There are two straightforward ways to record a Zoom meeting:

Use Zoom's built-in recorder. Save video, audio, and screen sharing to your computer or the host's Zoom cloud account.
Use note1.ai. Capture the conversation and get a searchable transcript, summary, action items, and Live AI Assistant help during the meeting.

For recurring standups and team calls, we recommend note1.ai: it helps you keep track of your update during the conversation and review the decisions and follow-ups afterward. Zoom's built-in recorder is the direct option when you need a video of a presentation or screen share.

Option 1: use Zoom's built-in recorder

Open Record in the meeting controls, sometimes under More, and choose Record on this Computer or Record to the cloud. Computer recording works in the Windows, Mac, and Linux desktop apps, including on a free account. Cloud recording requires an eligible licensed host and can be started by the host or a co-host.

Join through a supported Zoom app with recording access.
Open Record and select the available destination.
Look for the recording indicator.
Select Stop recording when finished, then wait for conversion or cloud processing.

On a phone, Zoom's native recorder saves to the cloud. It does not create a local recording in your phone's storage.

Option 2: record with note1.ai

Use note1.ai's Zoom meeting recorder to turn the conversation into notes and follow-ups. The desktop app is available for macOS and captures meeting audio without adding a bot to the participant list.

Download the note1.ai app and sign in.
Join your Zoom meeting.
Start recording in note1.ai to capture the conversation.
Stop recording when the call ends and open the meeting record in note1.ai.
Review the transcript, summary, and action items, then assign or update the follow-ups.

You can also add a Zoom meeting link to note1.ai and use the visible Notetaker. It joins as a meeting participant and captures the call instead of recording through the desktop app.

Keep the transcript and follow-ups together

A searchable Zoom transcript lets you find a name, decision, or deadline without replaying the entire call. The meeting summary collects the main points, and action items help you review assignments and track their status. Available timestamps and playback connect those follow-ups to the original discussion.

These records live in note1.ai, separate from Zoom's computer and cloud recordings. The desktop app captures audio for transcripts and notes; use Zoom's native recorder when you also need video of a screen share.

Get help with your update during the meeting

Before a Zoom standup, save your update in Personal notes. Live AI Assistant summarizes it into talking points, helps track what you have covered, reminds you about points still to mention, and surfaces highlights as the conversation develops.

The Assistant appears in note1.ai's floating Mac overlay with an available live transcript. You cannot type questions to it: it follows the conversation and proactively reacts with suggestions and reminders. You can mark talking points yourself and review the agreed actions after the call.

Choose computer or cloud recording in Zoom

Zoom now calls local recording "computer recording" in its help pages. Both names refer to files saved on the computer doing the recording.

Question	Computer recording	Cloud recording
Which account is eligible?	Basic/free or paid, with recording enabled	Licensed user on an eligible paid account
Which devices can start it?	Zoom desktop app on Windows, macOS, or Linux	Desktop app, Zoom Web App, Android, or iOS
Who controls it?	Host records or grants a participant permission	Host or co-host starts it
Where does it go?	Recording person's computer	Host's Zoom account
How do others watch?	You upload and share the finished file	Host shares a cloud recording link

Zoom's computer recording requirements include free accounts. Its cloud recording instructions list licensed users on Pro, Business, or Enterprise accounts. An organization can disable recording even when the subscription includes it.

Use computer recording for a file you will manage yourself, or cloud recording for a host-managed playback link. Agree on the destination before the call.

Record on a Windows PC, Mac, or Linux computer

Before the meeting, open Zoom's desktop Settings > Recording. Check the storage location and available disk space. In the web portal, the recording settings include Record to computer files; if the setting is locked, ask the account administrator.

Follow Zoom's documented computer recording steps:

Join in the desktop app as host or as a participant with recording permission.
Select Record in the meeting toolbar.
If Zoom offers a destination menu, select Record on this Computer.
Confirm the recording indicator is visible.
Use Pause for a temporary break and Resume Recording to continue.
Select Stop Recording when capture is complete.
After the meeting ends, allow Zoom to convert the recording into playable files.

Pausing and resuming keeps the same recording segment. Stopping and starting again creates a new video file, so check for multiple segments before sharing.

Computer recording follows the recording person's meeting view. Choose the speaker or gallery layout you need, and check how shared content appears. A short practice recording will show whether the speech and text on screen are clear.

Record as a participant

Ask the host to open Participants, find your name, select More, and choose Allow Record. You receive a recording-privileges notification and can start a computer recording from your desktop app. The host can revoke this through Forbid Record.

The host grants computer-recording permission. Co-hosts can start cloud recordings, but those files still belong in the host's recording list.

An ordinary participant cannot start a native cloud recording merely because their own account is paid. The host can record or assign a co-host to start it.

Record to the cloud, including from a phone

The host's account needs cloud recording enabled and the relevant license. Check the cloud recording settings before the meeting because they determine the saved layouts and files.

On desktop or the Zoom Web App:

Join as host or co-host.
Open More > Record, or the visible Record control.
Select Record to the cloud.
Use the recording controls to pause or stop when needed.

On the Android or iPhone app, Zoom currently documents this sequence:

Join as host or co-host.
Tap More > Record > Start recording.
Tap the recording indicator to access pause or stop.
Confirm Stop when prompted.

The mobile file processes in Zoom's cloud and appears in the host's web portal, not Photos. Native computer recording is unavailable on iOS, iPad, and Android.

Computer files and conversion

Zoom normally saves computer recordings in Documents/Zoom for the user who recorded. The desktop app's Settings > Recording > Local recording storage shows the actual path and an Open option. Use that path if Documents is redirected or you changed the destination.

The finished folder contains video in .mp4 format and audio-only files in .m4a format. Zoom's computer recording management guide also describes finding recordings through Home > Open recordings, which opens the Hub recording list on current clients.

Keep the computer awake while conversion runs. Zoom warns that shutting down, closing the laptop, or interrupting conversion can damage recording files. It recommends recording to a local drive rather than directly into a cloud-sync folder, external drive, or network location.

After conversion, play the result, upload the finished file to your file-sharing service, and send a sharing link. A local path sent in chat will not let a colleague play a file on your computer, and a computer recording entry in Zoom's portal is not a cloud-hosted copy.

Sign in to the host's Zoom web portal and open Recordings & Transcripts > Cloud recordings. Search by meeting topic or date. A co-host who pressed Record should ask the host for access rather than searching only their own account.

Cloud processing can take up to 24 hours under higher load, according to Zoom. The host can receive an email when processing completes if those notifications are enabled.

To share, open the recording and select Share. Set the intended audience, then use Copy link and passcode. Zoom's sharing documentation describes controls for downloads, transcript visibility, authentication, and link expiration. Your administrator may hide some choices.

Check access before sending the link to customers. Also check any auto-delete policy; a link's expiration and deletion of the underlying recording are separate settings.

Get a transcript from a Zoom cloud recording

Zoom's cloud audio transcription requires an eligible account with cloud recording and audio transcription enabled. The current requirements list Pro, Business, Education, and Enterprise accounts.

After processing, open the meeting under Cloud recordings. The transcript appears beside playback and is available as a separate .vtt file. It may finish after the video. Review names and technical terms before quoting or distributing it.

Computer recording does not include that cloud audio-transcription feature. Saved captions, when enabled, are a separate option. Seeing live captions during a meeting does not prove you have a completed post-call transcript.

Troubleshoot missing controls and files

Problem	Check next
No computer recording option	Use the desktop app and confirm computer recording is enabled.
Participant cannot record	Ask the host for Allow Record; personal subscription status alone is insufficient.
No cloud recording option	Check host eligibility, host/co-host role, and administrator settings.
Phone has no local option	Use cloud recording or ask an eligible host to record.
Local recording will not play	Check conversion status on the recording computer; use Convert in the recording list if offered.
Cloud file seems missing	Check the host's account and processing status, then ask about deletion policies.
Recipient cannot open the link	Check the account they signed in with, sharing audience, passcode, and link expiration.

Frequently asked questions

Can I record a Zoom meeting for free?

Yes, computer recording is available with a Basic account in the desktop app when enabled. Participants still need recording permission. Free computer recording does not include native cloud storage or cloud audio transcription.

Can I record without being the host?

You can make a computer recording if the host grants permission. A co-host can start cloud recording for an eligible meeting.

Can I record Zoom on my iPhone or Android phone?

Yes, as an eligible host or co-host using cloud recording. Zoom's mobile app does not support native local recording.

Why is the recording missing from my Zoom account?

Computer recordings remain on the device that made them. Cloud recordings appear in the host's account, including recordings started by a co-host. Identify which method was used before searching another folder or account.

Can I recover a conversation I forgot to record?

Starting a recorder later does not capture earlier discussion. Ask whether someone else recorded it; otherwise, confirm the decisions with attendees and write a summary from their recollections.

For your next recurring Zoom call, start with note1.ai. Prepare your update, get help during the conversation, and review the transcript and action items afterward.