Recording calls and meetings on a Mac

Updated 2026-09-03.

Recording a call or meeting on a Mac works in one of two ways. Either the app records for you, which needs the right plan, the host's permission and a Mac that supports it, and it notifies everyone. Or you record locally with the Screenshot toolbar, OBS, or a system audio recorder such as AirCheck, which captures what the Mac plays but never your own microphone. These nine guides cover FaceTime, Google Meet, Teams, iPhone and WhatsApp calls, Discord, webinars, Zoom's folders, both-sides setups and the consent rules in Austria, Germany, the UK and the US.

Guides in this topic

How to record a FaceTime call on a MacFaceTime audio calls with one other person have a built-in Call Recording button that saves to Notes. Video and group calls need a system audio recorder.
How to record a Google Meet on a Mac without being the hostMeet's recorder needs a paid Workspace edition and host permission. Without it, capture the Mac's system audio locally; here is what each route records.
How to record a Teams meeting on a MacTeams recording needs a license and an admin policy, and the file goes to the organizer's OneDrive, never to your Mac. Where it saves, and the local route.
How to record a phone call on a MacOn macOS Tahoe the Phone app records iPhone calls relayed to the Mac, with an audio notice, saved to Notes. WhatsApp calls need a system audio recorder.
How to record a Discord call on a MacDiscord has no record button. Craig records a server voice channel with one track per speaker; OBS or a system audio recorder captures what your Mac plays.
How to record both sides of a call on a MacSystem audio recording captures the other side, a microphone recording captures you, and neither captures both. The three setups that do, compared.
Is it legal to record a call on a Mac?Depends on where the parties are. Germany and Austria penalise recording private speech without consent; US federal law needs one party. Not legal advice.
How to record a webinar on a MacZoom Webinar attendees cannot use the built-in recorder. Capture the Mac's system audio for a 0.14 GB per hour MP3, or use OBS for video with slides.
Where do Zoom recordings go on a Mac?Local Zoom recordings land in a Zoom folder inside Documents, one sub-folder per meeting, after conversion; cloud recordings live in the Zoom web portal.

Which calls can a Mac record without extra software?

Fewer than people expect, and the rules are per app, not per Mac. Apple's own Call Recording covers a FaceTime audio call with one other person and, on macOS Tahoe, iPhone calls relayed to the Phone app; it plays a notice and saves to Notes. Details: how to record a FaceTime call on a Mac and how to record a phone call on a Mac. Google Meet records only on paid Workspace editions with host permission, see recording a Google Meet without being the host. Teams needs a license and an admin policy, and saves to OneDrive rather than the Mac, see how to record a Teams meeting on a Mac. Zoom lets hosts and permitted participants record to a folder in Documents, explained in where Zoom recordings go on a Mac. Discord and WhatsApp have no recorder at all. When the built-in option exists, use it: it is the only route that captures both sides in one file and tells the other party.

How do you record a meeting locally when the app will not let you?

Three tools, three different results. The Screenshot toolbar (Shift-Command-5) records a .mov with your microphone; Apple's options list has no system audio entry, so the other participants are heard only through speaker bleed. OBS Studio captures desktop audio and the screen on macOS 13 and newer, in a video container, which is right for slides. A system audio recorder such as AirCheck captures everything the Mac plays through ScreenCaptureKit on macOS 14 or newer, no virtual driver, as a 24-bit audio file: 0.14 GB per hour as MP3, 0.97 GB as 24-bit WAV. What none of them capture is your own voice mixed in; see how to record both sides of a call on a Mac for the setups that do. The local route suits listening situations best: webinars, where you are muted anyway, and Discord calls, where Craig is the alternative for per-speaker tracks. The same applies to a FaceTime video call, which has no built-in recorder. Local capture notifies nobody, which brings up the next question.

Legally, it depends on where every participant is; practically, ask every time. Germany's § 201 StGB punishes recording another person's non-public spoken word without authorisation with up to three years; Austria's § 120 StGB covers recording devices and passing recordings on; the UK's Investigatory Powers Act treats interception as authorised where both sender and recipient consent; US federal law needs one party, while California needs all parties for confidential communications. The statutes are quoted with links in is it legal to record a call on a Mac, which is not legal advice. Built-in recorders announce themselves: Apple's play an audio notice, Teams and Meet show a notification, Zoom shows an indicator. A local capture with the Screenshot toolbar, OBS or AirCheck shows nothing, so the announcement is yours to make, whether it is a Teams meeting, a Google Meet or a phone call. Keep recordings private unless everyone agreed otherwise.