How to Record a Teams Meeting on Desktop or Phone (2026)

A recorded Teams call is a gift to future you. You can send it to the colleague who couldn't make it, check what a client agreed to, or turn a training session into something new starters watch in their first week. For small business owners working inside a client's Microsoft setup, it's often the simplest way to keep a record without frantic note-taking.

The frustrating part is that Teams recording depends on your role in the meeting and how your organisation is set up, not just which button you press. I'll take you through the steps from Microsoft's help pages, then explain why the button sometimes isn't there.

Starting a Teams meeting recording on your computer

Microsoft's steps for the desktop app are short:

1. Start or join the meeting.
2. In your meeting controls, select More actions, then Record.
3. Specify your spoken language and what you want to record.
4. Select Confirm.

Everyone in the meeting is notified automatically once recording starts, so nobody gets a surprise later. Microsoft also says only one person can record a Teams meeting at a time, so if a colleague has already started it, you don't need to.

Recording audio only

If you only want the conversation and not the video, Microsoft's help says to select More actions, then Record, choose Audio only from the Choose what to record dropdown and select Confirm. It's a good fit for interviews or podcast-style chats where faces don't add much.

Recording a Teams meeting from the mobile app

You can record from a phone too. According to Microsoft, in your meeting controls you select More options, then Start recording. When you're finished, select More options, then Stop recording. The file is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint, just like a desktop recording.

Stopping a Teams recording

On a computer, select More actions in your meeting controls, then Recording, and stop it from there. If you forget, Microsoft says the recording stops on its own once everyone leaves the meeting.

Transcription works separately. Microsoft's help says you can turn on live transcription and view it during the meeting, and that stopping the transcription alone leaves the recording running. Check both if you want everything to stop.

Who can record a Teams meeting

This is where most 'the Record button is missing' problems come from. Microsoft's help sets out who can start and stop a recording:

Person in the meeting	Can start or stop recording?
Meeting organiser	Yes
Person from the same organisation	Yes
Person from another organisation	No
Guest	No
Anonymous attendee	No

Microsoft adds that anyone who starts a recording needs a qualifying Office or Microsoft business licence, must have recording enabled by an IT admin, and can't be a guest or from another organisation. So if you're a freelancer joining a client's meeting from your own account, you'll usually need to ask someone on their side to hit Record.

Where your Teams meeting recording is saved

Once the meeting ends, Microsoft says the recording is processed and saved to the meeting organiser's OneDrive for Business. It then shows up in the meeting chat, or in the channel conversation if it was a channel meeting. You can also find it by opening the past meeting in your Teams calendar.

By default, only meeting organisers and co-organisers can download or delete the recording. Microsoft also says admin settings decide when a recording expires, so if you want to keep a session long term, download it (or ask the organiser to) rather than trusting it'll sit there for ever.

If you also use Zoom with clients, my guide to finding a webinar recording after a Zoom call covers the equivalent hunt on that side.

What a Teams recording won't capture

Microsoft lists a few things a meeting recording leaves out, which is worth knowing before you rely on one:

• More than four people's video streams at once.
• Whiteboards and annotations.
• Shared notes.
• Content shared through an app.
• Videos or animations embedded in PowerPoint Live presentations.

If your session depends on a whiteboard, export it separately. If a demo video matters, share the file in the chat afterwards.

Asking permission before you record a Teams call

Teams notifies everyone automatically, but Microsoft's help also says that depending on your region, you may need everyone's permission before you can record them. I'd say it out loud at the start anyway and add a line to the invitation. Check the rules where you live before recording anyone, especially on client or sales calls.

The same goes for AI note-takers that join calls for you. My piece on why AI meeting note-takers can cause legal headaches is worth reading before you switch one on.

If you can't record a Teams meeting

1. Check you're in the meeting from your own organisation's account, not as a guest.
2. Ask the organiser whether recording is allowed for the meeting.
3. Ask your IT admin whether recording is switched on for your account, since Microsoft says an admin must enable it.
4. Check whether someone else is already recording. Only one person can at a time.
5. Update Teams, leave and rejoin the meeting.
6. If none of that helps, raise it with your admin or Microsoft support.

Frequently asked questions

How do I record a Teams meeting?

Start or join the meeting, select More actions in your meeting controls, then Record. Choose your spoken language and what you want to record, then select Confirm. Everyone is notified automatically.

Why can't I record a Teams meeting?

Microsoft says guests, anonymous attendees and people from another organisation can't record. You also need a qualifying business licence and recording enabled by your IT admin.

Where do Teams meeting recordings go?

They're saved to the organiser's OneDrive for Business and appear in the meeting chat, or the channel conversation for channel meetings. You can also open the past meeting in your Teams calendar.

Can I record a Teams meeting on my phone?

Yes. In your meeting controls, select More options, then Start recording. Select More options, then Stop recording when you're done.

Does Teams tell people when a meeting is being recorded?

Yes. Microsoft says everyone in the meeting is notified automatically when recording starts. It's still good practice to tell people and check the rules where you live.

Can I record only audio in Teams?

Yes. Select More actions, then Record, pick Audio only from the Choose what to record dropdown and select Confirm.