Google Meet Transcription: Best Free Tool & Extension (2025 Guide)

Like many other video conferencing platforms, Google Meet is now an integral part of our lives and we’re pretty used to challenges that may arise while using it. Sometimes it may be difficult to understand someone with a strong accent or deal with crosstalk. Luckily, Google Meet transcription can come to your aid in these kinds of situations.

In this blog, we will focus on how to use Google Meet transcription to live transcribe Meet calls. We will also explore another option, transcribing Google Meet recordings with Maestra (both in real-time and by uploading the file afterwards), and the advantages this method brings.

Ready to improve your meeting experience? Let’s start.

Does Google Meet have transcription?

Yes, Google Meet has a built-in transcription feature. However, it only works for live meetings and needs to be manually activated during the meeting.

As of January 2025, it’s important to highlight that there are certain requirements for using Google Meet transcription.

1. You must have one of the following Google Workspace subscriptions:

• Business Standard
• Business Plus
• Enterprise Starter
• Enterprise Standard
• Enterprise Plus
• Teaching & Learning Upgrade
• Education Plus

2. The feature is available for Google Meet users on a computer or laptop.
3. Google states that meeting transcripts of languages other than English may not be accurate.
4. You can record meeting transcripts only if there is enough free space in:

• Your organization’s Google Drive
• The meeting host’s Google Drive

Why do you need Google Meet transcription?

Google Meet’s real-time transcription feature offers multiple benefits ranging from accessibility to detailed record keeping. Let’s look at them.

• Accessibility and comprehensibility: Google Meet transcription makes meetings more accessible to deaf or hard of hearing individuals, enabling them to follow the conversation. Furthermore, it ensures no spoken words are missed even in noisy environments.
• Enhanced focus: Thanks to automatic transcription, attendees do not have to excessively take notes. They can concentrate fully on the meeting, leading to better engagement.
• Record keeping: Transcripts are particularly useful for meetings where crucial decisions are made, and having a record ensures all details are documented for future reference.
• Searchability: You can easily search the transcript to find and review specific parts of the meeting discussion later on.
• Sharing and collaboration: Transcripts can be shared with team members who missed the meeting, allowing them to catch up.

How to Live Transcribe a Google Meet Call

Before we explore the steps on how to live transcribe Google Meet calls with the platform’s built-in feature, let’s answer one of the key questions. 

Who can start Google Meet transcription?

The meeting organizer (the person who originally scheduled the meeting) or anyone assigned as the co-host by the organizer can start Google Meet transcription. Of course, both must have a paid Google Workspace account. A quick breakdown:

Account type	Who can start transcription?
Free Google account	Not available
Paid Google Workspace account	Meet organizer or co-hosts

How to Turn On Transcription in Google Meet

Now let’s move on to the step-by-step instructions on how to enable Google Meet transcription.

1. Start or join a Google Meet meeting on your computer.
2. Click on Activities (represented by triangle, square, circle) in the bottom right corner.
3. Click Transcripts > Start transcription > Start.

You should now see a blue Transcripts icon, displayed at the top left for everyone in the meeting.

How to Stop Transcription in Google Meet

What if you want to stop live transcription? Here are the steps to follow:

1. Click Activities.
2. Click Transcripts > Stop Transcription > Stop.

Important things to know:

• Google Meet transcription stops automatically when all participants leave the meeting.
• You can’t pause Transcripts. However, you can stop transcribing and start another transcription in the same meeting. You will receive a separate file for each transcript.
• You must record your video meeting if you want to get a transcript of chat messages.

How to Find Your Google Meet Transcript

When the meeting ends, the host, co-hosts and the person who turned on Transcripts will receive an automated email with a link to the meeting transcript.

The transcript will be attached to the meeting’s Google Calendar event.

Important things to know:

• Google Meet will also save the transcript in the meeting host’s “Meeting Recordings” folder under the Google Drive.
• Longer meetings take longer to process, so allow more time for your automated email to arrive. It could take up to 24 hours.
• All invitees in the host’s organization can access the link attached to the Google Calendar event.

How to Transcribe Google Meet Meetings with Maestra

Unlike Google Meet, everyone can use Maestra’s free live transcription software, whether you’re a host, co-host, or participant. There are two ways to utilize this versatile tool, which supports 125+ languages:

How to Transcribe Meetings Live with Maestra Web Captioner

1. Start the web captioner on your browser. 
2. Choose the language spoken in the bottom right corner. 
3. Allow permission for the web captioner to access your microphone. 
4. The tool will start transcribing spoken words in real-time as the meeting progresses.
5. Click “Stop Captioning” to stop transcribing.
6. Click the head icon with three dots in the bottom right corner. Here you can download your transcript as a text file or Word document.

How to Transcribe Meetings Live with Maestra Chrome Extension

Alternatively, you can download the Chrome extension to transcribe meetings in real time directly from your Chrome tab.

1. Go to Maestra’s “Live Voice Translation & Transcription” extension page and click “Add to Chrome”.
2. Once downloaded, click the extension icon in your browser, located right next to the search bar.
3. Click “Live Voice Translation & Transcription”. The extension window will appear.
4. Sign in to your Maestra account.
5. Once signed in, choose the source language and click “Start Capture”. Any audio on your computer will be translated in real-time and displayed on your screen.
6. If you enable the “Save File to Dashboard” option, the transcript will be saved to your Maestra dashboard, where you can edit it easily with the user-friendly text editor.

How to Transcribe Meeting Recordings with Maestra

What if you want to transcribe a Google Meet recording after the meeting? You can use Maestra’s audio to text or video to text converter by following a few simple steps.

1. Log in to your Maestra account.
2. Select “Transcription” from the left-side menu.
3. Click “+New Transcription” in the top right corner of your screen.
4. Upload your Google Meet recording. 
5. Select the audio language of your recording.
6. Click “Submit”.

6. Transcription will automatically begin and you will receive your transcript within seconds.
7. You can export your transcript as a Microsoft Word document, a PDF, a plain text document, or a JSON file.

Maestra has a very high accuracy rate but you may still want to edit your transcript. You can easily use the tool’s built-in text editor to proofread your text and make changes.

Plus, you can also share your transcript via Maestra Teams and edit it collaboratively with your colleagues in real-time. Feel free to create multiple teams and channels, and assign different permission levels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free transcription software for Google Meet?

Yes, Maestra is the free transcription software you can use to convert Google Meet audio to text. Just start the web captioner on your device and it will capture any spoken word for transcription. No account or payment required.

Is Google Meet recording free?

You can record a Google Meet call if you have a specific Google Workspace subscription. If not, you can resort to a third-party screen recorder or a browser extension, but always use them with caution and check their reliability. Make sure you inform participants if you decide to record a Google Meet session, especially when using a third-party tool.

Is Google voice typing free?

Yes, Google voice typing is free. You can access it in Google Docs or via Gboard keyboard on supported devices. Here you can find actionable tips on how to use Google voice typing in the most efficient way.

Does Google Meet have voice changer?

Google Meet does not have a built-in voice changer feature. To change your voice during a meeting, you can use external apps like Voicemod or Clownfish. These apps can easily integrate with Google Meet to modify your voice during calls.

How many languages does Google Meet support?

Google Meet supports a wide range of languages for closed captions; here is the full list. It is constantly expanding so be sure to check Google Meet Help Center for the most up-to-date information.