How to Record a Zoom Meeting as a Participant

If you've ever been in a Zoom meeting as a participant, you know it can be tough to keep track of what's happening. This is especially true if you're not the one leading the meeting. Luckily, there are a few ways to make things easier on yourself. 

In this article, we'll discuss how to record a Zoom meeting as a participant with or without the host’s permission. Plus, a time-saving alternative that doesn’t involve watching the whole recording! 

Record a Zoom Meeting As a Participant (With Host Permission)

The ability to record your Zoom meeting as a participant depends entirely on the host’s setting. Can you reach out to the host before the meeting to ensure that he has turned on the ability for participants to record?

Reaching out before the meeting ensures that you and the host have everything you need and all you have to do is hit record.

If this is not a possibility, that’s all right! You can always ask as the meeting starts. Here’s how to do that:

1. Ask the host to give you permission to record as a participant. The host can then go to the participant's menu and give you recording privileges. 

2. Click on the record button. Choose where you want to record the call: local computer or cloud. Recording on the cloud is only available if you have a paid plan.

3. Once you start recording, the host will see the record icon next to your name.

Note that everyone in the meeting will be notified that a host or participant is recording the call. 

5. Once the call is done, you’ll be able to get the full video recording. You’ll also get the audio-only file and the transcript of the chat. 

Now, what if there is no way to ask the host to ask permission?

Record a Zoom Meeting As a Participant (Without Host Permission)

There may be instances that you’ll need to record without asking permission. Most people would say that this is unethical! 
And yes, in general, this is true. But there are legitimate circumstances when this is applicable. 

Perhaps you’re attending a conference or networking event where it’s not allowed to record, but you need to record some parts of it for your notes. 

Whatever the reason is (and we trust that you have a good reason for it), in theory, you’ll be able to use any screen recording software to record your Zoom call. 

• If you’re using Windows, you have the Xbox Game Bar. However, it’s a bit complicated if you’re new to its interface. 
• If you’re using a Logitech Webcam, use the LogitechCapture app to record your Zoom meeting, including the video and audio. 
• If you’re using macOS, you’re in luck because QuickTime is true to its name: you can quickly and easily record any screen on your computer, including audio. 

There are also other free third-party tools that you can use, such as Screen Recorder, ShareX, and Screencast-o-Matic.
For this blog post, we’ll use Loom because it’s usually the most popular screen recording feature for anyone using Chrome. Note that Loom has limitations. If you have a free Loom account, you can only record up to 5 minutes of footage.
If you have a paid Loom account, then this will work perfectly for you! 

1. Install the Loom Chrome browser extension and sign up/sign in to your account.

2. Launch the Zoom web browser and join your call.

3. Open the Loom extension and choose “screen only” and Current Tab (make sure you’re still in the Zoom meeting tab).

4. Click on start recording. Loom will record the screen of your meeting and pick up the audio. 

5. Click “stop sharing” once you’re done with the portion you need to record or after the meeting. 

6. Go to your Loom library and check out your recording. 

So, it’s technically possible to record a Zoom meeting without going through hoops of asking permission. But if you’re sole purpose is to take notes and save highlights of the conversation, there is a much better way. 

Easy Alternative: Get a Full Transcript with Tactiq (No Need for Host Permission)

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Instead of saving an entire recording, it is more efficient to save the transcript of the Zoom call. Here’s how to easily do that with a free Chrome browser tool: 

1. Install Tactiq on your Chrome browser. 
2. If you’re new to Tactiq, sign up for a free account first. 
3. If you’re already using Tactiq but haven’t turned it on for Zoom, go to the Integrations page. Click on “Connect” next to the Zoom icon. 

4. Make sure that you or the host has enabled closed captioning for Zoom. You can do this in the Zoom web portal setting or choose the “CC” icon on the Zoom meeting. 

Once you’ve done the steps above, join your Zoom call as usual. Note that when you enable Tactiq with Zoom, Zoom will open on the Chrome browser, and the Zoom app will not launch. This is because Tactiq only supports web browsers as of now. 

How to Take Notes During the Meeting

Once you’re in the Zoom meeting link, you’ll notice that Tactiq will open on the lower right. Here, you’ll see the caption live. 

You can also: 

• Easily take screenshots of the meeting. 
• Take notes within the transcript window. 
• Highlight any sentence in the transcript to save it for later. 

This process saves you a ton of time! Plus, you don’t have to feel guilty about recording a meeting without the host knowing. It is perfectly ethical and legitimate to take notes during a session. 

Review Your Transcript After the Meeting

Once the call is over, you can read the full transcript without getting confused because you’ll be able to see who said what. You can also view your transcript along with your notes and highlights, save it on your Google Drive, and share it with others. 

Here’s how you can learn more about taking notes on Zoom. 

Wrapping It Up

So, there you have it. You have two options to record a meeting: record within Zoom with the host’s permission or use a screen recording without the host’s permission. But if you want to save time, you can just use Tactiq to record the transcript and highlight your notes.

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