How to Record a Call in Zoom: Local or Cloud

Whether you’re using Zoom for personal or business purposes and on desktop or mobile, call recordings are undoubtedly useful. For specifics, look no further than our analysis of the pros and cons of Zoom. Regardless of whether you’re a free or paid user, a host, or a participant, having the meeting recorded lets you review what was said or shown after it ends. This eliminates the need to take notes or use external services or a physical recorder to store the contents of the meeting. Thus, be fully present during a meeting while, here’s how to record a call in Zoom.

What is a Zoom Call?

Zoom is a cloud-based video calling and conferencing app. Thus, a Zoom call is when individuals use the platform to make a video call to each other. The app also allows audio-only calls, live chats, and video conferencing. You can even record these calls or conferences for later use. How? Let’s find out.

Who can record a Zoom call?

Zoom only permits the meeting host or co-host to start a cloud recording. As for local recordings, hosts can do so as well. Moreover, if any partakers desire to start recording locally, they may, so long the host allows it. To clarify, participants can save a local recording with the host’s permission.

Contrarily, the host must upgrade their status to a co-host before they can initiate a cloud recording. Local recordings are far less restrictive, too. However, there are several prerequisites to access cloud recording on Zoom:

• User account must be licensed, and have a paid Business, Pro, or Enterprise account
• Use Zoom app/program version 3.5 and later on Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, or iOS
• Have the setting for cloud recording enabled on their account
• Have cloud recording settings configured, such as:
  • Basic: Recording active speaker or not, chat included or excluded, gallery view or normal, audio or video together or separately, and so on
  • Advanced: Implement a timestamp, audio transcribing, or closed captions (CC), show partakers’ names, add a thumbnail, convert cloud recording to a specific format, and so forth

Note. Local recordings lack features such as audio transcribing, recording different view modes separately (shared screen/active speaker/gallery view), and the ability to configure thumbnail modes. More importantly, you cannot record locally on Android and iOS.

How does recording a local call on Zoom work?

Once again, this method will only work on computers running Windows, macOS, or Linux, and not mobile devices. Follow these steps to record a Zoom call and store it locally: 

1. Invite other participants to join your Zoom meeting (“New Meeting” on the home page) or join someone else’s.
2. Shift your attention to the bottom menu. Click the Record button on the right-hand side. If that is unavailable, select Record on this Computer.
3. If successful, you’ll notice a tiny pop-up in the upper left corner, stating “Recording…” All partakers can see you’re recording, indicated by the red square in a circle next to your name. Pause (Alt + P keyboard shortcut) and Stop (Alt + R) icons will appear in two places:
   1. On the right-hand side of the floating “Recording…” bar.
   2. In the bottom menu, where “Record” was.
4. Either finish the meeting by clicking on End Meeting in the bottom right corner or the Stop button at any moment. Local recording will be generated and converted (MP4 for videos, M4A for audios) shortly, and appear in the configured save location.

Note. If you don’t feel like browsing through your computer for the recording, navigate to the “Meetings” section at the top. Switch to the Recorded tab on the left-hand side and click the latest recording under “Today” before selecting Open or heading over to the file path listed above.

 Configure multiple Zoom audio streams (Optional)

Zoom has also introduced an option to separately capture audio streams from every member of the call. This feature is exclusive to hosts and local storage, however. With that said, the host needs to:

1. Head over to Settings within the software.
2. Switch to the Recording tab.
3. Turn the “Record a separate audio file for each participant” option on.
4. Start and finish recording, wait for the conversion to finish, and head to the source folder.
5. Explore the contents of the Audio Record folder where they can find several audio recordings, each starting with the participant’s name.

Methods to start cloud recording a Zoom call

In case you skipped our breakdown of who can record and where, you may begin a cloud recording on all platforms, but only as a host or co-host. These are the instructions to record a call taking place on Zoom depending on the platform:

Zoom for Windows, Mac, and Linux

Nearly identical to the method above. Start a meeting and then:

1. Select the Record button.
   
2. You’ll now have two options. Choose Record to the Cloud.
3. Halt or finish the recording via the “Pause”, “Stop”, and “End Meeting” buttons we already mentioned.
   
4. Wait for the processing and conversion. This can take twice the time for a local recording, and even up to a day. Hosts will receive a mail once it’s ready, containing two links:
   1. First link: Host-only URL that lets them oversee and edit the recording.
   2. Second link: Public URL intended for participants who want to view or download it.

Zoom application on mobile devices

Do this depending on the platform:

• Android: While the meeting is active, and you’re on an Android device, do the following:
  1. Tap the More option in the bottom right corner.
  2. Pick the Record option.
  3. You’ll see a “Recording…” notification in the upper left corner with options from step 3 above.
• iOS: During an active Zoom call, do this:
  1. Pick the “…More” option in the bottom right corner of the screen.
  2. Select Record to the Cloud,  and you’ll see the same “Recording…” rectangle.
  3. After recording finishes, regardless of the device, all cloud recordings will end up in the My Recordings section of a Zoom account.

Allow participants or a co-host to record Zoom calls

We pointed out this possibility but didn’t specify how it works. Partakers can begin recording a call after a host does this:

1. Tap or click the Participants option in the bottom menu.
2. Find the participant on the list, and click on More to the right of their name.
3. Select Allow Record. Partaker will be notified. To revoke this ability, do the same, but after “More”, pick Forbid Record.
4. For cloud recordings, you can select Make Co-Host to do the same.

Configure automatic local and cloud call recording (Optional)

Zoom also gives users the option to record all Zoom meetings in the cloud by default. This lets them record a meeting without a host present. Only administrators may do this by going to the Zoom website, signing in, and then:

1. Going to Account Management.
2. Selecting Account Settings.
3. In the “Recording” tab, toggling Automatic recording on.
4. Choosing Record in the cloud or Record on the local computer as appropriate.
5. Selecting Save.

How to record Zoom calls with the built-in feature on a Desktop Computer?

You can use the built-in screen recorder on your Windows, Linux, or Mac devices to record a Zoom call, but only with the permission of the participants. It is by far the most effective method available to a person. This method doesn’t require one to download any additional software, and the entire process is very simple. 

However, you have to face a few drawbacks when it comes to using the in-built feature for call recording. The subsequent recording will lack any timestamps, transcripts, or even the participant’s name. But if you can manage that, it is still a better option.

Here’s how you can record the Zoom call using the desktop app:

1. First, start the Zoom call.
2. During the meeting, use the in-built desktop app to start the recording.
3. Here, the participants of the call will be notified. Once they agree, the recording will start.
4. Once complete, the recording will be converted automatically. 
5. Then, you can save the file to either local or cloud storage.

Recording a Zoom call without permission

Technically, you can still record a Zoom call without permission from the participants. Although it will have ethical or sometimes even legal repercussions, depending on where you are. For the sake of information, yes, you can still record a Zoom call without permission.

Is it legal to record a Zoom call without permission?

The legality of said recording depends on the local jurisdiction’s wiretapping and recording laws. While some areas only require consent from a single participant, others require everyone to agree. Thus, before hitting that record button, we urge you to be careful and consider the legal implications of recording without permission, as Zoom will notify participants when you do start the recording.