Microsoft Teams can produce AI meeting notes in three different ways, and each needs a different licence. That is why people get confused about why “the recap button” works for a colleague but not for them. This guide explains what each option does, what you need, and a free method for any Teams plan.
Quick answer
| Feature | What it gives you | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Transcription | A written transcript with speaker names | Included in most Microsoft 365 business plans (admin can turn it off) |
| Intelligent recap | AI notes, tasks and a summary in the meeting’s Recap tab | Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot |
| Copilot in Teams meetings | Ask questions during and after the meeting (“What did we decide?”) | Microsoft 365 Copilot licence |
Option 1: Transcription (free with most business plans)
- In the meeting, click More (…) → Record and transcribe → Start transcription.
- After the meeting, open the meeting in your calendar or chat and go to Recap to view or download the transcript.
- Paste the transcript into an AI assistant your company allows and ask for a summary (prompt below).
Option 2: Intelligent recap
With Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot, the Recap tab of a scheduled meeting shows AI-generated notes, suggested follow-up tasks and, with recordings, chapters and mentions of your name. With a Copilot licence, Microsoft says the summary can even be created without saving a transcript or recording; it is stored as a read-only Word document in the organizer’s OneDrive Meetings folder. Guests and external attendees cannot see the recap.
Option 3: Copilot in the meeting
If you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence, open Copilot in the meeting toolbar and ask questions such as:
- “Summarize what I missed in the first 10 minutes.”
- “List the decisions so far and who owns each action.”
- “What questions are still unresolved?”
You can also ask Copilot about past meetings later from Teams chat.
The free method (any Teams plan)
Download the transcript (Option 1) or use a note-taker app’s free plan, then paste it into an AI assistant with this prompt:
“From this Teams meeting transcript, write meeting minutes: attendees, decisions, action items (task, owner, due date) as a table, and open questions. Do not add anything not in the transcript.”
Use a business AI account for work meetings. Read AI privacy at work before pasting confidential discussions.
Third-party note takers for Teams
Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, tl;dv and Read.ai can join Teams meetings as a bot. They are useful if you also meet on Zoom or Google Meet, but many companies block external bots in Teams for security reasons. Ask IT first.
Common problems
- No “Start transcription” option: your admin has turned transcription off in the meeting policy, or you joined as a guest.
- No AI notes in Recap: intelligent recap needs Teams Premium or Copilot for the organizer and works for scheduled meetings, not ad-hoc calls.
- Wrong names in the transcript: ask people to join from their own accounts rather than one shared room device.
More tips for running meetings: Microsoft Teams meeting tips. Compare all tools in best AI meeting note takers.
FAQ
Does Microsoft Teams have an AI note taker?
Yes. Intelligent recap (with Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot) creates AI notes and tasks in the meeting’s Recap tab, and Copilot can answer questions about the meeting. Transcription alone is included in most business plans.
Is Teams AI meeting recap free?
Transcription is included in most Microsoft 365 business plans. AI-generated notes in intelligent recap need Teams Premium or a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence.
Where are Teams meeting notes saved?
Transcripts and recaps appear in the meeting’s Recap tab. Recordings and Copilot summaries are stored in the organizer’s OneDrive (or SharePoint for channel meetings).
Can I get AI notes from a Teams meeting without Copilot?
Yes. Turn on transcription, download the transcript and paste it into an AI assistant your company approves, or use a third-party note taker if IT allows it.