiving plan includes a personal fax number for incoming documents on iPhone and iPad. The Android listing also supports sending and receiving. Availability and prices can differ by country and store, so check the exact offer shown on your phone.
What is my fax number on my phone?
Your fax number is the separate number shown in the receiving or inbox section of your fax app. It is not created automatically just because the app is installed. If you have not activated a receiving plan or claimed a number, you probably do not have one yet.
Once the number is active, save it in your contacts and send yourself a test page before giving it to a clinic, accountant, insurer, client, or government office. If the number is missing from the app, check the subscription status or contact the provider before asking anyone to send sensitive paperwork.
Is a fax number the same as your regular phone number?
No. Your mobile number handles calls and text messages. Your fax number is a separate number connected to the fax service.
That separation is useful. You can give the fax number to a clinic, accountant, insurer, client, or government office without publishing your personal mobile number. When someone sends a fax, the service converts it into a file and places it in your inbox.
If you also need a separate number for ordinary calls and texts, that is a different service. HashPhone provides a second phone number for calling and texting, while your #Fax number remains dedicated to fax documents. HashPhone is another app from our team.
What to check before choosing a number
- Receiving is included. Some free plans let you send but do not give you an inbound number.
- The number stays assigned. Find out what happens if the subscription expires or you cancel it.
- Incoming pages have limits. A plan may count both sent and received pages toward one monthly allowance.
- Notifications work. Turn them on, but do not depend on a notification as your only record.
- You can export documents. You should be able to save an important fax outside the app when needed.
- The country or area code works for you. Available fax numbers depend on the service and your location.
Can you get a fax number for free?
Sometimes a service advertises a trial, but a permanent receiving number is rarely free forever. Read the plan screen carefully. “Free fax app” may mean the download is free, or that a few outgoing pages are free. It does not automatically mean a free personal number.
On the US App Store, #Fax currently lists separate send-only plans and send-and-receive plans that include a personal fax number. That distinction matters when you compare prices.
How much does a fax number cost?
Most services bundle the number with a weekly, monthly, or annual receiving plan rather than selling the number once. Compare the full renewal price, included incoming pages, overage fees, number availability, and what happens to the number when you cancel. The cheapest short plan may work for one records request, while a stable personal or business number needs a plan you can keep.
Do not compare a send-only price with a send-and-receive plan. If the offer does not explicitly include a personal fax number, assume it cannot receive until the provider says otherwise. For a wider product comparison, see the best apps for receiving faxes.
Source check, July 11, 2026: the official #Fax App Store listing says its send-and-receive subscription includes a personal fax number. Store pricing and availability can change.
Keep the number before you publish it everywhere
If the number will go on business cards, forms, or a website, first check whether the service supports keeping or porting it. A number tied to a short subscription may be fine for a one-time records request. A business number needs a more deliberate choice.
For occasional personal use, start small. Claim the number, test it, and give it only to the person or office that needs to send you something.
