Transcribing a Zoom call in four steps
Your browser captures the call audio on your own device, so Zoom never sees a bot or plugin.
Open Zoom on your computer
On Windows, use either the Zoom desktop app or Zoom in Chrome/Edge. On a Mac, click "Join from your browser" on the Zoom launch link so the call runs in a Chrome or Edge tab.
Open MeetingSidekick in a second tab
Go to meetingsidekick.ai, sign in free or use the 5-minute trial. Tick the consent box, press Start, and allow your microphone.
Share the Zoom tab or screen audio
In the browser picker, select your Zoom tab with "Also share tab audio" turned on (or on Windows, select Entire Screen with "Share system audio" ticked).
Press Stop for the summary
Let participants know you are taking notes. When the call wraps up, press Stop for a clean summary, action items, saved audio replay, and a chatbot for that meeting.
Pick the setup that matches your device
No matter how you join Zoom, there is a zero-install way to capture it.
Windows (Zoom desktop app)
Keep using the normal Zoom app. When Chrome or Edge opens the share picker, switch to the "Entire Screen" tab and tick "Share system audio".
Mac or Chromebook (Zoom in browser)
When a Zoom link opens, click "Cancel" on the app prompt and click "Join from your browser" at the bottom. Then share that browser tab with audio.
Phone on the desk (speakerphone)
If your company blocks browser screen-sharing or you take the Zoom call on headphones-off speaker, open meetingsidekick.ai on your phone and let its microphone capture the room.
Locked-down work laptop
No Zoom Marketplace app approval and no Windows installer needed. Everything runs inside the browser you already use for work.
The limits, before your first call
Chrome or Edge on desktop for direct call audio. Safari and Firefox do not support sharing tab or system audio. If you prefer Safari, open MeetingSidekick on your phone or iPad next to the laptop on speaker.
Mac desktop app vs. Mac browser tab. macOS only lets Chrome and Edge capture audio from a browser tab, not from a separate desktop app without installing a virtual audio driver. Joining Zoom in a Chrome or Edge tab avoids installing anything.
No Zoom recording notice plays automatically. Because Zoom is not doing the recording, the call will not hear Zoom's "Recording in progress" voice. Tell everyone on the call that you are taking notes and follow your company and local consent rules.
Audio, transcript, and summary. MeetingSidekick saves the audio recording (replay included on Pro and Max) along with the transcript, summary, and meeting chat. It does not record video.
Recording Zoom without a bot, answered
How do I record a Zoom meeting without a bot joining?
Open meetingsidekick.ai in Chrome or Edge in a second tab, press Start, and in the browser share picker share your Zoom web tab (or on Windows, your screen with system audio ticked). Your browser captures the audio playing on your computer plus your microphone, so no bot joins the Zoom call.
Do I need the Zoom host to grant recording permission?
Not inside Zoom. Because Zoom itself is not recording and no bot asks to enter the waiting room, there is no host toggle needed. You still tell the people on the call that you are taking notes and follow your workplace and local consent rules.
Does it work with the Zoom desktop app or only Zoom in the browser?
Both work on Windows: share your entire screen and tick system audio to capture the Zoom desktop app, or join Zoom in a Chrome or Edge tab and share that tab. On a Mac, Chrome and Edge only share tab audio, so click "Join from your browser" on the Zoom launch page and share that tab.
Will Zoom announce "Recording in progress"?
No. Zoom only plays that voice prompt when Zoom's own recorder or a Zoom bot starts. Here your browser tab captures the audio on your device, which is why you let participants know out loud before starting.
How much does MeetingSidekick cost?
Free is 2 hours of recording, one time, with no credit card. Pro is $15 a month or $120 a year for 30 hours a month, speaker names, search across all your meetings and audio replay. Max is $50 a month for unlimited recording. There is also a one-time 5-hour pack for $9 that never expires.
Try it on your next Zoom call. Nothing joins.
Free to start, no credit card. Open a tab, press Start, share the call audio.
Start free →