In short
Jitsi Meet's local recording works in Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers, not Safari, Firefox or the desktop app. Server recording and transcripts depend on who runs the server. For a transcript on your Mac, record the audio with an app such as Notey, after telling everyone.
Jitsi Meet's recording depends on two things: the server the meeting runs on and the browser you use. Its built-in local recording saves a video file to your computer, and works only in Chromium-based desktop browsers such as Chrome and Edge. Server recording and transcripts exist only if whoever runs the server has set them up. If you want an audio recording and a transcript on your Mac, whatever the server or browser, you can record the call with an app such as Notey, after telling everyone.
This guide covers each option on meet.jit.si, the free public service, and on a self-hosted Jitsi server. It was checked against Jitsi's handbook, source and meet.jit.si's published configuration on 25 September 2026. For the same choice in Zoom, see how to record a Zoom meeting on a Mac.
These steps use Notey, which records your microphone and the Mac's audio as two separate tracks.
Record a Jitsi Meet call on your Mac
- Tell everyone first. Say you would like to record and why, and record only if they agree.
- Check Notey's permissions. The first time, allow the microphone and recording the Mac's audio. Notey never asks for Screen Recording.
- Use headphones. On speakers, your microphone hears the others too.
- Join the Jitsi meeting in your browser or in the Jitsi Meet desktop app.
- Start the recording. In Chrome, Safari, Arc or Edge, Notey's floating button asks once the browser uses your microphone; press Allow. In the desktop app or Firefox, press Start in Notey.
- Check both lanes move. You when you speak, Them when others do. A red dot and the elapsed time show while audio is kept.
- Press Stop when the call ends. The transcript is ready; English calls are improved on the Mac afterwards.
Jitsi's own recording options
Local recording, in the browser
Jitsi's handbook says it offers "the possibility to record locally the video (with audio) of the room." (Jitsi FAQ) From Jitsi's own code and documentation:
- It works in Chromium-based desktop browsers: Chrome, Edge and similar. Not in Safari, Firefox, the mobile apps or the Jitsi Meet desktop app.
- It saves a WEBM file to your computer.
- When the browser asks what to share, choose the current tab, so the right video and audio are captured.
- There is an option to record only yourself.
Whether others are told depends on the server. On meet.jit.si, everyone sees that you started a local recording. On a self-hosted server with Jitsi's default settings, it is not announced, and the recording dialog tells you: "The recording will not be announced to other participants. You will need to let them know that the meeting is recorded."
Server recording
A self-hosted Jitsi server can record through Jibri, a component that "provides services for recording or streaming a Jitsi Meet conference." (Jibri) The recording is announced to everyone in the call, and the file is kept on the server. Whether it is available is up to the server's administrator. On meet.jit.si, the published configuration had server recording switched off when we checked.
Transcripts
A self-hosted server can add transcription through another component, Jigasi, if the administrator sets it up. On meet.jit.si, the published configuration had transcription and captions switched off when we checked.
Signing in on meet.jit.si
Since 2023, the person who creates a room on meet.jit.si signs in with Google, GitHub or Facebook. Guests do not need an account. (Jitsi: authentication on meet.jit.si)
Which method to use
| Jitsi local recording | Jitsi server recording | A recorder on your Mac (Notey) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Available on | Chromium desktop browsers | Self-hosted servers that set it up | Any browser or app on the Mac |
| What it records | Video and audio of the tab | Video and audio of the meeting | Audio: your microphone and the Mac's audio, two tracks |
| Others told | On meet.jit.si, yes; self-hosted, not by default | Yes | No; you tell them |
| Transcript | No | If the server has transcription | Yes, made on your Mac |
| Where the file goes | Your computer | The server | Your Mac |
Jitsi in the browser and on the desktop
Jitsi Meet runs in the browser, and there is also a Jitsi Meet desktop app for Mac, which is maintained and had a release in August 2026. Local recording is not available in the desktop app.
For Notey, the difference is detection. Notey notices calls in Chrome, Safari, Arc and Edge once the browser uses the microphone, and names the browser, not Jitsi. The Jitsi Meet desktop app, like Firefox, is not noticed, so you press Start. The recording is the same either way. Recording a meeting that runs in the browser covers browser calls in more detail, and the steps for Google Meet on a Mac are the same.
Telling people
People often pick Jitsi because it is open and privacy-minded. Recording one of its calls without saying so undermines exactly that. On a self-hosted server, even Jitsi's own local recording may not announce itself, and a recorder on your Mac never does. Ask at the start, and stop if anyone objects. Whether you legally need everyone's agreement depends on where you and they are. How to ask for consent to record has wording that works. This is general information, not legal advice.
If a side is missing from the recording
Most failed recordings of a Jitsi call fail in one of three ways, and each is quick to check before the next call:
- Nothing on the Them lane. The call was not playing on this Mac, or Notey is not allowed to record the Mac's audio. Check the call's sound comes out of this Mac, and check the permission in System Settings › Privacy & Security. Allowing an app to record your Mac's audio shows where it is.
- Nothing on the You lane. The microphone is muted at the system level, the wrong input is selected, or Notey is not allowed to use the microphone. Meeting recording silent or transcript empty goes through the checks.
- A gap in the middle. Usually headphones connected or disconnected, or another microphone chosen, mid-call. Notey marks the meeting incomplete and says which side is missing and from when; it never fills the gap with silence. Why a recording is marked incomplete explains each reason.
What you get afterwards
- A transcript made on your Mac, labelled You and Them; voices on the other side are told apart after the call.
- The recording on your Mac, every line playable from its timestamp.
- AI notes if you ask, with an account and a paid plan. Only transcript text is sent, never audio, and everything the AI wrote is labelled.
Frequently asked questions
Can I record a call on meet.jit.si?
Yes, with local recording in a Chromium-based desktop browser such as Chrome or Edge. On meet.jit.si, everyone in the call is told when someone starts a local recording. Recording to a server depends on the server's configuration.
Why is there no record button in Safari or the Jitsi desktop app?
Jitsi's local recording works only in Chromium-based desktop browsers. It is not available in Safari, Firefox, the mobile apps or the Jitsi Meet desktop app.
Does Jitsi Meet make transcripts?
On a self-hosted server, if the administrator sets up Jitsi's transcription component. On meet.jit.si, the published configuration had transcription switched off when we checked on 25 September 2026.
Does Notey notice a Jitsi call?
In Chrome, Safari, Arc or Edge, yes, once the browser uses your microphone; Notey asks before recording. In the Jitsi Meet desktop app or Firefox, press Start.
Does a self-hosted Jitsi server tell others about a local recording?
Not always. By default, a self-hosted server's local recording is not announced to other participants, and Jitsi warns the person recording to tell them. On meet.jit.si, it is announced.