To record a Microsoft Teams meeting, click More options in the meeting toolbar and select Start recording. Native recording requires a Microsoft 365 work or school license. Convo records any Teams meeting on any plan with AI transcription, summaries, and action items.
How to Record Teams Meetings
Built-in recording, who can and can't record, what to do as a guest or when your admin has disabled it, and where recordings are saved.
Quick answer: Click More actions (•••) → Start recording. Recordings save to OneDrive (for calls) or SharePoint (for channel meetings). Requires Microsoft 365 Business, Enterprise, or Education license. Guests and free-plan users cannot record natively.
Teams recording overview
Cloud-Only Recording
Teams only supports cloud recording — no local option.
Convo (Alternative)
AI meeting notes that work for everyone — guests, free users, and restricted accounts.
Step-by-step: Record in Teams
Join or start your meeting
Open Microsoft Teams and join the meeting you want to record.
Click More actions (•••)
Find the three-dot menu in the meeting toolbar at the top.
Select "Start recording"
All participants will be notified that recording has started.
Enable transcription (optional)
Toggle "Start transcription" for live captions and a searchable transcript.
Stop when finished
Click More actions → "Stop recording." The file processes and appears in chat.
Who can and can't record in Teams
Teams recording permissions are controlled by your organization's IT admin through meeting policies. Even with the right license, your admin may have disabled recording.
Can record:
- • Meeting organizer
- • Co-organizers and presenters (if policy allows)
- • People from same organization with M365 license
- • Users whose admin has enabled recording policy
Cannot record:
- • External guests (even with their own M365 license)
- • Anonymous attendees
- • Users on the free Teams plan
- • Anyone whose admin has disabled the recording policy
Where Teams recordings are saved
Ad-hoc meetings & 1:1 calls
OneDrive → Recordings folderAccessible only to the person who started the recording.
Channel meetings
SharePoint → Channel → RecordingsAccessible to all channel members.
Expiration: Teams recordings expire after 120 days by default. Your admin can change this, but if nobody downloads or extends the recording, it's automatically deleted. Check your organization's retention policy.
How to record Teams as a guest, attendee, or restricted user
If you can't use the built-in recording — because you're a guest, on a free plan, or your admin has disabled it — these methods work independently of Teams permissions.
Screen recording (Mac & Windows)
Use your operating system's built-in screen recorder. Works regardless of your Teams role or license.
Mac (QuickTime)
- Press Cmd + Shift + 5
- Select "Record Selected Portion"
- Drag over your Teams window
- Click Record, then Stop when done
QuickTime doesn't capture system audio natively. Use BlackHole (free) or Loopback for audio.
Windows (Xbox Game Bar)
- Press Win + G to open Game Bar
- Click the Record button (or Win + Alt + R)
- Select your Teams window
- Press Stop when finished
Game Bar captures system audio by default on Windows 10/11.
Convo (AI meeting notes)
Convo captures audio locally on your device and generates AI summaries, action items, and follow-up emails. It runs independently of Teams — no admin permission, no bot joining, no recording notification. Works whether you're the organizer, an attendee, or a guest.
Comparison: Teams recording vs alternatives
| Feature | Teams Native | Screen Recording | Convo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works for guests | |||
| Works without admin permission | |||
| AI transcription | Built-in captions | ||
| AI summaries & action items | Copilot (extra cost) | ||
| Video recording | |||
| Invisible to participants | |||
| Recording expiration | 120 days default | Never | Never |
| Cost | M365 license ($6+/mo) | Free | Free trial, then $14.99/mo |
| Try free for 7 days → |
Troubleshooting
"Start recording" is greyed out or missing
Your admin has disabled recording in meeting policies, or your M365 license doesn't include it. Ask your IT admin to check the Teams admin center under Meeting policies → Recording & transcription. If you can't get it enabled, use a screen recorder or Convo instead.
Recording stopped after 4 hours
Teams has a 4-hour recording limit. For longer meetings, the recording stops automatically. You'll need to start a new recording. The 4-hour limit also only captures up to 4 video streams simultaneously.
Recording expired or disappeared
Teams recordings expire after 120 days by default. After expiration, recordings move to the recycle bin for 90 days before permanent deletion. If your recording recently expired, check the OneDrive or SharePoint recycle bin to recover it.
I'm a guest and can't record
External guests cannot use Teams' built-in recording regardless of their own license. Your options: ask the organizer to record and share it, use your OS screen recorder (QuickTime or Xbox Game Bar), or use Convo to capture AI notes without needing any Teams permissions.
A note on consent
Teams' built-in recording automatically notifies all participants. If you use screen recording or a third-party tool instead, participants won't be notified — but recording laws still apply. Many jurisdictions require all-party consent. For a detailed breakdown, see our guide on recording consent and legality.
FAQ
Related guides
Guest in a Teams call? Still covered.
Convo works invisibly on any Teams meeting — no license, no admin permission, no bot.
Download for MacSources & References
- Microsoft Teams Help - Record a meeting
- Microsoft 365 recording requirements
- Teams meeting policy settings - Microsoft Learn