Where Do Zoom Recordings Go? Complete Guide to Finding Your Zoom Recordings

At a Glance:

If you’ve ever wrapped up a Zoom meeting and asked yourself “where do Zoom recordings go?”, you’re not alone. Whether you’re a student recording lectures, a professional archiving meetings, or a content creator capturing interviews, finding and managing your Zoom recordings is crucial. This comprehensive guide explains everything you need to know about where your Zoom recordings are stored, how to access them, how to change their location, and how to troubleshoot if you can’t find them.

Where Do Zoom Recordings Go? Understanding the Basics

Where do Zoom recordings go after your meeting ends? The answer depends on the type of Zoom account you have and whether you chose to save your recordings locally or to the cloud. Zoom offers two primary recording options: local recordings, which are saved to your computer, and cloud recordings, which are stored on Zoom’s servers for Pro, Business, or Enterprise account holders. Local recordings are available for free and paid users and are saved directly to the Zoom folder on your computer, typically under “Documents.” Cloud recordings, on the other hand, can be accessed via your Zoom web portal by navigating to the “Recordings” section. Understanding this difference is key to locating your recordings quickly.

Local Zoom Recordings: Default Location and How to Find Them

For users who record their Zoom meetings locally, the default location where Zoom recordings go is in the “Zoom” folder within your “Documents” folder on your PC or Mac. Each recording is saved in a subfolder named after the meeting’s date, time, and title. The file types typically include an MP4 video file, an M4A audio file, and a chat text file if in-meeting chat was used. To locate these files manually, open your “Documents” folder, look for the “Zoom” folder, and then search for the relevant meeting folder. If you want to find it faster, you can also go to the Zoom desktop client, click on “Meetings,” then “Recorded,” and use the “Open” button to view the file in your file explorer.

Cloud Zoom Recordings: Where to Access Them

For paid Zoom users who enable cloud recording, the answer to where do Zoom recordings go is a little different. Once your meeting ends and the recording is processed, it gets stored on Zoom’s cloud servers. To access these recordings, go to zoom.us, sign in, and navigate to “My Account.” From there, click on “Recordings” in the left-hand menu. You’ll see two tabs—“Cloud Recordings” and “Local Recordings.” Under “Cloud Recordings,” you can view, play, download, and share your recordings. Each recording includes a video file, audio file, and optional transcript, depending on your settings.

How to Change the Location of Local Zoom Recordings

While Zoom saves local recordings to the default “Documents/Zoom” folder, you can change where Zoom recordings go on your computer. Open the Zoom desktop app, go to “Settings,” then “Recording,” and look for the “Store my recordings at” option. Click “Change” and choose a new destination folder. This is helpful if your main drive is running low on space or if you want to organize recordings in a specific project folder. Just make sure the new location is easy to remember and backed up if needed.

What File Types Do Zoom Recordings Create?

To better understand where do Zoom recordings go and how they’re used, it’s helpful to know the different file types Zoom generates. For local recordings, you will see an MP4 file for the video (typically named “zoom_0.mp4”), an M4A audio-only file (“audio_only.m4a”), and a TXT file for chat (“chat.txt”). If you’re using cloud recording, Zoom automatically processes the video and can even create a transcript if that feature is enabled. These files can be streamed online or downloaded to your computer for offline use.

How to Share Zoom Recordings Easily

Once you’ve located where your Zoom recordings go, sharing them is straightforward. For local recordings, you can upload the MP4 file to platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, or YouTube. For cloud recordings, Zoom offers built-in sharing features. When you open a cloud recording, you can click “Share” to generate a shareable link. You can set permissions to control who can view it—public, password-protected, or restricted to specific users. You can also enable or disable downloading, set an expiration date, and view analytics to see who accessed the recording.

Can’t Find Your Zoom Recording? Troubleshooting Tips

Sometimes you may wonder where do Zoom recordings go because you simply can’t find them. If you used local recording, it may be that the file hasn’t processed yet. After the meeting ends, Zoom takes a few minutes to convert the recording. If the process was interrupted—such as by shutting down your computer too quickly—you might need to relaunch Zoom, and it will prompt you to continue converting the recording. If the file is missing entirely, check your Zoom settings to confirm your save location or use your computer’s search function to look for “zoom_0.mp4.” For cloud recordings, ensure you’re logged in with the correct Zoom account and check the “Recordings” section online.

How Long Do Zoom Recordings Stay Available?

The availability of your Zoom recordings depends on whether they are stored locally or in the cloud. Local recordings remain on your device indefinitely unless you delete them. However, they are subject to your computer’s storage limits. Cloud recordings are stored on Zoom’s servers based on your account’s storage limits and retention policy. For most paid accounts, you can store hours of meetings, but if you exceed your limit, you may need to delete older recordings or purchase additional storage. Zoom also allows administrators to set automatic deletion timelines for cloud recordings, so it’s good practice to back them up.

Backing Up Your Zoom Recordings for Safety

Knowing where Zoom recordings go is just the first step. To protect your files from accidental deletion or data loss, it’s wise to back them up regularly. For local recordings, you can copy files to an external hard drive or sync them with cloud storage services like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox. For cloud recordings, Zoom doesn’t automatically back up files to third-party services, so consider downloading critical recordings to your computer and then uploading them to your preferred backup platform. This ensures you have access even if your Zoom account is compromised or deleted.

How to Organize and Manage Zoom Recordings

With frequent Zoom usage, recordings can quickly pile up. Once you’ve figured out where do Zoom recordings go, take time to organize them for easy access. For local recordings, rename the folder or files with meaningful names like “Client_Meeting_March2025.mp4” instead of relying on default timestamps. Create subfolders by client name, topic, or month. For cloud recordings, Zoom allows you to filter recordings by date, topic, or meeting ID. You can also delete outdated recordings or export a list for documentation. Consistent organization prevents clutter and makes future retrieval much easier.

Legal and Ethical Considerations for Recording Zoom Meetings

Before asking where do Zoom recordings go, make sure you are allowed to record in the first place. Recording meetings without consent may violate privacy laws depending on your location. Always inform participants that the meeting is being recorded—Zoom helps with this by automatically notifying users when recording starts. For sensitive meetings involving clients, patients, or legal matters, you may need to follow additional guidelines such as encryption, password protection, and secure storage. Check your organization’s compliance policies and local regulations to avoid legal issues.

Using Zoom Recordings for Productivity and Learning

Knowing where Zoom recordings go allows you to harness their full potential. Recordings can be used for reviewing important details, sharing missed meetings, or creating training materials. Students can revisit lectures, professionals can extract key meeting moments, and content creators can repurpose discussions into podcasts or blogs. Zoom’s cloud platform even allows you to transcribe and search recordings, saving time during information retrieval. Whether stored locally or in the cloud, your recordings can become a valuable part of your workflow.

Mobile Zoom Recordings: What You Need to Know

Many users also wonder where Zoom recordings go when using the Zoom app on smartphones or tablets. On mobile devices, Zoom does not support local recording due to file size and storage limitations. All recordings made from mobile devices (if permitted) are saved to the cloud and require a paid account. You can still access these cloud recordings from your desktop or mobile browser by logging into your Zoom account and visiting the “Recordings” tab. This ensures that even on the go, your meetings are safely archived and accessible.

Final Thoughts: Making the Most of Your Zoom Recordings

The question where do Zoom recordings go may seem simple, but it opens the door to a range of practical, technical, and ethical considerations. By understanding whether your files are saved locally or to the cloud, and by learning how to access, manage, and protect them, you can transform a routine Zoom recording into a powerful resource. Whether you’re recording for documentation, collaboration, or education, knowing where your Zoom recordings go ensures you can always find, share, and make the most of your meeting content. Keep your folders organized, stay on top of your storage limits, and use your recordings to enhance productivity long after the meeting ends.