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How to Record a Zoom Meeting in 2026
Recording a Zoom call preserves every detail from decisions to action items. Whether you are the host on a paid plan or a participant on a free account, there is a method that works. This guide walks through all of them.
Recording as the Host on a Free Plan
Free Zoom accounts can record locally to their computer. During a call, click the Record button in the bottom toolbar, then choose Record on this Computer. Zoom will create an MP4 file in your designated recordings folder once the meeting ends or you stop recording. You can find the folder under Zoom settings. The limitation is that there is no automatic transcript and no cloud backup. If your computer crashes during a long call, the recording may be incomplete. Always check the recording has saved properly after each session.
Cloud Recording on Paid Plans
Zoom Pro, Business, and Enterprise accounts can save recordings directly to Zoom's cloud. This provides automatic transcription, playback in the browser, and shareable links. To enable it, click Record and select Record to the Cloud. After the meeting, Zoom sends an email notification when the recording is ready. Cloud recordings are accessible from the Zoom web portal under the Recordings tab. Storage limits apply depending on your plan, and files are automatically deleted after 30 days unless you download or export them.
Recording as a Participant
Participants can only record locally if the host grants them permission during the call. The host must click the participant's name in the Participants panel and choose Allow Record. Once permission is granted, the participant will see the Record button in their toolbar. If the host does not grant permission, participants can still use a screen recording tool or a browser extension that captures at the tab level rather than through Zoom's API.
Using a Browser Extension for Automatic Transcripts
When you open Zoom in a browser tab rather than the desktop app, a Chrome extension like RecordMeeting can capture the session. This method works regardless of your Zoom subscription and does not require host permission. The extension records your screen and audio, then processes the file to produce a transcript with speaker labels and a meeting summary. For teams that want a consistent transcript on every call without managing Zoom's cloud storage limits, this approach adds significant value.
Related resources
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Try it on your next meeting
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