GuideHow to get meeting notes without a bot
Five ways to get notes of a call with nothing joining it, free ones first. Pick by what you need: a few lines afterwards, the whole transcript, or help during the call.
Free for 5 meetings a month. For Windows 10 and 11.
Last updated September 29, 2026 by the ClearMeet team at ClearMakes
The short answer
To get meeting notes without a bot, use your meeting app's own AI notes if your plan includes them, or a note taker on your computer that listens to your PC's sound instead of joining the call. ClearMeet is one, for Windows. For free, use a notes template, or Windows 11's Live Captions to follow along. Always tell people first.
Way 1: your meeting app's own AI notes
Teams, Zoom and Google Meet each have AI notes built in, with no extra bot. The catch is the plan: they depend on your licence, or on the organiser's.
- Microsoft Teams: Copilot answers questions in a private chat during the meeting. Copilot won't work in meetings hosted outside your own organisation. (Microsoft)
- Zoom: Meeting summaries and in-meeting questions are unlimited on Workplace Pro and Business. The free Basic plan gets summaries and in-meeting questions for 3 hosted meetings a month. (Zoom)
- Google Meet: “Take notes for me” needs the organiser to have an eligible Workspace plan. Everyone is told, and the notes arrive as a Google Doc after the meeting. (Google)
Good for: meetings you host, inside your own company. Not for: meetings you join as a guest, or a mix of apps. Details: Teams, Zoom, Google Meet.
Way 2: Windows 11's Live Captions
Live Captions is free, built into Windows 11 (version 22H2 and later), and works on your device. It shows captions of any sound, but it doesn't save them, so it helps you follow, not take notes.
- Press the Windows key + Ctrl + L to turn on Live Captions.
- Join your call. Captions of what's said appear on screen; you can put them above, below or floating.
- Write down what matters yourself; the captions aren't kept.
Microsoft says captions are made on your device and aren't stored anywhere (Microsoft support, checked September 29, 2026).
Way 3: a note taker on your computer
A desktop note taker listens to the sound your computer plays and your microphone, so it hears the call without joining it. It works the same in every meeting app.
ClearMeet works this way on Windows, and so do the desktop apps of Granola, Otter, Fireflies, Krisp and others. They differ in price, in whether they help during the call, and in where the sound is turned into text. We compared nine of them, with each company's own prices: bot-free note takers compared.
Good for: any app, any host, full notes. Not for: calls on a separate phone.
Way 4: record the call, then get it written down
If everyone agrees, record the meeting and have it written down afterwards. It's slower, and a recording holds more than notes do, so keep it safe.
- Ask everyone first, and check your meeting app lets you record (often only the host can).
- Save the recording on your computer.
- Have it transcribed afterwards. In ClearMeet, add the recording to Notes and ask questions about it.
- Delete the recording when you no longer need it.
Way 5: a notes template you fill in yourself
The oldest way still works, and it's free. A fixed template keeps you listening for the things that matter instead of writing everything down.
Copy this into your notes before the call:
The faster way, with ClearMeet
ClearMeet does Way 3 and fills in the template for you: the decisions, the action items with who is doing them, and the open questions, while the call is still on.
- Download ClearMeet for Windows 10 or 11 and sign in.
- Optional: in Notes, say what the meeting is about and add your files.
- Join your call in any app and press Start.
- Read the summary and action items as they fill in. Asked something? Click Answer latest.
- Press Stop, then copy or download the notes in one click.
A checklist before any of these
Whichever way you pick, the same three things matter: people know, your workplace allows it, and the sound reaches your computer.
- Tell everyone you're taking AI notes or recording. Recording laws differ by place: tell people when you record or transcribe a call.
- Check your workplace's rules about AI note-taking tools, with or without a bot.
- Join the call on the computer that takes the notes, not on a separate phone.
- With ClearMeet: clearmeet writes down english speech only, for now.
Questions
Can you transcribe a meeting without a bot joining?
Yes. Your meeting app's own transcription and AI notes don't add a bot, and a desktop note taker like ClearMeet listens to your computer's sound instead of joining. Windows 11's Live Captions also works on your device, but doesn't keep the words.
Do I still need to tell people?
Yes. No bot means nobody sees a note taker in the call, not that you can skip asking. Recording and transcription laws differ by place, and some require everyone's agreement.
What is the free way to get meeting notes without a bot?
A notes template you fill in yourself is always free. Windows 11's Live Captions is free but doesn't save anything. ClearMeet's Free plan gives full AI notes and live answers for 5 meetings a month.
Why do companies ban meeting bots?
Mostly for privacy: bots can join meetings uninvited and send summaries to everyone. Some employers now ban AI note-taking tools entirely, so check your workplace's rules even when no bot is involved.
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Notes without a bot, in one click.
Free for 5 meetings a month, with every feature. For Windows 10 and 11.