Can You Get a Transcript of a Microsoft Teams Meeting?

Whether you need to review your notes or want to share the meeting event with someone who couldn't attend, getting a transcript of your Microsoft Teams meeting is incredibly helpful. Doing so lets you focus on the call, and there’s no need to watch the recording after the meeting.

In this article, we’ll show you how to manually download the meeting transcript on Microsoft Teams and a better alternative that transcribes Microsoft Teams meetings automatically. This can improve your overall note-taking process for all your calls, including Zoom and Google Meet.

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How to Get a Copy of a Meeting Transcript from Microsoft Teams Manually

First, make sure that transcription is enabled for everyone in your organization, allowing you to also use live translated captions. A quick way to know if this feature is enabled is to start a meeting yourself.

Click "More" then “Record and Transcribe.”

If the "Start transcription" is grayed out, it's not currently set up for your organization.

If you don’t see “Start transcription,” you may not have the proper license to access this feature.

For example, I’m just using the free version of Office 365, and I don’t belong to any organization that uses the Microsoft ecosystem. As you can see from the screenshot, those are all of my options under “More.”

Now, if you do belong to an organization and you have admin access, here are the steps to enable transcription:

1. Go to Microsoft Teams Admin Center and then click Teams.
2. Click on "Meeting policies."
3. Under Recording & transcription, turn the toggle to "On" to enable transcription.

If you don't have admin access, talk to your IT department or dev team so that they can enable it for you. (Later, we’ll discuss how you can have transcription regardless of your Microsoft account type.)

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How to Download Transcript from Microsoft Teams Meetings

All right! Now, you’re ready to join your call.

1. Start recording and click on the three dots to open "More Actions." Choose "Start transcription."  Everyone in the meeting will be notified that they are being transcribed. The live transcription will recognize each speaker and include the time stamps.
2. After the meeting, you'll see a summary of the call. Click on the three dots, and then you'll have the option to download the transcript.
3. You can also navigate to the Calendar, choose the meeting, and then click on Recording & Transcripts.
   

Image from Microsoft

Download the original and translated transcripts as a .docx or .vtt file. Use .docx to easily share the file with other meeting participants or send it to your Google Drive.

The .vtt file is usually used when you want to edit or caption a video.

Limitations of Microsoft Teams Transcripts

Note that there are limitations on who can access the transcription depending on the type of meeting and user.

Here's a quick summary of who can stop, start, and download a transcription for Microsoft Teams meetings:

In a nutshell, meeting organizers and co-organizers will be able to view the transcript in real-time and download the file after the meeting event. Persons from the same organization can view the transcript but cannot download it after the meeting.

Meeting participants or guests from other companies may have different capabilities and may not have access to the transcript.

What If the Meeting Wasn’t Recorded?

To get the transcription, the call must be recorded. But what if some hosts don't want to record the Teams meeting due to the sensitive nature of the call, or if you're a guest and don't have access to the transcription setting? This is where a third-party tool like Tactiq becomes invaluable.

Why is the "Start transcription" option greyed out in Microsoft Teams?

The "Start transcription" option may be greyed out due to one or more of the following reasons:

1. Transcription is not enabled for your organization:

• Step 1: Go to the Teams Admin Center.
• Step 2: Select "Users" > "Manage Users."
• Step 3: Search and select your user account to open the details.
• Step 4: Navigate to "Policies" > "Meeting Policy."
• Step 5: Click on the meeting policy assigned to your account.
• Step 6: Scroll down to "Recording & transcription" and verify that transcription is turned on. If not, turn it on.
• Step 7: If your account is assigned the global policy, the admin can create a new custom meeting policy with transcription turned on and assign it to your account.

2. ‍Lack of proper permissions or license: You may need the appropriate license or admin permissions to access this feature. Contact your IT admin to check and enable transcription for your account.‍
3. Feature not supported in your version: The feature might not be available in the free version of Office 365 or other limited versions.
   

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The Best Tool for Saving Transcripts and Taking Notes on Microsoft Teams

Tactiq allows you to transcribe Microsoft Teams meetings automatically and offers new AI-powered transcription features to make note-taking easier. Here’s how to install and use Tactiq for your next Microsoft Team Meeting:

1. Install the Tactiq Chrome extension. It's free!
2. If you're new to Tactiq, sign up for a free account.
3. If you already have Tactiq but haven't enabled Microsoft Teams, select Account & Settings on the left side of the dashboard and select “Integrations.”
4. Click "Connect" under Microsoft Teams.

Join your meeting as usual. Once you’re on the call, you'll see Tactiq on the right side of your screen. On this window, you'll see the live transcription and can perform other actions, such as taking screenshots and adding meeting notes.

Key Features

• Instant Transcriptions and AI Summaries: Tactiq provides real-time transcriptions and generates AI summaries during meetings, ensuring you capture key points without manual note-taking. This also eliminates waiting times, allowing immediate review and sharing of content.
• AI Meeting Kits and Prompts: It offers AI meeting kits and customizable prompts to streamline follow-up tasks, such as writing Jira tickets or emails, making your workflow more efficient.
• Post-Meeting Follow-Up: Tactiq’s AI-powered assistant creates detailed summaries and follow-up emails, reducing the time and effort needed for post-meeting tasks.
• Seamless Integration: Tactiq integrates with Zoom and other productivity tools, automating follow-up activities with reusable one-click actions, ensuring you maximize your meeting productivity.

After the meeting, you'll receive an email with a link to your transcription and share the transcript file to any meeting participant. You can also view it in the list of transcripts, accessing all of your highlights and screenshots.

With Tactiq's advanced AI features, never miss an important detail in your Microsoft Teams meetings again.

Download the free Tactiq Chrome extension today.