Wondering how to use AI meeting notes in Teams? You can use Microsoft’s built-in features or a third-party AI note taker to capture key points, decisions, and action items. This guide covers:
- How to generate and manage built-in AI meeting notes in Teams.
- How to use a third-party AI note taker for Teams meetings.
- Which note-taking method fits your needs.
- What to check if AI meeting notes are unavailable.
Read on to find the right AI note taker and make your meetings easier and more productive.
Use built-in AI meeting notes in Teams.
Microsoft Teams offers three built-in ways to create AI meeting notes: Copilot, Intelligent Recap, and Facilitator. Each serves a different purpose, from generating a personal summary to creating shared notes for your team.
These features overlap, but their setup and controls differ. Follow the instructions for the option you want to use.
1. Check the prerequisites.
To use AI meeting notes in Teams, you need a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription with Teams, or a separate Teams license if Teams is not included. The additional license depends on the feature:
- Copilot: Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- Intelligent recap: Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- Facilitator: Microsoft 365 Copilot to start it. Internal participants without this license can still view the shared notes.
If you are unsure which licenses you have, check with your IT administrator.
Meeting conditions matter too: Facilitator can only be added to scheduled Teams meetings, excluding channel meetings, instant meetings, and Teams calls.
2. Enable AI meeting notes in Teams.
Before generating AI notes, check that your organization and meeting settings allow the features.
📌For Copilot:
Your Teams administrator can configure access through Meetings > Meeting policies > Recording & transcription > Copilot in the Teams admin center.
The meeting organizer can then open Online meeting options > Copilot and other AI and check Allow Copilot and Facilitator.
Depending on your organization’s policies, sensitivity labels, and meeting templates, you may be able to choose:
- Only during the meeting: Use Copilot during the meeting without saving a transcript. To ask about the discussion afterward, turn on transcription during the meeting.
- During and after the meeting: Transcription is required. Start transcription to use Copilot during the meeting and review the transcribed discussion afterward.
📌For Intelligent recap:
There is no separate Intelligent recap toggle to switch on. Once the required license is assigned and transcription is allowed, the feature becomes available for eligible transcribed meetings.
📌For Facilitator:
Your administrator should confirm that Facilitator is allowed under Teams apps > Manage apps and that the Loop experiences in Teams are enabled.
When scheduling the meeting, open Options > Copilot and other AI, allow Copilot and Facilitator, turn on the Facilitator toggle, and select Apply.
3. Generate AI notes during a Teams meeting.
Once access is enabled, use the meeting controls to start your chosen method.
📌Use Copilot to generate an AI meeting summary in Teams.
Select Copilot in the meeting controls and follow any prompts to start transcription or confirm the spoken language. Then enter a request such as:
“Summarize the discussion so far and list the decisions, action items, owners, and deadlines.”
You can ask follow-up questions to refine the result.
📌Prepare the meeting for Intelligent recap.
Select More > Record and transcribe > Start transcription and confirm the spoken language. Intelligent Recap uses the transcript to provide AI notes after the meeting ends. You do not need to enter a summary prompt.
📌Start Facilitator’s shared notes.
If you did not enable it when scheduling, select More > Turn on Facilitator during the meeting. Confirm the spoken language if requested.
Shared AI notes begin appearing after enough discussion has been captured, which may take a few minutes. Organizers or presenters using Teams on desktop or web can turn Facilitator on or off.
4. Access AI notes after the meeting.
After the meeting ends, open Chat in Teams, select the meeting chat, and open Recap. Depending on availability, you can review the meeting in these formats:
- AI summary: Read the AI-generated notes and follow-up tasks.
- Video recap: Watch a narrated highlight video of the discussion and presented content. This requires a Copilot license and an eligible recorded and transcribed meeting.
- Audio recap: Listen to an AI-generated meeting summary and adjust the playback speed to suit your pace. A Copilot license is required.
5. Turn off AI note-taking or delete existing notes.
Follow these steps to turn off or remove AI meeting notes in Teams:
📌To stop Facilitator, select More > Turn off Facilitator during the meeting. This stops automatic note-taking but keeps notes already generated.
📌To prevent meeting Copilot use, the organizer can set Allow Copilot and Facilitator to Off in the meeting options, where permitted. Be aware that this setting also turns off recording and transcription for that meeting.
📌To delete recap content, a meeting organizer or co-organizer can open Recap > More options > Delete recap content. This permanently removes supported recap content, including recordings and transcripts, rather than deleting only an AI summary.
Use a third-party AI note taker for Teams meetings.
If your Microsoft account has not enabled built-in AI notes, a third-party tool offers another way to capture the Teams meeting.
The SYNCO Smic AI is one of the best AI meeting note takers for Teams. It combines a microphone with the SYNCO AI App. The microphone captures clear speech with AI noise-cancelling technology, while the app provides real-time transcription and generates summaries and mind maps.
Follow these steps to use Smic AI to take notes for your Teams meeting:
Open the SYNCO AI App and tap Add Device. Plug the receiver into your phone’s charging port to connect automatically.
📍Go to AI Audio > Record Summary and tap Start Recording.
📍Select the meeting language and tap Confirm.
📍Tap Start to transcribe the Teams discussion in real time.
📍After the meeting, tap Save and name the recording.
📍Tap Original to review the full transcript.
📍Tap Summary to generate an AI meeting note.
📍Tap Mind Map to visualize the meeting content.
👉Beyond summaries and mind maps, the app also offers AI translation and chat. See our SYNCO AI App User Guide to learn how to use these features.
Which AI note-taking method should you use for Teams meetings?
Consider your budget, your team’s workflow, and whether you need notes across multiple meeting platforms.
Choose built-in AI notes if your team relies on Microsoft 365.
Built-in features suit teams that already have the required licenses and settings enabled. Notes remain within Teams, while shared live notes and Microsoft 365 integration make collaboration and follow-up easier.
However, additional licenses increase costs, and availability depends on organization policies and each feature’s meeting requirements.
Choose third-party AI note takers for greater flexibility.
Third-party AI note takers, such as SYNCO AI microphones, offer more choice in pricing, platform support, and note organization.
Many work across Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet, helping you keep a consistent note-taking workflow. Depending on the tool, additional features may include meeting mind maps, CRM integrations, and automated follow-ups.
Compare compatibility, usage limits, and privacy settings before choosing the best AI meeting note taker that fits your needs.
What to check if AI meeting notes are unavailable in Teams
If an AI option is missing or notes do not appear, check the following:
✅Your license: Copilot and Facilitator require a Microsoft 365 Copilot license to use or start them. Intelligent recap requires either Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot.
✅Organization settings: Ask your IT administrator to check the relevant Copilot and transcription policies. For Facilitator, they should also confirm that the app and required Loop experiences are enabled.
✅Meeting type and permissions: Facilitator cannot be added to channel meetings, instant meetings, or Teams calls. Only organizers or presenters using Teams on desktop or web can turn it on during a meeting. Meeting Copilot is unavailable to participants joining a meeting hosted by another organization.
✅Transcription and language: Intelligent recap and post-meeting Copilot questions about spoken content need a saved transcript. Confirm that the transcription language matches the discussion and is supported by the feature.
✅Meeting length and processing: Intelligent recap’s AI summary requires a meeting lasting at least five minutes. Facilitator’s live notes may take a few minutes to appear after discussion begins.
Conclusion
Learning how to use AI meeting notes in Teams starts with choosing the right method. Built-in features keep notes within Teams, while third-party tools offer more flexibility across platforms. Choose the option that fits your budget and workflow, then follow the steps above to get started.