How do you share a screen and record in Zoom and Google Meet?
A step-by-step walkthrough for sharing your screen, recording with sound, and locating the finished file on your computer.
Short answer
In Zoom, press the green "Share Screen" button on the meeting toolbar, pick the window you want, then hit "Record" to start capturing. In Google Meet, open the bottom-bar "Activities" (three-dot) menu, choose "Share screen", and use "Record meeting" to capture. Meet recording only works on paid Google Workspace plans, and the file lands in the "Meet Recordings" folder in Drive.
What you need
Step by step
Set up the app and permissions
Install Zoom Workplace from zoom.com/download, then click your profile picture and choose "Check for Updates". On macOS, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording and switch on Zoom or Chrome. Without that permission, your shared screen shows up as a black rectangle for everyone else.
Share your screen in Zoom
During the meeting, click the green "Share Screen" button on the bottom toolbar. Choose "Screen" for the whole desktop, or pick a single app window instead. If you plan to play video, tick "Share sound" and "Optimize for video clip" in the lower left before clicking "Share", then use the red "Stop Share" button up top when you're finished.
Start the Zoom recording
Click "Record" on the bottom toolbar. Free accounts only offer "Record on this Computer"; paid plans add "Record to the Cloud". If you are not the host, the host has to grant you "Allow to Record" from the "Participants" list first. Alt+P pauses and Alt+R ends the recording.
Share your screen in Google Meet
Click the "Share screen" icon (a square with an upward arrow) at the bottom of the Meet window, then choose "Tab", "Window", or "Entire screen". Pick "Tab" when you are showing a video with sound, because Chrome passes tab audio through automatically. End it with the "Stop sharing" button.
Start the Google Meet recording
Open the three-dot "Activities" menu on the bottom bar and follow "Recording" > "Start recording", then confirm with "Start" in the notice window. Everyone in the call gets an automatic alert. Processing begins once the meeting ends, and a one-hour call usually takes 10-30 minutes to appear in Drive.
Find the file and pass it along
A Zoom local recording converts to MP4 when the meeting closes and saves to Documents\Zoom on Windows or ~/Documents/Zoom on macOS; you can confirm the path under Zoom > Settings > Recording. Meet recordings go to the "Meet Recordings" folder in the organizer's Drive, and a link arrives by email.
Rehearse with a test meeting
Before the real call, visit zoom.us/test or open a solo meeting in Meet and capture two minutes of test footage. Play it back and check the microphone level, screen sharpness, and system audio. That way you won't discover a silent recording after an hour-long meeting.
Tips
Watch out
Meeting video and audio count as personal data under privacy law, including Turkey's KVKK. Recording or sharing a call without telling participants can create legal liability. Ask for spoken consent before you press record, state why you are recording and how long you will keep the file, and put that in writing for work meetings.
Frequently asked questions
+Can I record with a free Zoom account?
Yes. Free accounts can use "Record on this Computer" to save locally. Cloud recording and group meetings longer than 40 minutes require a paid plan.
+Why can't I see "Start recording" in Google Meet?
Recording only exists on Business Standard and higher Workspace plans. It never appears for a free Gmail account, so the organizer or an admin has to upgrade the plan.
+The video audio isn't reaching the other side. What now?
In Zoom, tick the "Share sound" box in the lower left of the sharing window. In Meet, share a "Tab" rather than "Entire screen", since system audio only travels with tab sharing.
+How much space does a recording take?
A one-hour talking meeting recorded locally in Zoom runs about 350-600 MB, or up to 1 GB with heavy screen sharing. Audio-only files (M4A) are 30-60 MB per hour.
+Do I lose the file if my computer shuts down mid-recording?
Zoom keeps the unfinished recording in a temporary folder and shows a "Convert" prompt the next time you open the app. If no prompt appears, convert it manually from the meeting folder inside Documents\Zoom.
Sources and verification
Last verified: September 15, 2026. tell us. Menu names follow the English interface of Zoom Workplace and Google Meet; localized builds use the same order and icons. Consent and retention advice reflects Turkey's KVKK requirements.
This content is for information only; for official procedures the relevant institution’s current announcements take precedence. Details: disclaimer.