How to record and transcribe calls on Mac: Zoom, Teams, Meet

You want a call on your Mac as text: who said what, what was agreed, who does what. The catch is that every call app records in its own way, with its own limits, and none of them works for all your calls. This guide goes through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and FaceTime, says what you need for each, and shows one way that works the same everywhere.

Start with consent

Before any tool, the rule that matters more than all of them: tell people you are recording. Teams and Meet notify participants when a recording starts, and Microsoft itself notes that depending on your region you may need everyone's permission. Laws on recording differ between countries and even between regions, and this is not legal advice. The safe habit is simple: say it at the start of the call, and if anyone objects, stop.

Zoom

Zoom has a built-in local recording on the desktop app. It is usually under Settings, then Recording. Recordings are saved to the Zoom folder in your Documents by default, according to university IT guides and Macworld. Things to know:

• On company accounts an admin can lock the setting.
• If the record button is missing, check that Zoom has Screen Recording permission in System Settings, Privacy and Security.
• Zoom's own transcript does not work together with local recording, per the guides we checked, so you get an audio and video file and still have to turn it into text.

Microsoft Teams

The organizer decides in the meeting options who can record and transcribe: organizers only, organizers and presenters, or no one. Guests cannot record. An admin may also have to license recording for both the organizer and the person recording, and transcription can be disabled by company policy. Everyone sees a notification when it starts. Details are on Microsoft's page about recording in Teams.

The practical result: if you are a guest in someone else's Teams meeting, you often cannot record it at all.

Google Meet

Meet recording works on a computer, and only if your Google Workspace administrator turned it on and your edition includes it. The host must allow it too. Editions change, so check Google's recording page. Free personal accounts are generally outside this.

FaceTime

FaceTime has no recorder for calls on the Mac that we could confirm in Apple's documentation. The built-in screen recording usually captures your microphone but not the other person's voice, which is why guides send people to extra audio tools. Apple's help page on screen and audio recording explains the permission under Privacy and Security. Treat FaceTime as the call you record with a separate tool.

The problem with app-by-app recording

Put together, the picture is messy:

1. Each app needs a different setting and permission, and sometimes someone else's approval.
2. You get a video file, not text.
3. Transcripts, where they exist, differ in quality and language support, and often do not separate speakers well.
4. You have to remember which app did what, and repeat it for every new tool a client prefers.

One way for every call: record on the Mac itself

The alternative is to record from your own Mac, whatever the call app is. Tiho does this: calls on Mac are recorded in full with sound and screen, and afterwards you get the text and a short list of what was agreed and who does what. On the Pro plan you also get speaker names, filtering and export. Because it records on your side, it does not depend on the host's settings or on whether you are a guest. Consent still applies: tell the others.

How it goes in practice:

1. Start the call in Zoom, Teams, Meet, FaceTime or anything else.
2. Start the recording in Tiho and say that the call is being recorded.
3. After the call, open the text, check the outcomes and tasks, and rename the speakers.
4. Share the text and outcomes by link or email instead of sending the recording. Tiho allows up to 3 people on the paid plan, with no sharing limits on Pro.

Limits to know: free recordings last up to 30 minutes, Tiho allows sessions up to 60 minutes and 120 recording minutes a month, and Tiho Pro gives 600 minutes a month. See the pricing section. Calls are transcribed in Russian, English, Polish, Spanish and more. If you also dictate your own notes, see our guide to the best dictation apps for Mac and the overview of voice typing in 2026.

Tiho is younger than the big meeting-bot products, and it has no Windows or Android version. If your team lives on Windows, a native Teams or Zoom recording may be the simplest route.

Take a clean transcript

• Use headphones, so the other person's voice does not leak into your microphone.
• Say names at the start; speaker labels are easier to fix when you know who spoke first.
• State decisions out loud ("so we agreed on Thursday"). Summaries pick those up best.
• Review the outcomes the same day, while you remember the call.

FAQ

Can I record a Zoom call if I am not the host?

Local recording usually needs the host to allow it or give you permission. Recording from your own Mac sidesteps the host's settings, but you should still tell everyone and respect the host's rules and your local law.

Do I need everyone's consent to record a call?

It depends on where the participants are. Many places require all parties to agree, others only one. Microsoft itself says that depending on your region you may need everyone's permission. Announcing the recording at the start is the safe default.

Can I get a transcript with who said what?

Yes, but quality varies by tool. Teams and Meet offer their own transcripts when the admin allows it. Tiho Pro adds speaker names and lets you rename and filter them.

Can I record calls on iPhone too?

Tiho on iPhone records meetings and interviews and separates the speakers; the iPhone app is currently in closed testing. Calls on Mac are recorded in full, with sound and screen.