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How to take notes in a meeting using AI

Written by the team that builds Cassette, so we are not neutral about it. Updated 12 November 2026.

The short answer

Tell everyone first, then let a tool listen while you talk. On a call, the AI built into Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet can write notes if your plan includes it and it is turned on. In a room, or on any call app, record with your phone: in Cassette on iPhone or Android you press RECORD, press STOP when the meeting ends, and the summary, decisions and actions are written for you. Either way, say owners and dates out loud during the meeting, and check the notes before you send them.

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Before the meeting starts

On a video call: the AI your call app has

Each of the big call apps has its own AI notes, and each depends on your plan and on settings an admin controls. This is what their makers say today.

If you have one of these, use it. The gaps are meetings in a room, people on a free plan, and calls on a different app each week.

In a room or on any call: record with Cassette

Cassette is a tape deck style recorder for iPhone and Android. It listens through the phone's microphone, so nothing joins a call and it doesn't matter which call app people use.

  1. Open Cassette and press RECORD as the meeting begins. You can lock the phone and the tape keeps going.
  2. Tap MARK when a decision is made or someone takes on a job. The mark keeps that moment easy to find.
  3. Press STOP at the end. Cassette writes the transcript, then the meeting notes, and no outside AI service writes them.
Cassette recording a meeting on iPhone, with MARK and STOP on the deck.
iPhone
Cassette recording on an Android phone, with MARK and STOP on the deck.
Android
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During the meeting: say it so the AI can catch it

AI notes can only hold what was said out loud. A nod across the table never reaches the transcript. A few habits make the notes much better, whatever tool you use.

After the meeting: check, then share

For a meeting in English, Cassette works out that it is a meeting and writes a summary, what was decided, the actions, key points and any questions left open. Each action shows the person and the date when someone says them.

Meeting notes in Cassette on iPhone, with a summary and actions that each have a person and a date.
iPhone
Meeting notes in Cassette on Android, with the summary, actions with people and dates, and key points.
Android
  1. Read the actions first. They matter most and they are where a wrong name would hurt.
  2. Check anything that looks off against the tape. Tap the line in the transcript to jump there, press PLAY and listen.
  3. Wrong kind of notes? If it took a client call for a plain meeting, open the template on the notes page and pick another. The notes are written again.
  4. Send the follow-up. Open EMAIL on the tape. The subject, the names of the people and a summary are already in a draft for you to change and send.
A follow-up email drafted by Cassette on iPhone, with a subject, the people and the meeting summary.
iPhone
A follow-up email drafted by Cassette on Android, with a subject, the people and the next steps.
Android

You can also send the notes to Notion, OneNote, Evernote or Google Keep, to Apple Notes on iPhone, iPad and Mac, or to Samsung Notes on a Samsung phone. On a phone that gets full notes, you can later ask your tapes a question like "what did we decide about the launch?" and Cassette answers from your own recordings, with the sources.

Full notes depend on the phone. An iPhone without Apple Intelligence or on a version before iOS 26, or an Android phone with less than 8 GB of memory, gets the recording, the transcript and a few lines heard clearly, with no summary, to-dos, outline, terms, review cards or template choice. On Android, the full notes are written for English, and other languages get simpler notes.

Calls on a Mac, and recordings you already have

On a Mac, move the switch on the deck to CALL. Cassette records what the Mac plays, so the other people on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, along with your own microphone. No bot joins. macOS asks once to allow screen and system audio recording, and it needs macOS 15.2 or later.

If someone else recorded the meeting, bring the file in on iPhone, iPad or Mac: share it to Cassette on iPhone or iPad, press ADD FILE on the Shelf, or drag it onto the Shelf on a Mac. It gets a transcript and notes like any tape, and the original file isn't changed. Cassette reads M4A, MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, Opus and the sound in MP4. Cassette for Android can't bring in files yet.

Before you record

Ask first. Whoever you are recording should know about it, some places require everyone's consent, and it is the decent thing to do.

Try Cassette

Free to download. Recording is free and unlimited, tapes under 3 minutes get their transcript and notes free, and longer ones get them free for 2 tapes a month.

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Questions

Can I use AI to take meeting notes for free?

Often, yes. Cassette records with no time limit, writes up any tape under 3 minutes free, and writes up 2 longer tapes a month free, with Premium for every tape after that. The AI notes in Zoom, Teams and Google Meet usually come with paid plans.

Do I have to tell people the meeting is being recorded?

Tell them anyway. Cassette doesn't join the call or send an invite, so nobody is told unless you tell them.

Does it work without the internet?

On Android, yes, after the notes model has come over Wi-Fi once after you install. On iPhone, the transcript is written on the phone in the languages it supports there, once that language's speech model is downloaded. Otherwise Apple's servers write it.

Where does the recording go?

No outside AI service writes Cassette's notes. On Android the phone transcribes and writes the notes itself. On iPhone, Apple's servers transcribe a tape the phone can't do on the device, the notes can be written on Apple's Private Cloud Compute on iOS 27, and tapes go in iCloud and computer backups. Signing in with Premium backs tapes up on both systems. On iPhone, On-device only in your Cassette profile turns all of that off.

Related guides

Sources