Recording video calls is becoming easier than ever—and while there’s no reason to record every single meeting you have online, there are many times when it makes sense to save the video for later. Some examples include one-on-one feedback meetings, important team brainstorms, key training sessions, and any other time you need a video to refer back to.
Conveniently, many of the most commonly used video call platforms have already added a native recording feature to their services, thus removing the need to bring complicated third-party programs into the mix.
Here’s how to record your video calls on Zoom, Google Meet, Google Hangout, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. Just keep in mind that instructions may be different depending on mobile or desktop versions of each service.
How to Record Video Calls on Zoom
To record your video call on Zoom, follow these simple steps:
- Log into Zoom and enter a meeting.
- On the toolbar at the bottom of your screen, locate and press the Record button.
- If the recording feature is enabled, a pop-up will appear asking you where you want to save the eventual video file once the recording is complete. For example, you can choose to save the recording locally on your device or you can have Zoom save it on the cloud.
- Choose the option that suits you best. If you’re recording for professional purposes, for instance, it’s probably best to save your video in a shared folder on the cloud so that everyone involved can access the video if needed.
- Once you make your choice, a red light will appear in the upper left corner of the video, saying “Recording.”
- Upon call completion, you can find your video simply by navigating to the file location you set up.
Keep in mind that although Zoom’s recording feature is available on the free version of the software, it only allows you to save the file locally. If you want to save your recordings on the cloud, you will have to subscribe to one of the paid plans (and buy extra cloud storage space, if needed). Also, it’s possible to set up automatic recordings, but this feature is turned off by default.
How to Record Videos on Google Meet
If the Zoom craze isn’t for you, Google Meet is one of the most popular Zoom alternatives. It comes free with any Gmail account and allows those with select editions of Google Workspace to use its interactive whiteboard in addition to recording meetings.
The Google Workspace plans that offer a recording option are as follows (this comes directly from Google’s help guide):
- Business Plus
- Business Standard
- Essentials
- Education Plus
- Enterprise Essentials
- Enterprise Plus
- Enterprise Standard
- Enterprise Starter
- Google One subscribers with 2 TB or more storage space
- Teaching and Learning Upgrade
- Workspace Individual Subscriber
To record a video call on Google Meet, follow these steps:
- Join your Google Meet using the link provided or via the link in your calendar invite.
- Click on Activities on the bottom right of the screen.
- Select Recording.
- If you want captions, select the language in which you want them to be recorded.
- Click on Start Recording.
- A pop-up box will appear. Click on Start to begin your recording.
For more information on how to qualify for the recording feature (and how your system admin can turn it on), check the official guide from Google. Also, remember that Google Meet’s recording feature is only available on the desktop version of the app, not on mobile, regardless of which type of Google Workspace you’re subscribed to.
Lastly, keep in mind that Google Hangouts has been phased out and merged with Google Meet.
How to Record a Call on Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a collection of collaborative software applications and services. It includes a variety of tools used in enterprise and corporate settings where teams need to coordinate and work together from different locations.
To record a meeting on Teams, you can follow these steps:
- Join your Microsoft Teams meeting or video call.
- Open your meeting controls and click on More Actions.
- Choose Record and transcribe and then click on Start recording.
- Everyone in the meeting will be informed that a recording has started, and the recording will stop when the last person leaves the call.
Keep in mind that recording on Microsoft Teams is only available to subscribers of Office 365 Enterprise E1, E3, E5, F3, A1, A3, A5, M365 Business, Business Premium, and Business Essentials.
Moreover, as long as the admin of the meeting has set their cloud recording policy to allow it, anyone who is part of the admin’s organization and meets the above criteria can start or stop a recording.
How to Record a Meeting on Skype
Although Skype isn’t as popular as it was before being acquired by Microsoft, it’s still one of the most popular video calling apps. As of 2023, almost 40 million people globally were still using it every day.
To record a meeting on Skype, follow these steps:
- Log into Skype and enter a call.
- During the call, click on the +More options button if the Record button is not already present.
- Click Record.
- Skype will display a banner at the top of the screen for everyone in the room, letting them know the call is being recorded.
Note that Skype allows you to record calls with a duration of up to 24 hours, which is a very generous option.
How to Record a Call on GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting, now part of the GoTo suite of tools for business, is another popular video conferencing app you might be familiar with.
To activate the recording features in this app, follow these steps:
- Log into your GoTo account.
- Navigate to the Admin Center.
- Click on Features.
- Click on Record meetings.
- A pop-up box will appear. Enable Cloud recording and then click Save.
To record a meeting, follow these steps:
- Start or enter a meeting.
- If you are on a desktop, select Record. The “Record” sign will blink intermittently to let everyone in the meeting know the call is being recorded.
- If you are on the mobile app, click on More and then Record.
All GoTo meetings recorded on the mobile app are automatically sent to the cloud, so you don’t have to worry about saving each file once the recording is over. Also, keep in mind that GoTo will allow you to record up to 8 hours or 20GB of your video calls.
How to Record a Call on WhatsApp
WhatsApp is by far one of the most popular messaging and calling apps to ever exist. However, as popular as it may be, it’s also one of the platforms that does not offer built-in call recordings.
If you want to record WhatsApp calls, you will have to use a third-party video and voice call recorder that’s compatible with WhatsApp—such as Wondershare UniConverter or Movavi Screen Recorder, for example. To use this kind of app, you will have to:
- Download it from your app store and open it on your computer or mobile device.
- Click on the camera icon to access the recording toolbar.
- Choose the screen or window you want to record (if not your entire screen) and configure the rest of the video recording options as you see fit.
- Once this is done, press the record button on your third-party app and then start your call on WhatsApp.
Please note that different third-party call recording apps will likely have different usage, pricing, and guidelines.
How to Record a Call on Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is another popular messaging and video-calling tool. Although it’s not very widely used in business settings, many people still find it an easy-to-use, accessible means of communicating with friends, co-workers, and family.
Similar to WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger doesn’t have any built-in call recording features, but you can still record calls you have on Facebook Messenger through a third-party app.
To do so, you can follow the same steps mentioned above in the WhatsApp section.
Ultimately, those same steps will apply to pretty much any platform that doesn’t have a built-in video recording feature. When you have to, using a third-party app enables you not only to record meetings, but also to save and share them with anyone you need to.
Lastly, if you’re looking to record voice and video calls that your business makes on a platform that isn’t on this list, keep an eye on the best call recording software in the market, as many of these options may be compatible with your specific platform.
