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How to Turn On Automatic Recording for Zoom Meetings

Tap each step to follow along in order.

  1. Open the settings page on the Zoom web portal

    Sign into zoom.us in a web browser and click "Settings" in the left-hand menu.

  2. Go to the Recording tab

    Select the "Recording" tab at the top of the settings screen to see all recording-related options.

  3. Turn on automatic recording

    Toggle on "Automatically record meeting" and every meeting will start recording the moment it begins.

  4. Choose local or cloud recording

    Pick between local recording, which saves a file to your own computer, and cloud recording, which is stored on Zoom's servers so you can watch it back from anywhere. Cloud recording is typically only available on paid plans.

  5. Confirm it applies when a meeting starts

    After saving your settings, start a new meeting and check that a recording indicator appears at the top of the screen automatically.

  6. Confirm participants see a recording notice

    Once automatic recording begins, participants are shown a prompt asking them to consent to being recorded -- it's good practice to mention that the meeting will be recorded before it starts.

Why automatic recording is worth setting up

If you have to remember to click the record button every single meeting, it's easy to forget on the one meeting that actually needed it. Turning on automatic recording once means every meeting is captured from the start, which is handy for writing up notes afterward or sharing the discussion with anyone who couldn't attend.

A note on recording consent

Rules around notifying or getting consent from meeting participants before recording vary by country, state, and organization, and Zoom's on-screen notice doesn't substitute for knowing your local requirements. This is general information, not legal advice -- when in doubt, announce that you're recording at the start of the meeting and check your organization's or region's policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does automatic recording apply to every meeting the same way?

By default it applies account-wide, but you can still turn off recording for an individual meeting when you schedule it.

Can a free account use automatic recording?

Local recording is available on free accounts, but automatically saving to the cloud is only available on paid plans.