Transcription in Microsoft Teams transforms your meetings into searchable, readable text—making it easier to review conversations, follow up on decisions, and stay organized. Whether you're using it for accessibility, documentation, or productivity, enabling transcription is simple once a few key requirements are met.
Requirements Before Enabling Transcription:
- Scheduled Meetings Only: Transcription is available only in meetings scheduled through the Teams Calendar—not ad-hoc calls.
- Desktop App Required: You must use the Windows or macOS desktop version of Microsoft Teams.
- Transcript Storage: Transcripts are automatically saved to the meeting organizer’s OneDrive for Business.
- Premium Features: If your organization has Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot, you may also gain access to Intelligent Recap and auto-generated meeting summaries powered by AI.
Once these requirements are met, you can enable transcription during your meeting or configure it to start automatically by adjusting settings beforehand.
Enable Transcription and Recording Before the Meeting
Step 1: Schedule Your Meeting in Teams
- Go to the Calendar tab in Teams.
- Click New Meeting.
- Add title, participants, and time.
- Click Send to schedule.
Step 2: Enabling Transcription and Recording:
- Open the scheduled meeting in your calendar.
- Click Meeting Options.
- Toggle Recording & Transcription toggle to On. This will automatically start recording and transcription when the meeting begins.
Step 3: Start the Meeting
- Join the meeting using the Teams desktop app.
Step 4: Access Notes After the Meeting
- Go to the meeting chat or calendar event.
- Click the View Recap button and go to the Transcription tab.
Enable Transcription and Recording During the Meeting
Step 1: Start the meeting
- Join the meeting with the Teams desktop app.
Step 2: Start Live Transcription Only
- Select More actions *** in your meeting controls.
- Select Record and transcribe > Start transcription
- Confirm the language everyone is speaking in the meeting.
- Select Confirm.
- All participants will see a notification that the meeting is being transcribed
Step 3: Access Notes After the Meeting
- Go to the meeting chat or calendar event.
- Click the View Recap button and go to the Transcription tab.
Downloading a Transcript
After the meeting ends, the transcript is available in the meeting event on the calendar. By default, organizers and co-organizers can download it as a .docx or .vtt file.
You may also be able to give others permission to download a transcript, depending on policies set by your IT admin.
To download a transcript:
- Select Chat in Teams
- Open the past meeting chat.
- Select View Recap.
- Go to the Transcript tab and click Download. Choose the file format you prefer.
Want to Hide Your Identity in Captions or Transcripts?
No problem! Microsoft Teams allows users to anonymize their name in meeting captions and transcripts. This can be configured in your Teams settings or by your IT admin, depending on your organization's policies.
In conclusion, make Every Word Count with Teams Transcription! Whether you're leading a project, hosting a training session, or simply trying to stay organized, enabling transcription ensures that every word is captured, searchable, and actionable.
From setting it up before your meeting to downloading transcripts and customizing privacy settings, Teams make it easy to turn conversations into lasting insights. So go ahead—start transcribing and let your meetings work smarter for you.
