Windows Fax and Scan utility has been part of the Windows operating system for a long time. However, it’s not part of the new Windows 11.
In Windows 11, the Windows Fax and Scan tool has been replaced with the Scan app. Yes, the Scan app is also present in recent versions of Windows 10. In Windows 10, however, both Scan and Windows Fax and Scan are available, unlike in Windows 11.
Most users will not miss the Windows Fax and Scan utility as the new Scan app offers everything available in Windows Fax and Scan tool, considering that the Fax features are no longer needed.
The Scan app is a good one. It even lets you automatically save scanned documents as PDFs. That said, it rarely fails to recognize the connected scanner or shows “Something went wrong” during the scan process.
If you often need to scan documents and pictures and prefer the old Windows Fax and Scan tool over the new Scan app, Windows 11 offers an option to install the Windows Fax and Scan tool. The thing is that Windows Fax and Scan has been made optional feature. In short, it’s not installed out of the box, but you can install it.
This guide shows you how to install Windows Fax and Scan tool in Windows 11.
Install Windows Fax and Scan feature in Windows 11
NOTE: The Windows Fax and Scan tool can coexist with the Scan app. So, no need to remove it. That said, if you do not like it, you can uninstall it by going to Settings > Apps > Installed apps page.
Step 1: Navigate to Windows 11 Settings > Apps > Optional features page.
Step 2: Here, click View features button present next to the Add an optional feature.
Step 3: In the resulting dialog, scroll down the list to see Windows Fax and Scan entry.
Select the check box next to the entry and then click the Next button.
Step 4: Here, click on the Install button to install the Windows Fax and Scan.
On the Settings > Apps > Optional features page, you can see the status of the installation progress. Windows 11 might take a few minutes to complete the installation.
Step 5: Once installed, you can launch Windows Fax and Scan using search.
How to change scan settings in Windows 10/11 guide might also interest you.
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