How to Record a Zoom Meeting (2026): Local, Cloud, Mobile

Vorec Team · 2026-10-26 · About 8 min read

To record a Zoom meeting on a computer, start the meeting as the host, click Record in the meeting controls, and choose Record on this Computer (free accounts) or Record to the cloud (paid accounts). Stop with Pause/Stop Recording or by ending the meeting. The host can always record; anyone else needs the host to grant recording permission, and everyone in the meeting is told when recording starts. On a phone, you can only record to the cloud, which needs a paid account. Zoom facts below come from Zoom's support articles read 26 October 2026 and its US pricing page read 24 October 2026; menus can change between app versions.

Local vs cloud recording at a glance

Zoom now calls local recording "computer recording".

Zoom's pricing page lists local recording only on the free Basic plan, 10 GB of cloud storage per licence on Pro ($16.99 per user a month billed monthly, or $14.16 a month billed annually), and unlimited cloud recording on Enterprise.

How to record a Zoom meeting on your computer (local recording)

It records what you see: if you are in speaker view, the file is in speaker view.

1. Check that it is switched on. In the Zoom web portal, open your profile picture or initials, then Settings, then the Recording tab, and turn on Record to computer files. If the toggle is greyed out, your Zoom admin has locked it.
2. Start the meeting as the host in the Zoom desktop app.
3. Click Record in the meeting controls toolbar. If a menu opens, choose Record on this Computer.
4. Confirm it is running. A recording indicator appears in the top-left corner, and participants see it too.
5. Pause or stop with Pause or Stop Recording at the bottom of the window. Pausing keeps one file; stopping and starting again creates a new file.
6. End the meeting and wait. Zoom converts the recording after the meeting ends, then opens the folder with the files. The video is named `video[number].mp4` and the audio-only file `audio[number].m4a`.

Don't close your laptop or shut down during conversion; Zoom warns this can corrupt the recording for good.

Tip: the desktop app's Recording settings include Record a separate audio file for each participant, handy if you will edit later.

How to record a Zoom meeting to the cloud

Cloud recording is on by default for paid subscribers and saves video, audio and chat text to your Zoom account.

1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop app with a licensed Pro, Business or Enterprise account.
2. Start your meeting as the host. (A co-host can also start a cloud recording.)
3. In the meeting controls toolbar, click More, then click Record. Zoom's computer-recording article shows Record directly on the toolbar.
4. Click Record to the cloud. A recording indicator appears in the top-right corner of the meeting window.
5. To stop, click Record and then Stop recording, or end the meeting for everyone.
6. Wait for processing. Zoom says cloud recordings generally take about twice the recorded length to process, and occasionally up to 24 hours. If email notifications are on, the host gets an email when it is ready.

Automatic cloud recording can also start a meeting's recording before the host joins.

How to record a Zoom meeting on iPhone or Android

Zoom's mobile app cannot record locally. On iOS and Android you can only record to the cloud, which needs a Pro, Business, Education or Enterprise account, and you must be a licensed host or co-host.

1. Open the Zoom app and start or join the meeting as the host.
2. Tap the Record icon in the meeting controls toolbar. If you do not see it, you probably do not meet the requirements above.
3. Tap Start Recording. The app shows it is recording in the top-left corner.
4. To pause or stop, tap the Record icon again, then Pause Recording or Stop Recording (and Stop to confirm).
5. After the meeting ends, the recording processes and appears under Recordings in the Zoom web portal.

The Zoom articles we read offer no in-app recording option for free accounts on mobile. If you use your phone's own screen recorder instead, the permission and consent points below still apply; our guide on how to screen record on iPhone covers the built-in recorder.

Where are Zoom recordings saved?

Computer recordings go to a Zoom folder in Documents by default:

• Windows: `C:\Users\[Username]\Documents\Zoom`
• Mac: `/Users/[Username]/Documents/Zoom`
• Linux: `home/[Username]/Documents/Zoom`

To see or change the folder, open the desktop app, click your profile picture, then Settings, then Recording. If a file is missing, sign in to the web portal, open Recordings & Transcripts, then the Computer recordings tab; the Location column shows where the files were saved. Zoom keeps no copy of a computer recording, so it only exists on the machine that recorded it.

Cloud recordings live in the web portal under Recordings & Transcripts, Cloud recordings tab, and in Zoom Hub in the desktop app. Recordings started by a co-host appear only in the host's list.

Can I record a Zoom meeting if I'm not the host?

Only with the host's permission. By default, the host is the only person who can start a computer recording, and only hosts and co-hosts can start a cloud recording. If you need a copy:

• Ask the host to grant you recording rights. During the meeting, the host opens Participants, clicks More next to your name, and chooses Allow Record. You get a notification, and a recording icon shows next to your name while you record.
• Ask to be made co-host if you need a cloud recording.
• Ask the host to share their recording afterwards.

Admins can also let participants request permission to record, and auto-approve those requests.

Whoever records, Zoom tells the room. Zoom says it will always notify participants that a meeting is being recorded: app users see a consent prompt and can click OK to stay or Leave to exit, and phone participants hear a voice prompt. On Basic, Pro, Business and Free Trial accounts with fewer than 100 licences, that consent prompt cannot be turned off. Recording-consent law varies by country and state; this guide does not give legal advice, so if in doubt, ask everyone before you hit Record. We do not cover ways to record without the host's knowledge.

Troubleshooting Zoom recordings

• No Record button: your account or admin may have switched recording off, you may not be the host, or (on a phone) you may be on a free account.
• Recording did not convert: Zoom lists low disk space (error 614), an invalid save folder, and closing the laptop mid-conversion as common causes. In the desktop app, open Meetings, then Recorded, select the meeting and click Convert. You can also double-click `double_click_to_convert_01.zoom` in the recording folder.
• Can't find the file: check whether it went to the cloud instead, then use the web portal's Location column for computer recordings.

Turning a recorded screen share into a tutorial

If a meeting's screen-share segment is really a product demo you want to reuse as a polished tutorial, upload the MP4 to Vorec in the browser on any operating system. Vorec's AI writes and voices narration synced to the on-screen actions, the editor adds zoom, cursor effects and freeze-sync, and the same recording can become a written step-by-step guide. Vorec does not join or record Zoom calls; it works on the file you already have. For other ways to add a voice-over, see how to add narration to a screen recording.

Quick answers

Can you record a Zoom meeting for free?

Yes. Computer (local) recording works on the free Basic plan in the desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux. Cloud recording needs a paid plan.

Why can't I record on Zoom?

Usually because you are not the host, the host has not given you permission, recording is switched off in settings, or you are on a phone with a free account.

Does Zoom notify people when you record?

Yes. Zoom shows a recording consent prompt to participants in the app and plays a voice prompt to phone participants. Smaller accounts cannot switch the prompt off.

Is Zoom Clips the same as recording a meeting?

No. Clips are short async videos; see Loom vs Zoom. For recording your screen outside Zoom, see how to record your screen on Windows or QuickTime screen recording with audio.

See also: How to Record a Google Meet Call (2026): Steps & Plans, How to Record a Teams Meeting (2026): Steps, Storage, Fixes.

Got a screen-share recording you want to turn into a narrated tutorial? Upload it to Vorec and get AI narration matched to every step, plus a written guide. Start your free trial, no card needed. Paid plans start at Starter $9 a month ($86 a year); Pro is $24 and Business $59 a month.

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