In this article we show you how to record the video calls you make with your friends, family or coworkers on Meet, using the tools that Google makes available to us and with third-party applications.
What is Google Meet
Google Meet is the platform for video calls that Google makes available for free to all users with a Gmail account, although if we want to get the most out of it, it is necessary to have a company or student account.
If this name doesn't ring a bell or you remember an app called Hangouts doing the same thing, you're right. Google regularly changes the name of some of its services or closes them without giving reasons or explanations.
A couple of years ago, Google announced that Hangouts was renamed Google Meet, a video calling platform that integrates with Google Wokspace to offer companies and educational centers a complete communication solution to cover all needs.
The most comfortable and simplest thing is to use the native function that Google makes available to users of this platform. But, there is a problem, since not all users have that option activated. Before we get into the matter, v
Which Google accounts allow us to record Meet calls
Although Google Meet is available to all users with a Gmail account, not everyone can enjoy all the features it offers us.
For example, users whose account is not part of a company or school cannot make unlimited calls. Nor can they make use of the function that allows video calls to be recorded and automatically stored in Google Drive.
If you want to record a Meet video call natively, you must be a user of one of the following Google Workspace accounts:
- Individual Workspace Subscriber
- Essentials
- Educational accounts:
- EducationPlus
- teaching and learning
- Enterprise accounts:
- Essentials
- Standard
- More
- Business accounts:
- Standard
- More
If not, you will have to resort to third-party applications, applications that we are also going to talk about in this article.
Requirements to record a Google Meet video call
If you are one of the lucky ones who has a company account or this is part of an educational center, you must meet certain conditions to be able to record video calls and everything that is shown in them.
- Host the meeting.
- Belong to the same organization (company or educational center) that organizes it.
If you have a business or school account, but you are not the host or part of the same organization that creates it, you will NOT be able to record the video call.
This is not a technical limitation, but a measure taken to control the privacy of conversations. If it is about videoconferences between members of a company, it is necessary to take note.
But, if it is a client, for example, the words are carried away by the wind. The best way to record agreements is through emails and/or contracts.
How to record in Meet
Once we have checked if we have an account that allows us to record the video calls we make with this platform through Google, we must follow the following steps to record on Meet.
- First, we create a meeting or join one where we are invited.
- Next, click on the Activities button, located at the bottom right of the application.
- Next, click on Recording > Start.
- To stop the recording, click on Activities > Recording > Stop recording.
When the recording starts, all the participants to it will receive a notification informing them.
What content is recorded from Meet video calls
All the content that is displayed on the screen, both the image of the interlocutors and the documents that are shared on the screen. The conversations that take place through the chat are also stored in a separate file where the video is stored.
Where are Meet video calls saved?
All recordings that we make with our Google account are stored in the Meet Recordings folder of Google Drive. The videos created, we can share them through a link or download it to our device.
How to record on Meet with third-party apps
If your Google account does not offer the possibility to record video calls, there is no problem.
We can use some of the different applications that I show you below, all of them free applications and without any type of limitation.
How to record video calls on Windows
Xbox game bar
If your computer is relatively modern and/or has a dedicated graphics card, you can use the Xbox Game Bar. The Xbox Game Bar is a native application available on Windows that allows us to record the screen of the application that is in the foreground.
In addition, it also allows us to select the audio track of the corresponding application to also record the audio. In this way, there is no need to install any third-party application.
To access the Xbox Game Bar, we must press the key combination Windows Key + G. In the upper left, the Capture and transmit box, we will click on the button in the form of a circle.
In the lower section, we will select the audio source that we want to use, which in this particular case will be Google Meet.
Viewer discretion
If your computer doesn't offer the option to record your screen, the best free solution available for Windows is called OBS.
This open source application allows us to record the screen of the application we want along with the audio source we select.
You can download this application directly from its website through this link.
How to record video calls on macOS
In macOS, we have at our disposal a native function that allows us to record the screen without using third-party applications. To access this function, we must press the key combination Commando + Shift + 5.
If your Mac is very old and this option is not available, you can also use the OBS app, which is also available for macOS for free.
How to Record Video Calls on Linux
The simplest solution, regardless of the Linux distribution that we have installed on our computer, is OBS. As I mentioned above, with this application we can record both the application and the sound source that we want.