Updated: March 2026 · By Álvaro Arrescurrenaga, CEO of Voicit
Do you need Transcribe and summarize your meetings in Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom Automatically? Whether it's generating minutes, taking notes without distractions, or simply not missing any details, artificial intelligence can do it for you in a matter of minutes.
There are two main ways: (1) tools that connect to the video call as a bot (Fireflies, tl;dv, Otter), or (2) tools that record directly from your browser without anyone noticing, like Voicit. With Voicit, you activate the Chrome extension, record the meeting, and in minutes you have the AI-generated transcript, summary, and minutes—with no visible bot, 95% accuracy in Spanish, and automatic backups every 90 seconds.
In this guide we compare the best options for each platform, explain step by step how to configure them, and help you choose the one that best suits your way of working.
Content
🤖 Bot vs no bot: two ways to transcribe video calls with AI
Before choosing a tool, it is important to understand that there are two radically different approaches to transcribe video call meetings:
🔴 With bot (most tools)
- An extra "participant" joins the meeting with a name like "Fireflies.ai Notetaker"
- Everyone present can see that it is being recorded.
- It can cause discomfort in interviews, meetings with clients, or sensitive conversations.
- Some company administrators block external bots
🟢 No bot (Voicit)
- Record directly from your Chrome browser with an extension
- No one else sees anything — there is no extra participant
- It works in Google Meet, Teams (web), Zoom (web), and any platform you open in Chrome.
- Automatic backup every 90 seconds
The difference is key: with a bot, the whole room knows there's an AI recording. Without a bot, you decide when and how to communicate that. For contexts like selection interviews, client meetings, or sensitive internal conversationsDiscretion makes all the difference.
📗 How to transcribe Google Meet meetings with AI
Google Meet is the most widely used video conferencing platform in the Google Workspace environment. It has a built-in transcription feature, but it's very basic. Here are your options:
No bot
Option 1: Voicit (Chrome extension) — no bot, with minutes
- Install the Voicit Chrome extension (free).
- Open your Google Meet meeting in Chrome.
- Click on the Voicit icon and press "Engrave".
- The extension captures audio directly from the browser — no bot, no extra participant.
- When finished, Voicit transcribes the audio and generates minutes, summaries and action items automatically.
Advantages: No visible bot, 95% accuracy in Spanish, customizable reports, backup every 90 seconds, EU servers (GDPR).
Option 2: Native Google Meet Transcription
Google Meet includes integrated transcription in Google Workspace's Business Standard and higher plans.
- During the meeting, click on Activities → Transcripts → Start Transcript.
- All participants see a notification that a transcript is being taken.
- At the end, a document is saved in Google Docs within the Meet folder.
Limitations: Only available on Workspace paid plans, does not generate minutes or summaries, Spanish transcription quality is lower than specialized tools, and there are no structured reports.
Option 3: Tools with bots (Fireflies, tl;dv, Otter)
Tools like Fireflies.ai, tl;dv, and Otter.ai connect to your Google Meet meeting as an additional participant (bot). They record, transcribe, and generate summaries.
Limitations: The bot is visible to everyone, can be blocked by the Workspace administrator, and most are optimized for English.
📘 How to transcribe meetings in Microsoft Teams with AI
Microsoft Teams is the dominant platform in companies using Microsoft 365. It has native transcription (Copilot), but requires premium licenses. Here are the alternatives:
No bot
Option 1: Voicit — works on Teams web and desktop
In Teams web (Chrome): Just like with Google Meet. Open Teams in Chrome, activate the Voicit extension, and record without a bot.
On Teams desktop: Voicit has native integration with the Teams desktop app. You don't need to open your browser—recording starts directly from the application.
- Open your meeting in Teams (web or desktop).
- Activate Voicit (Chrome extension or native integration).
- Record the meeting — without the bot visible to others.
- Upon completion, obtain the transcript, minutes, and summary using AI.
Advantages: Works on web and desktop, no bot, 95% accuracy in Spanish, GDPR compliant.
Option 2: Microsoft Copilot (native)
Microsoft has integrated Copilot into Teams to transcribe, summarize, and generate meeting notes.
Limitations: Requires Microsoft 365 Copilot license ($30/user/month additional), Spanish quality is lower than native Spanish tools, summaries are generic (not customizable by meeting type).
Option 3: Tools with bots (Fireflies, Otter)
Fireflies and Otter can connect to Teams meetings as external participants. This requires the organization's administrator to allow external guests—many companies have this disabled due to security policy.
Limitations: visible bot, possible blocking by IT administrator, optimized for English.
📙 How to transcribe Zoom meetings with AI
Zoom pioneered video conferencing and remains widely used, especially for external meetings and webinars. It has native AI features, but with limitations in Spanish.
No bot
Option 1: Voicit (Chrome extension)
If you access Zoom from the Chrome browser, the Voicit extension works exactly the same as in Meet or Teams: you record without a bot, transcribe, and generate minutes.
- Join the Zoom meeting from Chrome (zoom.us/join).
- Activate the Voicit extension.
- It records, transcribes, and generates the minutes automatically.
Tip: If you normally use the Zoom desktop app, you can join from your browser by adding ?browser=true to the meeting link, or by clicking on "Join from browser" on the login page.
Option 2: Zoom AI Companion (native)
Zoom has integrated its own AI assistant that generates summaries and transcripts.
Limitations: Available in paid plans, Spanish transcription quality far below English, generic summaries, no report customization.
Option 3: Tools with bots (tl;dv, Fireflies, Otter)
Most bot-based transcription tools have good integration with Zoom. TL;DR stands out here because it allows you to record video clips in addition to audio.
Limitations: visible bot, host must authorize recording, optimized for English.
📊 Comparison: which tool to use on each platform
| Tool | Google Meet | Teams web | Teams desktop | Zoom | Bot visible | Spanish 95% | From |
| Voicit | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ No bot | ✅ | 0€ |
| Fireflies.ai | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 🤖 Yes | ❌ | $18/month |
| tl;dv | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | 🤖 Yes | ⚠️ | $18/month |
| Otter.ai | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | 🤖 Yes | ❌ | $16.99/month |
| Native (Meet/Teams/Zoom) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — | ❌ | Including* |
*Native transcription features require premium plans: Google Workspace Business Standard+, Microsoft 365 Copilot ($30/month extra) or paid Zoom.
Quick summary: Which one to choose?
- If you work in Spanish and you need precision → Voicit (95% native Spanish speakers)
- If you want discretion without others seeing a bot → Voicit (Chrome extension)
- If you need customizable minutes by meeting type → Voicit (custom templates)
- If you work only in English and you want video clips → tl;dv
- If you need advanced CRM integration in English → Fireflies.ai
- If your company already pays for Copilot and you don't need anything else → Teams Native
📝 From transcription to minutes: generate automatic minutes of your video calls
Transcribing the meeting is just the first step. What's really useful is turning that transcript into a structured minutes with the key points, decisions made, and assigned tasks.
Most bot tools generate generic summaries—a paragraph with "the most important points." Voicit goes a step further: it allows you to create custom report templates so that each type of meeting generates the document you need.
Examples of automatic meeting minutes by meeting type
| Type of meeting | What does the minutes include? | Usual platform |
| Weekly team meeting | Executive summary + decisions + action items + responsible parties | Meet, Teams |
| Selection interview | Candidate profile + assessed skills + recommendation | Meet, Teams, Zoom |
| Meeting with client | Needs identified + commitments + next steps | Zoom, Meet |
| Steering Committee | Formal minutes + voting + agreements + pending items | Teams, in-person |
| Training / Webinar | Summary by topic + key questions + supplementary material | Zoom, Meet |
With Voicit, you can define the report structure once and reuse it for all meetings of the same type. This means your "weekly meeting" minutes will always have the same professional format, without you spending a single minute writing them.
🔒 Privacy: How to record meetings without making the team uncomfortable
One of the most frequent searches we find is: "How to create meeting summaries in Teams without the team noticing that they are being recorded?"It's a legitimate question — many professionals want to document meetings without creating tension.
What the law says
- In Spain (GDPR + LOPD): You can record a conversation you're participating in without the consent of the others (this is legal according to the Constitutional Court). However, if you plan to process or store that data using AI, you must inform the participants.
- In the company: It's advisable to announce at the beginning of the meeting that it will be recorded to generate automatic minutes. Most teams appreciate this because it saves them time.
How to do it tactfully
A message at the beginning of the meeting is sufficient: "I'm going to activate the transcription to generate an automatic record — that way nobody has to take notes and everyone can participate 100%."
With bot-free tools like Voicit, there are no extra participants or intrusive notifications, reducing friction. You report when and how you want.
Where your data is stored
| Tool | Servers | GDPR | Encryption |
| Voicit | 🇪🇺 European Union | ✅ Complies | End to end |
| Fireflies.ai | 🇺🇸 United States | ⚠️ Partial | In transit and at rest |
| tl;dv | 🇺🇸 / 🇪🇺 | ⚠️ Partial | In transit and at rest |
| Otter.ai | 🇺🇸 United States | ❌ Not guaranteed | In transit |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transcribe Google Meet meetings for free?
Yes. With Voicit You can transcribe unlimited Google Meet meetings for free. All you need is the Chrome extension. Advanced reports and minutes are available from €7/month.
How do I add an AI assistant to my Meet meetings?
With Voicit, you don't need to add an attendee—you simply activate the Chrome extension before the meeting, and it records automatically. With other tools (Fireflies, tl;dv), you have to invite the bot as a participant using its email or calendar integration.
Does Voicit work with Microsoft Teams desktop?
Yes. Voicit has native integration with the Teams desktop app, and it also works on Teams web via a Chrome extension. It's one of the few tools that covers both environments without a bot.
Which transcription tool works best in Spanish?
Voicit It is the most accurate tool in Spanish (95%), as it was designed with Spanish as its primary language. Most alternatives (Otter, Fireflies, tl;dv) are optimized for English and their performance in Spanish is significantly lower.
Can I generate AI-powered minutes of a Zoom meeting?
Yes. Access Zoom through the Chrome browser, activate the Voicit extension, and record the meeting. When finished, Voicit automatically generates the minutes with a summary, decisions, and tasks. You can also upload an existing Zoom recording (MP3, WAV, WEBM) for processing.
Can I use these tools to take notes in class or online lectures?
Yes. Any live event broadcast via Google Meet, Teams, or Zoom can be transcribed and summarized using these tools. Voicit also supports eight languages, including Catalan and Basque.
