When a Google Meet call is recorded, the video doesn’t appear in Meet itself. It’s saved to Google Drive, linked from the Calendar event, and announced by email. Knowing where to look, and who can see the file, saves a lot of searching after an important meeting. This guide shows every place to find Meet recordings, how to download and share them, and what to do if one is missing.
Quick answer
Open Google Drive with the meeting organizer’s account and go to My Drive > Meet Recordings. You can also open the meeting’s Google Calendar event or the “recording is ready” email, both of which link to the file.
Where Google Meet recordings are saved
| Location | Who sees it |
|---|---|
| Google Drive > My Drive > Meet Recordings | The meeting organizer |
| Google Calendar event attachment | Invited guests in the same organization, depending on settings |
| Email with a link to the recording | The organizer and the person who started the recording |
Recordings are saved as MP4 video files. If captions were on during recording, a caption file may be saved alongside the video, and transcripts, if turned on, are saved as a Google Doc.
Method 1: Find it in Google Drive
- Go to Google Drive and sign in with the organizer’s account.
- Click My Drive in the left menu.
- Open the Meet Recordings folder.
- Recordings are named with the meeting title, date, and time. Double-click one to play it.
If you don’t see the folder, type the meeting name into Drive’s search bar, or filter by Type > Videos.
Method 2: Open it from Google Calendar
- Open Google Calendar and click the meeting event.
- Look under the event details for the recording attachment.
- Click it to open the video in Drive.
This is often the easiest way for meeting guests to find a recording, as long as the organizer’s account adds recordings to calendar events.
Method 3: Use the email notification
After the recording finishes processing, Google emails a link to the organizer and to the person who started the recording. Search Gmail for the meeting name or “Recording” to find it, then click the link.
How long it takes
Recordings aren’t available right away. Google has to process the video first, which usually takes a few minutes but can take much longer for long meetings. If the file isn’t there yet, wait and check again later.
Find recordings for meetings you joined
If you weren’t the organizer, the recording lives in someone else’s Drive. Open the Calendar event first, since guests in the same organization usually get access through the attachment. If you don’t see it, check Shared with me in Drive, or ask the organizer to share the file with you. People outside the organization typically need the organizer to share it directly.
How to download a recording
- Find the recording in Google Drive.
- Right-click it and choose Download, or open it and click the download icon.
- The MP4 file saves to your computer’s Downloads folder.
If you only have view access, the download option may be turned off. See how to download view-only files from Google Drive for what’s possible.
How to share a recording
In Drive, right-click the recording, choose Share, and add people or change General access to anyone in your organization or anyone with the link. Be careful with recordings that include private conversations or customer information.
Who can record Google Meet calls?
Recording isn’t available on free personal Google accounts. It’s included with many paid Google Workspace plans, and an administrator may need to turn it on. Within a meeting, the organizer and people in the same organization typically have permission to record, depending on the host’s settings.
If you can’t find a recording
- Check the right account: Recordings go to the organizer’s Drive, not necessarily yours.
- Wait for processing: Long meetings can take hours.
- Look in Shared with me: If someone else organized the meeting and shared the file, it appears there.
- Check Trash: If it was deleted recently, you may be able to restore it from Drive’s Trash.
- Ask your admin: Workspace admins can help locate recordings and check retention policies.
Related: How to delete a Google Meet link.
Frequently asked questions
Do Google Meet recordings expire?
Recordings stay in Drive until someone deletes them, unless your organization has a retention policy that removes them automatically.
Can I watch a recording on my phone?
Yes. Open the Google Drive app, go to the Meet Recordings folder, and tap the video.
Can I edit a Meet recording?
Download the MP4 and trim it in a video editor such as Clipchamp on Windows or iMovie on a Mac.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.