How to record a Google Meet call on Linux
Google Meet only offers recording on certain paid Workspace plans, and the recording lands in someone's Google Drive. On Linux, where Meet runs in the browser anyway, the simplest route is to record the call yourself. This guide covers the manual method and the automatic one.
Record it yourself with OBS
Google Meet is a browser tab, so OBS treats it like any window. The audio routing is the part to get right.
- 1
Install OBS Studio
Install OBS from your package manager or as a Flatpak. The Flatpak build includes the PipeWire portal needed for capture on Wayland.
- 2
Open Meet and add a capture source
Open the Google Meet call in your browser, then add a Screen Capture source in OBS (PipeWire on Wayland, XSHM on X11) and pick the browser window.
- 3
Capture both sides of the audio
Add an 'Audio Output Capture' source set to the '.monitor' device of your active output to record the other participants. Add an 'Audio Input Capture' source for your microphone. Confirm both meters move during the call.
- 4
Set the format and record
In Settings, Output, choose MP4 and a hardware encoder (VAAPI or NVENC). Start recording before you join the call and stop when it ends.
- 5
Transcribe the recording
OBS only produces a video. For a transcript, run the audio through a local Whisper build afterwards. Repeat it after every meeting.
Capturing Meet audio on Linux
On Linux the microphone and the speaker output are separate streams. A recorder that grabs only the mic captures you but not the rest of the Meet call. To record the people you hear, capture the output's monitor source.
PulseAudio and PipeWire expose a '.monitor' device for every output, a loopback of whatever is playing, including Meet audio from the browser. Point the recorder at that monitor source and mix in the mic to capture the full call. Since Meet runs in a browser, check that the browser's audio is on the same output you are monitoring.
The faster route: let Autorec do it
Autorec runs natively on Linux and handles the capture, the audio routing, and the transcript for you.
- 1
Install and launch Autorec
Install the .deb or .rpm package and start the app. It runs in the system tray.
- 2
Join your Meet call in the browser
Autorec detects the Google Meet call and starts recording by itself. It captures the call window and mixes your mic with the speaker monitor source. No bot joins, so no extra participant shows up.
- 3
Get the video, transcript, and summary
When the call ends, Autorec transcribes the audio locally with whisper.cpp and writes an AI summary. The MP4, .txt, .srt, and summary stay on your disk, not in anyone's Drive.
Common problems
The recording has no audio from other people
You captured the microphone instead of the output. Add an output-capture source pointed at the '.monitor' device for the output your browser is playing through.
No 'Record' option appears in Google Meet
Meet's built-in recording is limited to certain Workspace plans and may need an admin to enable it. A desktop recorder does not depend on it. It captures the call from outside Meet on any plan, including free accounts.
The recording is choppy
Encoding in software while the browser runs Meet is demanding. Switch to a VAAPI or NVENC encoder, record at 30 fps, and keep a laptop plugged in to avoid CPU throttling.
Questions people ask
Can I record a Google Meet call without a paid Workspace plan?
Yes. Meet's own recording needs a qualifying Workspace plan, but a desktop recorder captures the call window from outside Meet. That works on a free Google account just as well.
Will other people in the Meet call know I am recording?
Meet's recording notification only fires when someone uses Meet's built-in recording. A desktop recorder works outside Meet, so no notification appears. Tell the other participants anyway. Recording-consent law often requires it.
Does Autorec recognize a Meet call in any browser?
Autorec detects a Meet call by the browser window's title and process, so it works across the common browsers on Linux.
Is the recording stored anywhere online?
No. Autorec writes the video, transcript, and summary to a folder on your own disk. There is no cloud account and nothing is uploaded.
Keep reading
For the longer story behind local recording, see our guide: the complete local meeting recording guide
Skip the setup
Autorec detects the call, records it to your disk, and transcribes it on your machine. No bot joins the meeting and nothing is uploaded. The free tier covers 3 recordings every 24 hours, up to 40 minutes each.