Zoom Cloud Recording: Settings, Storage and Who Can Record

Here's what catches teams out. Cloud storage is pooled at the account level, so a Business account with 10 licensed users gets 100 GB to share across everyone, and one heavy recorder can use up the space the rest of the team was counting on. And if a paid account is downgraded to a free one, you lose access to your cloud recordings until you resubscribe. After 30 days, they're set to be deleted.

Cloud or computer: which recording you get

	Computer recording	Cloud recording
Available on	All Zoom accounts	Paid accounts only
Where it's saved	Your computer's hard disk, in a folder named zoom inside Documents by default	The Zoom cloud, under Recordings in the web portal
Files you get	MP4 video, M4A audio and chat text	MP4 video, M4A audio and chat text
Phone and tablet	Not supported, the mobile app can't record locally	Yes, from the iOS and Android app
Sharing	You send the file yourself	Shareable link with passcode and download controls
Smart recording with AI	Not available	Available on eligible plans

Zoom's own FAQ adds two warnings about computer recordings. Don't save them to an external hard drive or network storage, because that can result in data loss. And don't expect auto computer recording on a phone, since computer recording is only supported in the desktop app.

Turning cloud recording on for your account

By default, cloud recording is switched on for all paid subscribers. If a host can't see Record to the Cloud when they click Record, it's usually been turned off or locked higher up. The setting lives at three levels: account, group and user, and a lock at account level grays the option out for everyone below it. You'll need owner or admin privileges to change the account and group levels.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
2. Click your profile picture or initials in the top-right corner, then click Admin Center.
3. In the side menu, click Settings, then open the Recording & Transcript tab.
4. Click the Cloud Recording toggle, then click Enable if a verification dialog appears.
5. If you don't want anyone changing it, click the lock icon, then Lock.
6. Pick any extra options you want, such as saving chat messages, showing participants' names or adding a timestamp to the recording.

A licensed host can switch it on for themselves from Settings, on the Recording tab, as long as it isn't grayed out. Grayed out means it's locked at group or account level, and only a Zoom admin can change it there.

The settings that decide who sees your recordings

Cloud recording management settings let an owner or admin choose what hosts can do with their recordings. If a setting isn't locked, licensed hosts can change it in their own account. If it's locked, they can't. These are the ones I'd check first, as of October 2026:

• Allow cloud recording sharing: whether hosts can share their recordings at all.
• Cloud recording downloads: lets anyone download the video from a shared link, with a box to tick if only the host should download.
• Require passcode to access shared cloud recordings: adds a passcode to new recordings by default, though users can still change or remove it.
• Require users to authenticate before viewing: viewers must sign in, for example to their Zoom account.
• IP Address Access Control: only the IP addresses you list can play back shared recordings.
• Viewers can see the transcript and Viewers can see the chat: both apply to newly generated recordings only.
• The host can delete cloud recordings: if it's off, only admins can delete.
• Delete cloud recordings after a specified number of days: auto-delete counted from the creation date.
• Prevent hosts from accessing their cloud recordings: only admins with the recording management privilege can see them.

Two details are easy to miss. If a user sets their own auto-delete, Zoom applies theirs, not the group-level setting. And if a host sees no share option on a recording, Zoom's answer is to contact your admin, who needs to enable the privilege to edit recordings through role management.

How much cloud storage each plan includes

• Pro, Pro Plus and Business: 10 GB per licensed user
• Business Plus: 15 GB per licensed user
• Enterprise and Enterprise Plus: unlimited
• Zoom Rooms: 1 GB per Zoom Room

Those are Zoom's included figures as of October 2026, and remember they're pooled across the account. If the limit is reached mid-meeting, the meeting keeps recording until it ends, and the billing admin gets an email alert before that as usage gets close to the subscribed limit. When recovery from Trash is on, deleted recordings stay in the trash for 30 days and don't count toward your storage allowance. Extra storage is sold monthly, and I've covered what it costs in my breakdown of Zoom's plans and add-ons.

Smart recording: chapters, highlights and next steps

Smart recording brings Zoom AI to cloud recordings. It splits a recording into smart chapters with timestamps, marks the most important parts as recording highlights, suggests next steps from cues at the end of the meeting, and gives the host coaching analytics such as talk speed, talk-listen ratio, longest spiel and filler word usage.

You need a licensed user on Zoom Workplace Pro or higher, including the Business, Enterprise and Education plans, with cloud recording, Create audio transcript and smart recording with AI all switched on. Zoom notes AI features may not be available for all regions or industry verticals. Only the host, or someone with permission to manage cloud recordings, can edit the highlights, chapters and next steps. Saving highlights as a new clip also cuts the matching audio and transcript, but that clip uses your account's storage. Zoom says it doesn't use customer audio, video, chat or screen sharing to train its own or third-party AI models.

Recording to the cloud from your phone

On iOS and Android, cloud is your only option, because you can't record locally from a mobile device. You need a licensed user with host or co-host privileges and cloud recording enabled. Tap the Record icon in the meeting controls, then Start Recording, and the app shows it's recording in the top-left corner. Once the meeting ends, the file processes and appears under Recordings in the web portal. For the click-by-click on every device, here's my guide on recording a Zoom meeting.

Why a recording doesn't match the meeting

Zoom's recording FAQ answers what hosts ask most. Pinning a video doesn't affect the cloud recording, so spotlight someone if you want only their video shown. Gallery view only appears when at least two attendees have their cameras on; with one camera, you get active speaker view. Private chat messages aren't included, only public ones. And if someone says the link is invalid, the owner may have moved the recording to the trash, where it's deleted after 30 days, so it needs recovering.

My verdict on Zoom cloud recording

I'd switch cloud recording on, and lock the sharing and download settings at account level, if you run client calls or team training and want one library with passcodes and auto-delete. I'd skip it and stick with computer recording if you record rarely and you're happy keeping files on your own machine. Either way, set an auto-delete period on day one, because pooled storage fills faster than anyone expects.

Recording every call is the easy part; turning those recordings into summaries, follow-ups and training that nobody has to chase is where most teams stall. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.

Frequently asked questions

Is Zoom cloud recording free?

No. Computer recording works on all Zoom accounts, but cloud recording needs a paid Pro, Business, Education or Enterprise account as of October 2026.

How long does Zoom keep deleted cloud recordings?

With recovery from Trash enabled, deleted cloud recordings stay in the trash for 30 days and don't count toward your storage. After that they're deleted.

What happens to my cloud recordings if I downgrade to a free plan?

You can't access them until you resubscribe to a paid account. If you don't resubscribe within 30 days, they're set to be deleted.

Can I record to the Zoom cloud from my phone?

Yes, on iOS and Android, if you're a licensed host or co-host and cloud recording is enabled. You can't record locally on a mobile device.

Why is the cloud recording toggle grayed out?

It's been locked at group or account level. Only a Zoom admin can change it at that level.