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How to Record a Zoom Meeting and Find the Recording
Applies to: Zoom Desktop Client
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-07-10
Summary
If a key team member can't make a meeting, recording it is a lifesaver. Zoom offers two ways to record: to your local computer's hard drive, or to the Zoom Cloud. This guide explains how to start a recording, the difference between the two storage types, and exactly where to find the video file when the meeting ends.
Prerequisites
- You must be the Host (or a Co-Host) of the meeting, or the host must explicitly grant you permission to record.
Instructions
1. Start the Recording
- Once the meeting has started, locate the control bar at the bottom of the Zoom window.
- Click the Record button (the circle icon).
- If you have a paid Zoom license, a menu will pop up asking you to choose:
- Record to this Computer: Saves an MP4 file directly to your hard drive. (Best if you plan to edit the video in Premiere or iMovie).
- Record to the Cloud: Saves the video to Zoom's servers. (Best if you want to easily share a link with your team).
- Select your preferred option.
- Zoom will announce "Recording in progress" so all participants are aware they are being recorded. A small red recording icon will appear in the top left corner of your screen.
2. Pause or Stop the Recording
- To Pause: Click the Pause icon next to the recording indicator in the top left (or on the bottom control bar). Use this during breaks or sensitive off-the-record conversations. The video will resume in the same file when you click play.
- To Stop: Click the Stop icon (the square). The recording will end entirely. If you click Record again, it will create a second, separate video file.
Note: The recording will automatically stop when you end the meeting for all.
3. Find a Local Recording (Saved to Computer)
If you chose "Record to this Computer," you will not get the video file immediately. Zoom must convert the file after the meeting ends.
- End the Zoom meeting.
- A progress box will appear saying "Convert meeting recording." Do not close your laptop or turn off your computer until this reaches 100%.
- Once finished, a folder will automatically pop open containing your video (usually an MP4 file), audio-only file, and chat logs.
- Where does it live? By default, Zoom saves local recordings to your Documents folder:
- Windows:
C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents\Zoom - Mac:
/Users/[YourName]/Documents/Zoom
- Windows:
4. Find a Cloud Recording (Saved to Cloud)
If you chose "Record to the Cloud," the processing happens on Zoom's servers, which means you can safely shut your laptop immediately after the meeting.
- You will receive an email from Zoom when the recording is ready to view (usually within 30 minutes, though long meetings can take hours).
- Click the link in the email to view the video.
- To find old cloud recordings: Open your web browser, go to
zoom.us/recording, and sign in with your work account. You will see a list of all your past cloud recordings. - From here, you can click Copy Shareable Link to send the video to your coworkers.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom / Error | Potential Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Record button is missing | You are not the host | Ask the host to click "Record" or ask them to make you a Co-Host |
| "Record to the Cloud" option is missing | Free account limitation | Basic (free) Zoom accounts can only record locally to a computer |
| Local recording conversion failed or got stuck | Computer went to sleep | Open the Zoom app > click Meetings (top) > click Recorded > select the meeting and click Convert |
| Storage full error when recording locally | C: Drive is out of space | You must delete files on your computer or change the recording path in Zoom Settings |