Microsoft Teams meetings are supposed to be the solution for remote collaboration—until you realize half your team can't make the meeting. Again.

The reality of planning sessions, strategy discussions, and project updates is that coordinating everyone's schedule is practically impossible. Someone's always in another time zone, on a client call, or dealing with that emergency that couldn't wait.

This is where recording Teams meetings becomes essential—not just convenient. Recordings let people catch up on their own time without missing critical information. But Microsoft doesn't exactly make it obvious how to capture these meetings, and the recording options vary depending on your subscription and device.

Whether you're using a laptop, phone, or tablet, this guide breaks down five straightforward ways to record Microsoft Teams meetings—no technical expertise required.

How to record a Microsoft Teams meeting

Yes, you can record a Microsoft Teams meeting, but the process varies depending on your Teams version and device. The recording captures audio, video, and screen-sharing activity, which is securely stored and accessible based on your organization's policies. Understanding these policies ensures you know where to find and manage your recordings.

Microsoft Teams is designed for ease of use, making the recording feature simple to access. However, it's important to understand key factors such as permissions, storage locations, and expiration policies when recording a Teams meeting.

Understanding Recording Storage and Expiration Policies

Microsoft Teams recordings are stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, depending on the meeting type. Private meeting recordings are stored in OneDrive, while channel meeting recordings go to SharePoint. The accessibility and expiration of these recordings are determined by your organization's policies, ensuring that recordings are retained as long as they are needed. Check with your IT department for specific expiration settings applicable to your account.

Who has permission to record Teams meetings

The ability to record a Microsoft Teams meeting is typically reserved for the meeting organizer or those granted permission by an IT admin. Organizational policies may restrict recording capabilities, so check with your administrator if you cannot access the recording feature.

In Microsoft Teams, only authorized users can record meetings. Transparency about recording is essential for privacy and security, fostering trust in the workplace. Participants are notified when a meeting is recorded, ensuring compliance with organizational and legal requirements.

Following privacy regulations like GDPR in the EU and CCPA in the US is crucial when recording a Teams meeting. These laws ensure responsible data handling, help prevent legal issues, and bolster workplace confidence in privacy and security.

Troubleshooting Recording Issues in Microsoft Teams

When encountering issues with recording in Microsoft Teams, there are several common areas to check. Audio issues can often be resolved by ensuring your microphone is set correctly within Teams and testing it with a brief recording. For video issues, make sure your camera is properly configured and not being used by another application. Recording permissions are crucial—ensure you have the necessary permissions granted by your IT admin or meeting organizer.

5 methods to record Microsoft Teams meetings

Microsoft Teams supports recording on multiple devices, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Ensure your device meets the necessary system requirements to avoid compatibility issues when recording a Teams meeting.

To record a Teams meeting, visit the Microsoft Teams website and sign up for a free account. The free version allows group meetings for up to one hour with up to 100 participants. Note that recording features may be limited based on your plan.

Microsoft offers various business plans for Teams, each with additional features, including enhanced storage and integration options with PowerPoint, OneDrive, and Excel. Choose a plan that best fits your recording needs.

If you already have a Microsoft account, you can log in then:

• In Windows, click Start, then Microsoft Teams

• On Mac, go to the Applications folder and click Microsoft Teams

• On the web, go to Microsoft Teams

When prompted, click Continue when you see the Welcome To Teams message.

1. Record a Teams meeting with built-in recording (Windows)

If you're using Windows, recording a Teams meeting is straightforward. You don't need any additional add-ons or extensions to record a session.

When you record a Teams meeting, the recording captures audio, video, and screen sharing. However, whiteboards, shared notes, and embedded videos in PowerPoint Live presentations are not included in the recording.

Step 1: Start or join a Teams Meeting

Begin by starting a new Teams meeting or joining an existing one. There are many ways to do that, either by an app or the web, by invitation link, from your calendar, or by channel.

If you can't use the app or the web, some meetings let you call in using a phone number. Just enter the phone number and conference ID the organizer sent to access the session.

Step 2: Start recording

Once you're in the Teams meeting, go to the controls by selecting the “More actions” ellipsis (three dots) and click on it. In the menu that appears, select "Start recording." This will also turn on live transcriptions.

Step 3: Notification to participants

As soon as the recording begins, all participants receive a notification. The recording is stored securely in OneDrive or SharePoint, depending on your organization’s settings, making it accessible after the meeting.

Step 4: Stop recording

To stop recording at the end of a Teams meeting, go back to the 'More actions' menu and select 'Stop recording.' If the meeting ends, the recording stops automatically and is processed for later access.

2. Record a Microsoft Teams meeting on Mac

Use the built-in tool QuickTime to record Microsoft Teams meetings on your Mac.

Step 1: Start or join a Teams Meeting

Just like joining a Teams meeting on Windows, find the meeting in your Teams calendar. Click "Join" to enter the meeting. Alternatively, you'll receive a notification to join if someone initiates the meeting.

To join using an ID, navigate to your Teams Calendar, choose "Join with an ID," then enter the meeting ID and passcode.

Step 2. Start recording

Once you have clicked “Join”, open QuickTime Player. On the top, select File and click New Screen Recording.

Click the drop-down menu next to the “Record” button and select your microphone. Click the “Record” button to begin recording your screen.

Step 3. Inform participants

QuickTime Player itself does not provide a built-in feature to notify participants when a recording starts or stops. In this case, let everyone know that you're recording the session. Talk to everyone before recording, and get their okay, especially if you're recording things they might want to keep private.

Step 4. Stop recording

To stop the recording, press Command + Control + Esc on your keyboard or click the “Stop” button in the QuickTime Player app by clicking the square circle icon at the top of your screen. The recorded meeting will pop up and you can click on the session to play it instantly.

3. Record a Teams meeting on mobile devices

If the internet is slow or not reliable in certain places, using a phone to record a video or Teams meeting might be a better choice than depending on features that need a fast and stable internet connection.

To access and record a Teams meeting on mobile, download and install the Microsoft Teams app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Ensure you have the necessary permissions to record before starting.

Step 1. Start or join a Teams Meeting

If you already have a Microsoft account, sign in or register for a new account. If prompted, allow the app to use your mic and camera.

Either find the meeting you want to record in the calendar at the bottom of the screen, or start an instant meeting by clicking “Meet” in the top right corner.

Choose Join as a guest or depending on your preference, type your name and tap Join meeting.

Step 2. Start recording

Similar to recording a Teams meeting on a desktop, go to the meeting controls by selecting “More actions” ellipsis (three dots) and click on it. In the menu that appears, select "Start recording.”

Source: MSU Denver

Step 3. Inform participants

Microsoft Teams displays a visible recording indicator in the meeting window, notifying all participants when a meeting is being recorded. This ensures transparency and compliance with organizational policies.

Step 4. Stop recording

To finish the recording, return to the "More actions" menu and choose "Stop recording." Alternatively, stopping the meeting halts the recording as well.

The recorded video can be saved to your device or a cloud storage service, depending on your preferences and the app's capabilities.

4. Record and edit Teams meetings with Descript

Descript is a versatile video recording and editing tool that enhances your ability to record a Microsoft Teams meeting. It includes features like screen recording, transcription, and audio editing, making it a powerful alternative for Teams recordings.

So while Microsoft Teams has basic recording features, it may not have all the options you want in a recording tool—for example, recording whiteboards and making you look and sound your best.

Start by signing up for a free or paid subscription (depending on your needs) by visiting Descript.com.

Step 1. Start or join a Teams Meeting

Join the Teams meeting by clicking on your email invitation, Teams calendar, meeting room, or as a Guest (if you don't have an existing Teams account).

Step 2. Choose recording preferences

There are two ways you can record Teams meetings using Descript: audio-only recording or screen recording. As a third-party tool, you can screen record on Windows or Mac with Descript.

Step 3. Start recording

To use Descript, choose Quick Recorder from your Windows system tray or Mac menu bar. This allows you to record quickly without the need to find additional apps on your desktop or mobile device.

Alternatively, Click settings, then “Start/stop recording”.

Step 4. Edit recording

Descript's screen recording software makes capturing Teams meetings easy, with the added benefit of a backspace key feature for quick edits.

As you're recording your screen, Descript creates an instant transcript from it, so you can polish the audio and video later. With a single click, you can remove filler words like "um," "uh," and "like.” You can also add titles, overlays, transitions, music, and effects with our full suite of video editing tools.

With Studio Sound, you can even clean up your audio and make it sound super professional, even if it was recorded on your mom's couch at 11 PM.

5. Record a Teams meeting using OBS Studio

To record and save your Microsoft Teams meetings, you can use OBS. OBS is a free, open-source, and cross-platform application for screencasting and streaming.

Download and install OBS Studio. Then launch the software on your desktop or mobile device.

Step 1: Join the Teams meeting

Create a New Scene by clicking on the "+" icon in the "Scenes" box. Next, add a Display Capture Source by clicking on the "+" icon in the "Sources" box and choose "Display Capture." Select the display or screen where your Microsoft Teams meeting will be.

You can resize or crop the display capture to focus on the Microsoft Teams meeting window.

Step 2: Record the meeting

The OBS controls panel allows you to start recording. Click on the "Start Recording" button in OBS Studio when you're ready to begin recording the Teams meeting.

Source: Institute for Language Sciences Labs

Click on the "Stop Recording" button when the Teams meeting ends.

Step 3: Access the recording

OBS Studio will save the recording to the specified location on your computer. Send the recording to keep team members informed and view the session they missed.

Thousands of video creators already rely on Descript for high quality screen capture and video editing. If you're ready to join them, take a tour of Descript today.

Microsoft Teams recording FAQ

Why can't I record my Teams meeting?

Find out if you have the necessary permissions to record meetings. The meeting organizer may have disabled recording for the session. Confirm with the organizer or check the meeting settings for any specific restrictions, then check for any technical issues with your device's camera, microphone, or internet connection, which can affect the recording feature.

Why is the recording option not available in Teams?

After a Teams meeting ends, the recording is processed and accessible via OneDrive or SharePoint. A link to the recording is usually available in the meeting chat or the 'Recordings' tab in Teams.

What is the best way to record Teams meetings?

The standard way to record Microsoft Teams meetings involves using the built-in recording feature. However, apps like Descript can record Teams sessions and give you additional functionality, such as transcribing as you record a screen and fixing audio mistakes by typing.

Do you need permission to record Teams meetings?

Yes, obtaining consent before recording a Microsoft Teams meeting is generally required by privacy laws. Always inform participants and ensure compliance with your organization's policies to avoid legal issues.

How can I access my Microsoft Teams meeting recordings?

After a meeting ends, recordings are automatically saved in OneDrive for private meetings and SharePoint for channel meetings. You can easily access these recordings via the meeting chat or by navigating to the 'Recordings' tab in Microsoft Teams. Ensure you have the necessary permissions to view the stored recordings, which are governed by your organization's policies.