How-to
How to record a Zoom meeting: computer, phone, and as a participant
Last reviewed: By Cluesfinders Editorial Team
Recording a Zoom meeting is useful for people who missed it, for notes, or for a replay you can share later. Zoom gives you two ways to do it — save to your computer, or save to the cloud — with a few rules about who can record and where the file ends up. Here is how to record on a computer or a phone, as the host or as a participant, step by step.
Disclosure: Cluesfinders is an independent affiliate of E-STAGE and may earn a commission if you sign up through our links, at no extra cost to you. That relationship does not change the facts we report about other platforms.
Local vs. cloud recording, at a glance
| Local recording | Cloud recording | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free and paid | Paid plans (Pro and up) |
| Where it saves | Your computer (Documents › Zoom) | Zoom cloud (web portal › Recordings) |
| On mobile | Not available | Available on paid plans |
| Best for | A quick personal copy | Sharing a link, no local storage |
Plan details reflect Zoom as of September 2026 and can change.
Who can record a Zoom meeting
By default the host can record. A participant can record too, but only if the host gives them permission during the meeting.
- The host records by default.
- A participant must be granted "Allow to record" by the host.
- Recording can be turned on or off for the account in the Zoom web portal settings.
How to record to your computer (local)
Local recording works on the free plan and saves the file to your computer.
- Start or join the meeting on the desktop app.
- Click Record in the meeting toolbar.
- If a menu appears, choose Record on this Computer.
- Use Pause or Stop (top-left, next to the recording indicator) when needed.
- End the meeting — Zoom converts the file to MP4 once it finishes.
How to record to the cloud
Cloud recording is available on paid plans (Pro and up) and saves the file online instead of on your computer.
- Start the meeting, click Record, and choose Record to the Cloud.
- Stop when done; Zoom processes the recording and emails you when it is ready.
- Find it by signing in to the Zoom web portal and opening the Recordings tab.
How to record a Zoom meeting on iPhone, iPad, or Android
The Zoom mobile app can only record to the cloud, and only the host or a co-host can start a cloud recording. So recording from a phone or tablet needs a paid account and the host or co-host role; joining as a regular participant is not enough.
- Start the meeting in the Zoom app as the host, or ask the host to make you a co-host.
- Tap More (the three dots), then Record to the Cloud.
- Tap the recording indicator to pause or stop.
- If you cannot record in Zoom, your device's built-in screen recorder is an option only with the host's and participants' consent. Test it first, because some devices do not capture the call audio.
Recording on a Mac, Windows PC, or laptop
The steps are the same on a Mac, a Windows PC, or a laptop: use the Zoom desktop app, click Record, and choose Record on this Computer (or Record to the Cloud on a paid plan).
To change where local recordings are saved, open Settings in the desktop app, go to Recording, and pick a new folder next to "Store my recordings at."
How to record a Zoom meeting as a participant
Participants cannot record unless the host allows it, so the cleanest route is to ask.
- Ask the host for permission. The host opens Participants, hovers over your name, clicks More, and chooses Allow Record.
- Once allowed, click Record and choose Record on this Computer.
- If the host says no, do not record secretly. Recording-consent laws vary by state and country, and recording a call without permission can break them.
Where Zoom recordings are saved
Local recordings save to your computer in the Documents › Zoom folder, inside a folder named for the meeting date, as an MP4.
Cloud recordings save online and are reached from the Recordings tab in the Zoom web portal, where you also get a shareable link.
Limits and things to watch
- Free accounts get local recording only — cloud recording needs a paid plan.
- On phones and tablets, only cloud recording is available, so you need a paid plan and the host or co-host role.
- Everyone in the meeting sees a recording indicator once it starts.
- No Record button? Recording may be disabled in settings, or you are not the host and have not been given permission. Ask the host to allow it rather than working around a no.
How to get a transcript of a Zoom meeting
On paid plans, turn on Audio transcript in the Recording section of your Zoom web settings. After a cloud recording finishes processing, the transcript appears next to the video in the Recordings tab.
On the free plan, record locally and upload the MP4 to a transcription tool afterward.
From a raw file to a branded replay
A Zoom recording is fine for internal notes. But if you want to share the session with clients or an audience, a plain file (or a Zoom-branded cloud link) is not a great experience.
Turning the recording into a branded replay page — one that looks like your business and sits with your other content — makes it far more useful as a follow-up and marketing asset.
Turn a recording into a branded replay
A raw file is fine for notes, but if you want to share a session with an audience, a branded replay works better. See how to record a session and share replays under your own brand.
How to record and share branded replaysCluesfinders is an independent affiliate of E-STAGE and may earn a commission from links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Can you record on Zoom for free?
Yes. Local recording (saving to your computer) is available on the free plan for the host, or for a participant the host allows. Cloud recording requires a paid plan.
Can I record a Zoom meeting when I am not the host?
Only if the host grants you recording permission during the meeting, which lets you record locally on a computer. If the host says no, respect it: recording anyway, even with a screen recorder, can break recording-consent laws.
Why can’t I record my Zoom meeting?
Usually because recording is turned off in the account settings, you are not the host (or lack permission), or you are trying to record to the cloud on a free plan.
Where do Zoom recordings go?
Local recordings save to your computer in the Documents › Zoom folder. Cloud recordings save online and appear in the Recordings tab of the Zoom web portal.
Can you record a Zoom meeting and send it to someone?
Yes. A local recording becomes an MP4 you can share like any file; a cloud recording gives you a shareable link from the Zoom web portal.
How do I record a Zoom meeting on my iPhone?
In the Zoom app, tap More, then Record to the Cloud. Mobile recording goes to the cloud only, so you need a paid account and to be the host or a co-host. Otherwise, iOS screen recording is an option only with the host's and participants' consent.
How do I record a Zoom meeting as the host?
Click Record in the meeting toolbar and choose Record on this Computer or Record to the Cloud. Hosts can record by default unless recording has been turned off in the account settings.
Can I screen record a Zoom meeting?
Technically yes, but only do it with the host's and participants' consent. Zoom does not notify others when you use an outside tool, so asking is on you, and recording-consent laws vary by state and country.
Can Zoom transcribe a recording?
Yes, on paid plans with cloud recording and Audio transcript turned on. On the free plan, record locally and use a separate transcription tool.