How to Record a Google Meet (Step by Step Guide) | Notta
Google Meet is a free online video-communication service hosted by Google that is ideal for people of all professional backgrounds, students, and individuals looking to stay connected.
Recording a Google Meet session provides many benefits, from sharing a work meeting with a coworker who couldn’t attend the meeting to referencing a lecture and creating notes or transcriptions later on. Today, we’re sharing multiple ways that you can easily record a Google Meet call on your PC, smartphone, and much more.
Keep reading to learn more about recording Google Meet calls:
Who can record a Google Meet?
What can you record in Google Meet?
How to record a Google Meet on PC
How to record a Google Meet on mobile devices
How to record a Google Meet as a participant
How to record Google Meet with audio only
How to record Google Meet automatically
How to play, share, download, or save Google Meet recordings
Who can record a Google Meet?
Recording a Google Meet session through Google Meet is limited to individuals using specific Google Workspace memberships. In other words, you can’t record a Google Meet session if you have a free, standard Google account that is not associated with a business or organization account, you won’t be able to record a Google Meet call through Google Meet.
You’ll need to sign up for a Google Workspace Individual Plan if you are interested in recording Google Meet calls through Google Meet.
Currently, these Google Workspace editions are eligible for recording through Google Meet directly according to Google:
Essentials
Business Standard
Business Plus
Enterprise Starter
Enterprise Essentials
Enterprise Standard
Enterprise Plus
Education Plus (Available to users with a "staff" and "student" license)
Teaching and Learning Upgrade (Available to users with a “Teaching and Learning Upgrade” license)
Workspace Individual Subscriber
If you have an eligible Google Workspace account, you can record a Google Workspace meeting if you are the meeting organizer, in the same organization as the meeting organizer, or are granted recording access by the Google Workspace administrator.
Please note that you can only record Google Meet calls through the Google Meet app on a PC. Mobile devices are not eligible for this feature.
What can you record in Google Meet?
When you record a Google Meet session, the following parts of the Google Meet session are saved in the recording:
The active speaker
Anything the active speaker is sharing on-screen, such as a Google Doc, Slides, or Sheets
The meet chat conversation log
If a participant has live captions on during the Google Meet recording, the captions will not be recorded and won’t automatically open during the recording replay.
How to record a Google Meet on PC
1. Start by opening your Google meet session.
2. Click ‘Activities’ in the bottom right-hand corner. The following sidebar will appear, and underneath ‘Premium,’ you will have the option to click ‘Recording’ and start recording the Google Meet session.
3. Click ‘Start’ in the pop-up window and ‘Stop Recording’ when you want to stop the recording.
*Please note that you need to have the correct Google Workspace account to access premium features, such as recording. If you don’t have this type of account, “Recording” will not be an option, and you’ll need to use a third-party extension or ask your Workspace administrator for access to record the meeting. Keep reading for alternative ways to record directly inside Google Meet.
How to record a Google Meet on mobile devices
One of the best ways to record Google Meet sessions on mobile devices is by using the free Screen Recorder - XRecorder app. This app records both video and audio on Android and iOs mobile devices.
Download the Screen Recorder - XRecorder app onto your mobile device by searching for it in your phone’s app store or clicking here for the Google play store or Apple Store download.
Access the recording function by looking at the top of your smartphone screen. Once the app is installed, you’ll see these options at the top of your phone’s screen. Click ‘record’ to start recording your screen, then open your Google Meet session.
Double-check that your recording has started by looking for an orange circle at the top of your phone’s screen. The timer will indicate how long your recording has been doing. You can stop recording your Google Meet by clicking the orange circle at the top of your screen.
Download or share your Google Meet session recording right after you’re ended the recording. The screen record app will show your recording on screen and give you the following options for sharing and saving the recording.
How to record a Google Meet as a participant
If you do not have a premium Google Workspace account or are not given recording access by the meeting organizer, you can still record a Google Meet session as a participant using a screen recorder.
We recommend using Vmaker, a free online screen recorder that allows you to record Google Meets without a G Suite Enterprise account.
Vmaker is available for Mac and Google Chrome. To use Vmaker to record a Google Meet as a participant, take the following steps:
Download Vmaker.
Join your Google Meet session and click the Vmaker icon in the top right corner of your screen. Then, click ‘Start Recording’ when you want to begin recording the Google Meet session. You can play around with the different settings by choosing to record only your webcam, the screen, or both. Headphones are recommended for the best audio recording quality.
Click the pause button to pause the recording at any time and the red recording icon to end the recording entirely.
Allow the following screen to populate. Once you’ve stopped recording, you’ll be automatically taken to the following screen, which allows you to share, download, duplicate, edit, and copy the video link for your Google Meet recording.
How to record Google Meet with audio only
Notta is a free speech-to-text application that you can easily record the audio from Google Meet sessions, even without a premium Google Workspace account. On top of this, Notta can quickly transcribe your meeting, export your audio recordings in multiple formats, translate your session into 104 different languages, and sync the meeting across multiple devices. You can also easily add photos and notes to your Google Meet audio file and transcription for future reference.
The Notta Bot is a great way to record audio from a Google Meet session. Please note that the Notta Bot feature is not available for free members.
To use the Notta Bot feature, take the following steps:
Login to your Notta account and go to your main dashboard. Click ‘Join Live Meeting’ on the right sidebar to open the following pop-up window. Enter your Google Meet URL and click ‘Transcribe Now.’
Click ‘Admit’ to allow the Notta Bot to join the meeting and make an audio recording. The Notta Bot will automatically request to join the Google Meet session, which will be indicated by the following pop-up window in Google Meet.
The Notta Bot will appear in your Google Meeting as follows. During the meeting, the Notta Bot will automatically record and transcribe the meeting for you. To end the recording, simply leave the meeting.
Access your Notta bot recording by going to your Notta dashboard, and you’ll see your Google Meet recording under ‘Recent Recordings.’ Click on your recording to see the transcription and share, download, and add notes to your recording.
How to record Google Meet automatically?
The easiest way to record Google Meet calls automatically is by connecting your Google Calendar to Notta. Connecting your Google Calendar to Notta allows the Notta Bot to join all of your video calls automatically.
To connect your Google Calendar to Notta, take the following steps:
Login to your Notta account and click ‘Upcoming Video Calls’ on the left sidebar. Then, click ‘Connect your Google Calendar’ to link your Google Calendar to Notta.
Allow Notta access to your Google Calendar to proceed.
After allowing Notta to have access to your Google Calendar, the Notta Bot will automatically join any video calls you’ve added to your Google Calendar. Your Google Meet sessions will show up under ‘Upcoming Video Calls’ in your Notta dashboard. Remember that you can select which video calls you don’t want the Notta Bot to join if you are only interested in recording some of your video calls.
Record the meeting automatically by clicking ‘Start Recording,’ and the Notta Bot will join your session for real-time transcription and recording as soon as the Google Meet starts. Your video calls will automatically appear on your Notta dashboard after your Google Calendar connects to your account.
How to play, share, download, or save Google Meet recordings
Interested in sharing your Google Meet recording with a coworker, friend, or fellow student? Check out the three following ways that you can share your recording.
In Google Drive
If you create a recording through Google Meet directly, it’ll automatically save a copy of the recording to your Google Drive. Google Drive makes sharing and downloading your recording easy.
Locate your recording file in your Google Drive account.
Left-click the file to bring up options for sharing and downloading the file.
Click ‘Share’ for options to send the recording to another Google account, such as your coworker’s Gmail account. Otherwise, you can click ‘Get link’ to make a link for the recording to be shared with others or downloaded.
Share with a Link
To share a Google Meet recording through a link, go to your Notta dashboard and click on your Google Meet session recording. Then, click ‘share’ and ‘copy link,’ located underneath the recording title.
Valuable Resource
While researching this video, we came across several great resources for additional information on how to record a Google Meet session.
We love this video on “How to Record Google Meet | Google Meet Features,” which goes over how to record a Google Meet session through Google Meet, QuickTime, and Screencastify.
Another great resource is this video on “How to Record and Share Screen on Google Meet in Mobile,” which shows how to record Google Meet calls on your phone despite Google Meet’s limitations on recording mobile calls. It also demonstrates how to share your screen while recording a Google Meet call.
FAQs about how to record Google Meet
Where is the Record Option in Google Meet?
The record option in Google Meet is under Activities which is on the bottom right of your Google Meet screen. Then, under Premium you’ll find an option for recording. Please keep in mind that you need a premium Google Workspace account to access the recording feature. You’ll also need to be either the meeting organizer, part of the meeting organizer’s organization, or granted access by the meeting organizer to record through Google Meet.
How Do I Know if My Google Meet is Being Recorded?
If the recording is performed through Google Meet, Google will give you an automatic notification that you’re being recorded. Your shared video, audio, and any information in the Google Meet chat will be recorded in this case. However, it’s also possible for a meeting member to record the Google Meet session through a third-party program, which won’t always give you a heads-up that you are being recorded. As a result, it’s considered best practice to always assume that you are being recorded and never share information you don’t want to be recorded in a Google Meet or video call.
Can You Record Google Meet Using a Screen Recorder?
Yes. Google Meet can be recorded through multiple third-party apps, such as Screen Recorder - XRecoder on your mobile device, Vmaker for video and audio recording, or Notta for audio recording and transcription.
Where do Google Meet Recordings Go?
Usually, it will be stored in a new folder in your Google Drive account called ‘Meet Recordings’. You can check out more information about where do Google Meet recordings go in this blog.
Conclusion
Recording a Google Meet call is great for reference, sharing with your coworkers or classmates, and creating transcriptions or online content. Google Meet’s recording feature is the easiest way to record a Google Meet call. However, it requires access to be granted by a meeting organizer and a premium Google Workspace membership.
If you don’t have these options, third-party software is a great option. We strongly recommend Notta for high-quality, automatic audio recordings and transcriptions and Vmaker for video screen recording. Both are easy to use and free options.
