How to Transcribe Google Meet Calls in 2026
Vojtech Rinik
Founder of Whisper Memos
Need Google Meet transcription for your calls? You have several options—from Google's built-in transcription to third-party tools and phone-based recording. In this guide, we'll walk through each method, compare pricing, and help you find the best fit for your workflow.
Quick Comparison
| Method | Price | Bot Joins Call? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Meet (built-in) | $12+/user/month | No | Workspace Business users |
| tl;dv | $18/month | Yes | Team collaboration |
| Fireflies.ai | $10/month | Yes | Team analytics |
| Tactiq | $8/month | No (extension) | Simple Chrome extension |
| Whisper Memos | $5/month | No | Privacy-first, works anywhere |
Method 1: Built-in Google Meet Transcription
Google Meet has native transcription, but there's a catch: it's only available on paid Google Workspace plans. You'll need Business Standard ($12/user/month [1]) or higher to access this feature.
How to enable it
- Join or start a Google Meet on your computer
- Click Activities (bottom right) → Transcripts
- Click Start transcription
- A transcript icon appears for all participants when active
After the meeting, the Google Meet transcript is saved to the organizer's Google Drive and attached to the Calendar event.
Limitations
- Paid plans only. Free accounts and Business Starter ($7/user/month) don't include transcription.
- Desktop only. The transcription feature doesn't work on iOS or Android.
- Limited languages. Only 8 languages are supported (English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish).
- No speaker labels. The transcript doesn't identify who said what.
- Can't transcribe recordings. You can only transcribe live—there's no native way to transcribe a Google Meet recording after the fact.
If you're already paying for Workspace Business Standard or higher, the built-in option is convenient. Otherwise, third-party tools offer more features at a lower price.
Method 2: Third-Party Google Meet Transcription Tools
These tools handle Google Meet transcription by joining your call as a visible participant (usually named something like "Otter.ai Notetaker" or "Fireflies.ai"). They record the call, transcribe it, and often generate AI summaries.
tl;dv
tl;dv offers the most generous free plan among bot-based tools—unlimited meeting recordings and transcripts at no cost.
- Free plan: Unlimited recordings, 10 AI reports, meeting notes
- Pro plan: $18/month (annual) for unlimited AI features and team folders [2]
- Languages: 30+ supported
The main downside is that tl;dv joins as a bot participant, which other attendees will see. Some people find this intrusive, especially in client-facing calls.
Fireflies.ai
Fireflies.ai is popular for teams who want analytics and CRM integrations alongside transcription.
- Free plan: 800 minutes of storage, limited AI summaries
- Pro plan: $10/month (annual) with 8,000 minutes storage cap
- Business plan: $19/month (annual) for unlimited storage and video recording [3]
Watch out for hidden costs: advanced AI features like "AskFred" consume credits that run out quickly on lower plans [4].
Otter.ai
Otter.ai was one of the first AI transcription tools and remains widely used. Their bot, called "OtterPilot," joins your calls automatically.
- Free plan: 300 minutes/month, 30-minute cap per conversation
- Pro plan: $16.99/month for longer recordings and more features [5]
Method 3: Bot-Free Browser Extensions
If you don't want a bot joining your calls, browser extensions capture audio directly from your browser tab without adding a visible participant.
Tactiq
Tactiq is a Chrome extension that transcribes Google Meet, Zoom, and Teams calls without joining as a bot.
- Free plan: 10 meetings/month, 5 AI credits
- Pro plan: $8/month (annual) for unlimited transcripts [6]
- How it works: Extracts captions from the Google Meet interface in real-time
Tactiq is simple and affordable, though the free plan's 10-meeting limit won't work for heavy users. AI features are also limited unless you upgrade.
Method 4: Phone-Based Recording
Here's an approach many people overlook: instead of integrating with Google Meet directly, you can record meetings using your phone. This works for both virtual calls and in-person meetings, and no bot ever joins your call.
Whisper Memos
Whisper Memos is an iOS app that records, transcribes, and summarizes audio using AI. While it doesn't plug directly into Google Meet, it's become a popular choice for people who want a simple, private way to capture meetings.
How to use it for Google Meet:
- Join your Google Meet on your computer as usual
- Open Whisper Memos on your iPhone and tap record
- Place your phone near your laptop speaker (or use headphones with one ear off)
- When the meeting ends, stop recording—transcription happens automatically
Why this approach works well:
- No bot in your meeting. Other participants never see a transcription tool joining. This matters for client calls, interviews, or any situation where a bot feels awkward.
- Works everywhere. The same app handles your Google Meet calls, Zoom calls, phone calls, and in-person meetings. One tool for everything.
- Apple Watch support. Start recording from your wrist without touching your phone—useful for keeping things discreet.
- Affordable. At $5/month ($60/year), it's cheaper than most alternatives and includes unlimited memos up to 90 minutes each.
- AI summaries. Get key points extracted automatically, with customizable summary formats.
- Privacy-first. Optional private mode deletes audio after transcription.
The tradeoff is that you need your phone nearby during the call. For most remote workers, this isn't an issue—your phone is probably on your desk anyway.
Which Method Should You Choose?
If you're already on Google Workspace Business Standard or higher: Try the built-in transcription first. It's integrated and requires no extra tools, though you'll miss out on speaker labels and AI summaries.
If you want free unlimited recordings and don't mind a bot: tl;dv offers the best free tier among bot-based tools.
If you want a lightweight Chrome extension: Tactiq captures transcripts without joining as a participant, starting at $8/month.
If you want privacy, simplicity, and the lowest price: Whisper Memos at $5/month gives you transcription without bots, works for all your meetings (virtual and in-person), and includes AI summaries. The phone-based approach might seem unconventional, but it's become the preferred method for many professionals who are tired of bot participants cluttering their calls.
Whatever Google Meet transcription method you choose, you no longer need to take frantic notes during meetings. Pick one, try it for a few calls, and see what fits your workflow.
References
- Google Workspace Pricing (Jan 2026)
- tl;dv Pricing (Jan 2026)
- Fireflies.ai Pricing (Jan 2026)
- Fireflies.ai Pricing Breakdown (Jan 2026)
- Otter.ai Pricing (Jan 2026)
- Tactiq Pricing (Jan 2026)