Recording Microsoft Teams meetings can be a lifesaver, whether you need to capture important decisions, document troubleshooting steps, or simply ensure you don’t miss crucial information. Luckily, Teams makes recording meetings surprisingly straightforward. In this guide, we’ll break down the process, from obtaining the necessary permissions to accessing and managing your recordings.
Permissions and Setting the Stage
Before you can start recording, ensure you have the proper permissions. You’ll need a subscription like Office 365 Enterprise, Business Premium, or Business Essentials. If your organization uses Teams, your IT administrator may need to enable recording features for your organization. Some organizations default to disabled recordings unless specific circumstances warrant their use. If you’re an independent user, recording should be enabled by default.
Only designated users can initiate recordings. This includes meeting organizers and members of the organization using Microsoft Teams. External attendees and those from different organizations lack the ability to record meetings.
Recording Your Teams Meeting
Ready to record? Follow these steps:
1.
Log into Microsoft Teams and join your meeting.
It’s helpful to designate someone responsible for starting and stopping the recording to avoid multiple simultaneous recordings.2.
Click the More Actions option (three-dot icon) in the meeting menu.
3.
Select ‘Start recording’ from the dropdown menu.
Some organizations have a recording policy you’ll need to accept before the recording begins. A notification will be sent to all participants indicating that the meeting is being recorded.4.
Enabling recording automatically activates transcriptions, unless your administrator has blocked them.
Transcriptions can be viewed in real time and are saved alongside the video when the recording ends. This is particularly useful for compliance or legal purposes. Live transcriptions can be paused at any time from the More Actions menu.5.
To stop recording, revisit the More Actions menu and select ‘Stop recording.’
Processing the recording takes a short time, so it might not be immediately available for viewing.Additional Considerations
Here are some essential points to remember about recording Teams meetings:
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Recordings automatically stop when all participants leave the meeting.
However, the recording won’t stop if the person who initiated it exits, so someone else may need to manually end the recording.*
Regional rules might impact recording settings.
Local regulations often require explicit consent from all participants before recording can begin.*
Guests and external attendees cannot view recordings unless they are shared directly.
*
Only up to four video streams are displayed at once during recording playback.
You can’t switch between different streams while reviewing the recording.*
Compliance requirements may override certain settings.
Finding and Managing Your Recordings
Once recorded, your Teams meetings are saved to SharePoint. If it wasn’t a channel meeting, it’s stored in OneDrive. You can find the meeting file in these locations. A link to the recording will also appear in the channel or chat where the meeting took place, and it will be accessible in the Files tab of the channel. You can share the recording directly with others on Teams or copy and paste the link into other platforms.
Important Note:
Microsoft Teams recordings have a built-in expiration date, after which they become unavailable (with a grace period for the recording owner). This can be disabled by your IT administrator. The expiration date is displayed in Teams alongside the meeting link and in the Details section of Show actions for the recording file. Recording owners can typically adjust the expiration date. It’s crucial to ensure the recording is shared or utilized before the expiration date. If you recorded the meeting for compliance purposes, expiration dates should be disabled or the files should be saved permanently elsewhere.Downloading Your Meeting Recordings
To save a recording, you can download it directly from Teams. Only the meeting organizer or the participant who started the recording can download it.
1.
Navigate to the Files section to locate the recording.
2.
Select the recording and click More Options.
3.
Choose ‘Download.’
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I record a call with myself on Teams?
Yes, you can record a meeting with only yourself. Open Teams, select ‘Meet Now,’ and begin recording.
Can I record audio only on a Teams meeting?
Currently, Teams doesn’t offer an audio-only recording feature. Recordings include video, audio, and screen sharing.
Is Microsoft Teams always recording?
No, Teams does not record by default. The meeting organizer can enable automatic recording when creating the meeting, but this isn’t enabled by default. If you’re planning a meeting with colleagues, consider creating a new team beforehand.
