Want to record your Google Meet sessions? It’s super useful for reviewing discussions later or sharing them with teammates who missed the meeting. Screencastify is a handy Chrome extension that lets you record, edit, and share your screen directly from your browser. This guide will show you how to get it, set it up, and use it to record your Google Meet sessions.
How to download and set up the Screencastify extension
Screencastify gives you two main ways to record your Google Meet sessions: using the browser extension or their desktop application. Both work great, but we’ll focus on using the browser extension since it’s often the quickest to set up.
First, you’ll need to grab the Screencastify Chrome extension. It’s free on the Chrome Web Store. You can either search for “Screencastify” in the store or use this button to jump straight to the extension’s page and install it.
Download Screencastify Chrome Extension
Click the “Add to Chrome” button on the Screencastify extension page to install it to your browser.
A popup window will appear, asking for permission to add the extension. Just click “Add extension” to confirm.
After installing, you’ll see the Screencastify icon in your extensions area of the Chrome toolbar (usually near the address bar).
Click the Screencastify icon. This opens a new tab to set things up. You’ll need to sign in with your Google account. Click on “Sign in with Google” to keep going.
Quick Tip: When you’re signing in with Google, check that the “Automatically save videos to Google Drive” option is turned on. If it isn’t, be sure to turn it on for easy access later.
Next, give Screencastify permission to use your camera, microphone, and drawing tools. Check all the boxes, then click “Next.”
The extension will also ask for permission to “Read and change all your data on the websites you visit.” Click “Allow.”
Once you’ve done all that, you’re all set to record Google Meet sessions with Screencastify!
How to use Screencastify to record a Google Meet
When you’re in your Google Meet session, click the Screencastify icon in the Chrome toolbar.
A little window will pop up with recording options. Choose “Browser Tab” to record the current Google Meet tab.
Make sure the “Microphone” option is enabled and the correct microphone is selected from the dropdown menu.
Quick Tip: If you aren’t using an external microphone, just select the “Default” option in the microphone dropdown.
Then, click “Show More Options” to see some extra settings.
In the advanced settings, turn on the “Tab Audio” toggle. This is crucial for capturing the audio of the other participants.
Once you’re all set, click “Record” to start recording.
A countdown will appear, and Screencastify will start recording your active Google Meet tab.
You’ll see a little control bar at the bottom left corner of your screen during the recording, but you can also access recording controls by clicking the Screencastify icon.
To stop recording, click the “Stop” button (the square icon) on the control bar.
Once the recording stops, Screencastify will open the video in a new tab where you can preview and trim it before sharing or downloading.
To download the recording, click “Download” in the left panel of the preview screen.
Screencastify saves recordings in webm
format by default, which may not be compatible with all media players. For broader compatibility, click “Export as MP4” below the download button.
Wait for the conversion to finish, then click “Download MP4” to save your recording.
Also, Screencastify automatically saves your recordings to Google Drive. To share a recording, navigate to the My Drive » Screencastify folder in Google Drive, and share the video as needed.