How to Record Zoom Meeting (Local + Cloud 2026 Complete Guide)

Who can record a Zoom meeting

By default, only the meeting host can start a recording. Co-hosts also have permission. Regular participants can request permission from the host, who can grant it via the Participants panel.

If you are not the host and cannot see the Record button:

1. Ask the host to grant recording permission through the Participants panel.
2. Or, ask the host to record on your behalf and share the file.
3. Do NOT try to record via a screen-capture tool without notifying the host. Most jurisdictions require consent from all parties for recording.

Enable recording permissions in your Zoom account

Before you can record, recording must be enabled at the account level. Free Zoom accounts have local recording ON by default. For business/education accounts, check with your admin:

1. Sign in to zoom.us as an admin.
2. Go to Settings > Recording.
3. Toggle “Local recording” ON for local file saves.
4. Toggle “Cloud recording” ON for cloud saves (paid plans only).
5. Configure sub-settings: record active speaker, gallery view, shared screen, audio-only, etc.

Record a Zoom meeting to your local computer

1. Start or join the meeting as the host.
2. Click the “Record” button in the Zoom toolbar at the bottom of the meeting window.
3. If you have both local and cloud options, choose “Record on this Computer”.
4. A “Recording…” indicator appears at the top-left of the meeting window (red REC dot).
5. Use the Pause and Stop buttons as needed. Pause lets you skip a section (multiple pauses are joined into one file). Stop finalizes the recording.
6. When you end the meeting, Zoom automatically processes the recording. This takes 30 seconds to several minutes depending on meeting length.
7. The processed file opens in your file explorer. Default location: Documents/Zoom/[YYYY-MM-DD HH.MM.SS Meeting Name]/.

The output folder contains: an MP4 video file, an M4A audio-only file, and optionally a chat transcript text file.

Record a Zoom meeting to the cloud (paid plans)

Cloud recording is available on Pro, Business, and Enterprise Zoom plans. The recording saves directly to Zoom’s servers and is accessible via zoom.us:

1. Start the meeting as host.
2. Click “Record” and choose “Record to the Cloud”.
3. The cloud recording indicator appears (red REC with a cloud icon).
4. End the meeting when done.
5. Zoom processes the recording on its servers. You receive an email when it is ready (usually 5-30 minutes after meeting end).
6. Access the recording at zoom.us > Recordings > Cloud Recordings.

Cloud recordings include additional features: audio transcript (auto-generated), viewer analytics, and shareable links. You can also set expiration dates and password-protect the recording.

Cloud recording storage limits

• Pro plan: 5 GB per license
• Business plan: 5 GB per license
• Enterprise plan: unlimited (Enterprise Plus: unlimited)
• Additional storage: add-on packages available at zoom.us billing

If you exceed the storage limit, new cloud recordings automatically overwrite the oldest ones (unless you enable “Never delete cloud recordings” in settings). Download important recordings to local storage before the auto-delete triggers.

Record a Zoom meeting on mobile (Android / iPhone)

Mobile Zoom only supports cloud recording, not local. And you need a paid plan:

1. Start or join the meeting as host on the Zoom mobile app.
2. Tap “More” (three dots) at the bottom-right of the meeting screen.
3. Tap “Record to the Cloud”.
4. The recording indicator appears at the top.
5. Tap “More” > “Stop Recording” when done, or just end the meeting.
6. Access the recording later at zoom.us > Recordings on any device.

If you need local recording on mobile: use a screen-capture tool at the OS level (iOS Screen Recording, Android built-in Screen Recorder). This captures video and audio directly on your device. Make sure to notify all participants first.

Get a transcript from your recording

Cloud recordings auto-generate transcripts. Local recordings do not have this built-in feature, but you can generate transcripts with other tools:

1. Cloud transcript: Auto-enabled if you turn on “Audio transcript” in Zoom Recording settings. Available in zoom.us > Recordings within an hour of meeting end.
2. Local transcript with Zoom AI Companion: Turn on AI Companion for local recordings if your plan includes it. It generates transcripts alongside the video file.
3. Third-party transcript tools: Otter.ai, Rev, and Fireflies.ai can join Zoom meetings as a bot and provide transcripts. Grant them access at zoom.us > Integrations.

Share a Zoom recording

For local recordings:

• Upload the MP4 file to Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox and share the link.
• Upload to YouTube (private or unlisted) and share the video link.
• Attach directly in email (files under 25 MB) or WeTransfer/SwissTransfer (larger files).

For cloud recordings:

1. Go to zoom.us > Recordings > Cloud Recordings.
2. Click the meeting you want to share.
3. Click “Share” and choose the sharing options: internal only, password-protected, viewer authentication required.
4. Copy the share link and send to viewers.

Legal and consent notes

• Zoom automatically notifies participants when a recording starts (via audio message and visual indicator). This meets most jurisdictions’ consent requirements.
• Some jurisdictions (California, Florida, several EU countries) require explicit consent from all parties. Announce the recording verbally at the start of the meeting as a best practice.
• For sensitive meetings (HR, legal, therapy), always confirm in writing that participants consent to recording. Save the confirmation.
• For meetings with external customers or clients, check any NDA or contract clauses about recording before starting.

Troubleshooting

• Record button is grayed out or missing. Recording is disabled at the account level. Contact your Zoom admin. If you are the admin, enable it at zoom.us > Settings > Recording.
• Local recording fails to save. Not enough disk space on your computer. Free up 5-10 GB and try again. Also check that your Documents/Zoom folder is writable.
• Cloud recording takes hours to process. Long meetings (over 2 hours) or peak times (weekday mornings ET) create queue delays. Recording will eventually process; you get an email when ready.
• Recording cuts off before meeting end. Zoom may hit the maximum session length (24 hours) or lose connection. If loss of connection, the recorded portion is preserved up to the disconnect.
• No audio in the recording. The recording captured only speakers with active mics. If someone had mute on, they are silent in the recording. Cannot fix retroactively.
• Cloud recording exceeded storage. Delete old recordings at zoom.us > Recordings, or buy add-on storage.