See all articles

How to record a Google Meet: native vs advanced tools

By 
Angela Guedes
 on 
October 16, 2023
Playbooks

In recent years, meetings have moved from traditional conference rooms to platforms like Google Meet. It's convenient, it's efficient, and it keeps us connected. 

However, there's a feature that takes Google Meet from a mere communication tool to a powerful collaboration hub: recording meetings.

In this guide, we’ll cover all you need to know about how to record a Google Meet session. We’ll walk you through each step, ensuring you won’t miss a beat the next time you want to record a meeting. So, let’s get that record button ready!

Recording with Google Meet’s Native Feature

Google Meet provides a straightforward approach to recording meetings, making it a go-to choice for many. Here's how you can use it to record a Google Meet:

  1. Log into your Google Calendar and join a meeting by clicking on “Join with Google Meet”.
  1. Once in, click on the three vertical dots on the bottom right corner and select “Record Meeting.”
  2. After a prompt, click “Accept” to begin recording.

Easy as pie!

However, before diving into how to record a Google Meet, it's crucial to understand the platform's requirements and limitations.

Requirements and Limitations

Google Meet’s recording feature is not available for everyone and comes with its share of hurdles. Here’s a rundown:

  • Premium Feature Access: Only available to paid Workspace users on plans like Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise, or Education Plus. Free or Business Starter plan users lack this feature​.
  • Host Permission: Non-host users need the host's approval to start recording, adding a procedural layer to the process​.
  • Storage Challenges: Recordings are saved to the organizer’s Google Drive, which could lead to storage issues and access challenges​.
  • Missing Features: Pinning people and opening captions aren’t recorded, limiting the video's usability for post-meeting references​.

How to Record a Google Meet without restrictions

Ditch the restrictive native recording, and embrace the freedom and power Claap offers when recording Google Meet sessions.

This quick video explains everything:

Didn’t feel like watching the video? No big deal. Here’s a written explanation just for you:

  1. Signup for a free account wth Claap.
  2. Download our Chrome extension.
  3. Join the Meeting: Hop onto your Google Meet.
  1. Launch Claap: Prompted to launch the Claap extension? Do it.
  1. Press Record: Hit Record this meeting.

Benefits of recording your meetings with Claap

That’s it, to record the meeting. But there’s so much more you can do when recording your meeting with Claap.

When you record a Google Meet with Claap you’re giving your team superpowers:

Centralized Video Hub

Claap creates a single Video HQ, making it a centralized hub for all your recordings. Say goodbye to the chaos of scattered recordings across different platforms and say hello to organized, easy-to-find video content​.

Pinpoint Key Moments

Ever had that “what was that thing again?” moment post-meeting? With Claap, you can pin key moments during the recording, creating time stamped bookmarks that are easy to reference later​.

AI-Powered Transcriptions and Summaries

Claap's AI dives into your recordings and churns out transcriptions along with AI-generated notes and highlights. It's like having a diligent note-taker in every meeting, only faster and without the coffee breaks​.

Collaborative Feedback

Post-meeting collaboration is a breeze with Claap. Your teammates or coach can catch up on key moments, add feedback through video annotations, threads, and even video replies. It’s like having a post-meeting huddle, minus the scheduling headaches​.

Search and Organization

Finding that one discussion in a sea of recordings is no longer like finding a needle in a haystack. Claap allows you to search within your recordings, organize your content in teams and topics, and connect it to your favorite apps for a seamless workflow​.

Engage in Ongoing Conversations

The conversation doesn’t end with the meeting. With Claap, you can include everyone in the discussion with comment threads, video replies, and reactions, fostering a culture of continuous collaboration and engagement​.

Transparency and Accessibility

Someone missed the meeting? No worries. Claap automatically saves your meeting recordings in your workspace, making it easy for those who couldn’t attend to catch up and collaborate asynchronously​.

In a nutshell, Claap transforms how to record a Google Meet from a mere procedural task into a gateway for enhanced collaboration, insightful discussions, and a repository of knowledge that's easy to navigate. 

Google Meet Recording FAQs

Why can’t I see the record button in Google Meet?

Recording a meeting on Google Meet is not a universal feature. It's available only to certain paid Google Workspace editions like Workspace Individual Subscriber, Google One subscribers (with 2 TB or more storage), Business Standard, and Business Plus plans.

How do I know if I have permission to record a meeting?

To check your recording permissions, click on the options button (three vertical dots) during your meeting and look for the 'Record Meeting' option. If it's available, you have the green light to record the meeting​.

Where do Google Meet recordings go?

Once recorded, Google Meet videos are stored in the organizer's Google Drive, under a folder named "Meet Recordings." You can navigate to 'My Drive' and then open the 'Meet Recordings' folder to access your recorded videos. 

Why are my recordings not showing up immediately after the meeting?

Google Meet may take some time to process the recordings, especially for long meetings. If your recording doesn't show up immediately in the 'Meet Recordings' folder in Google Drive, it's likely still being processed. 

Can I edit my Google Meet recordings?

No. After recording with Google Meet, you're left with raw footage with no built-in options for editing.

Start for free

Try Claap now