How to transcribe a meeting on a Mac: on the device, for free, or with a notetaker

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There are two ways to turn a meeting into text on a Mac. You can record the meeting and transcribe the file afterward, which can happen entirely on your Mac and costs nothing. Or you can run a notetaker that listens live and writes a summary, which is more convenient and usually stores the meeting on a company's servers. This page lays out both, with what each tool keeps and what it needs.

I built YapToText, a dictation app for the Mac that also transcribes files. It does not record meetings or join calls, and I say so wherever it matters below. Facts about other tools come from their own help pages, linked from the pages named here.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

The local, free way: record, then transcribe the file

  1. Record the meeting with the meeting app itself. Zoom's help center says computer recording is available to free and paid subscribers, and it saves an MP4 or M4A to your Mac.
  2. Tell everyone they are being recorded. In many places that is the law, and it is good manners everywhere.
  3. Give the file to a transcription app that runs on your Mac.
  4. Copy the text, or turn it into notes.

With YapToText, drop the file on Transcribe a file on its Utility page. It runs on the Mac, needs no account, has no minute limit, and gives plain text. It does not label who said what. The Zoom recording guide has the steps, including where Zoom puts the file.

Tools that record the meeting for you

Each row is from that maker's own help pages, on the dates given on the linked pages here (October 5 to 11, 2026).

ToolHow it worksWhere the meeting is keptGood to know
MacWhisperNotices a call in Zoom, Teams, Webex or a browser and offers to record, then transcribesOn your MacBeta. Needs Screen Recording and Microphone permissions, and the version from macwhisper.com
superwhisperA mode with Record from system audio and Identify Speakers, started by handOn your Mac, in HistoryBoth switches need Pro
Wispr Flow NotetakerRecords, shows a live transcript, writes a summaryWispr's cloud, with no opt-out. Audio is kept 7 daysBeta. Mac with macOS 13 or later, or Windows
GranolaTranscribes from your microphone and system audio, with no bot joining, and writes notesSee Granola's own pagesA notepad for meetings
OtterIts Notetaker joins Zoom, Google Meet and Teams from your calendarOtter's serversBasic plan: 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation

Which way fits

  • The meeting must stay on your Mac. Record and transcribe the file, or use MacWhisper or superwhisper with local models.
  • You want it free. Record in the meeting app and transcribe the file. Otter's free plan also works within its limits.
  • You want speaker names. A tool with speaker recognition: MacWhisper Pro, superwhisper Pro, or Otter.
  • You want a summary without doing anything. A notetaker such as Otter, Granola or Wispr Flow's Notetaker, knowing where it stores the meeting.
  • Captions while it happens, nothing saved. Live Captions on an Apple silicon Mac shows the words live and Apple says the audio is processed on the device.

From transcript to notes

A raw transcript of an hour is long. In YapToText you can paste text into the Utility page and run it through a mode, such as Note, to get it tidied on the Mac. For minutes with decisions and owners, a notetaker's summary is quicker, and you are trading privacy for that convenience. The Teams page and the interview guide cover two common cases.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

The short version

  • Local and free. Record in the meeting app, transcribe the file on your Mac.
  • Local with speakers. MacWhisper or superwhisper, Pro features.
  • Hands off. Otter, Granola or Wispr Flow Notetaker, stored in the cloud.
  • Live only. Live Captions.
  • Always. Tell people you are recording.

If one of these tools changes how it handles meetings, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

About the author. Ryleigh Newman is a developer whose hands make typing difficult and who dictates every day with YapToText, the app this site describes. Facts about other apps come from their own sites, with the date they were read. More about the project.

Sources

Questions

How do I transcribe a meeting on a Mac for free?

Record the meeting in the meeting app, then drop the file into a transcription app that runs on your Mac, such as YapToText, which is free and has no minute limit.

Can I transcribe a meeting without sending it to the cloud?

Yes. Record to a file and transcribe it on the Mac, or use a recorder that keeps meetings local, such as MacWhisper.

Does YapToText record meetings?

No. It transcribes files you already have and types what you dictate. Record the meeting with the meeting app.

Which Mac meeting tools label speakers?

MacWhisper Pro and superwhisper Pro have speaker features, and Otter tags speakers. YapToText does not.

Is there a way to just see captions during a meeting?

Yes. Live Captions on an Apple silicon Mac shows spoken audio as text in real time.