How to record a Microsoft Teams meeting on Linux
Teams on Linux means the web app in a browser, since Microsoft retired the native Linux client. Its built-in recording also saves straight to the cloud, which is exactly what some teams want to avoid. This guide covers recording a Teams call locally, by hand and automatically.
Record it yourself with OBS
Teams in the browser is just another window, so OBS can capture it. The work is in the audio routing, the same as any Linux recording.
- 1
Install OBS Studio
Install OBS from your package manager or as a Flatpak. On Wayland the Flatpak pulls in the PipeWire screen-capture portal it needs.
- 2
Open Teams in your browser and add a capture source
Open the Teams web app, then in OBS add a Screen Capture source (PipeWire on Wayland, XSHM on X11) and pick the browser window. Window capture keeps the rest of your desktop out of the recording.
- 3
Capture both sides of the audio
Add an 'Audio Output Capture' source set to the '.monitor' device of your active output. That records the other participants. Add an 'Audio Input Capture' source for your microphone. Both must move while the call runs.
- 4
Set the format and record
In Settings, Output, choose MP4 and a hardware encoder (VAAPI or NVENC). Start recording before you join, stop after the call ends.
- 5
Transcribe the recording
OBS gives you the video. For a transcript, run the audio through a local Whisper build afterwards. This stays a manual step every meeting.
Capturing Teams audio on Linux
On Linux the microphone and the speaker output are separate streams. Capture only the mic and you lose everyone else on the Teams call. To record the people you hear, you capture the output's monitor source.
PulseAudio and PipeWire both expose a '.monitor' device for every output, a loopback of whatever is playing, including Teams audio from the browser. Point your recorder at that monitor source, mix in the mic, and the whole call is captured. With the Teams web app, make sure the browser's audio is going to 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, and it keeps the recording off the cloud.
- 1
Install and launch Autorec
Install the .deb or .rpm package and start the app. It waits in the system tray.
- 2
Join your Teams call in the browser
Autorec detects the Teams call and starts recording by itself. It captures the call window and mixes your mic with the speaker monitor source. No bot joins, so nobody sees an extra participant.
- 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 all stay on your disk. Nothing reaches Microsoft's cloud or anyone else's.
Common problems
The recording has no call audio
Your audio source is the microphone, not the output monitor. Add an output-capture source pointed at the '.monitor' device for whatever output the browser is using.
Teams audio goes to a different device than I am recording
Browsers can route audio per output device. In your sound settings, confirm the browser's playback is on the same output whose monitor you are capturing, or move it there.
The recording is choppy
Software encoding plus a browser running Teams is heavy. Switch the encoder to VAAPI or NVENC, record at 30 fps, and on a laptop keep it plugged in so the CPU does not throttle.
Questions people ask
Why is there no Teams app for Linux?
Microsoft discontinued the native Linux Teams client. On Linux you use Teams through a browser. A desktop recorder captures that browser window the same way it captures any other.
Can I record a Teams call without it saving to the cloud?
Yes. Teams' own recording uploads to OneDrive or SharePoint. A desktop recorder like OBS or Autorec captures the call from outside Teams and writes the file to your local disk, with no cloud involved.
Will Teams show that I am recording?
Teams' recording banner only appears when someone uses Teams' built-in recording. A desktop recorder works outside Teams, so no banner shows. Tell the other participants regardless. It is the right thing to do, and often legally required.
Does Autorec detect the Teams web app?
Yes. Autorec detects a Teams call by the browser window's title and process, so it recognizes and records the web app the same way it would a native client.
Keep reading
For the longer story behind local recording, see our guide: recording Teams meetings without cloud upload
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.