Google Meet transcription: extension or bot?
By MeetFlovv teamPublished Updated 6 min read
Google Meet transcription in MeetFlovv works in two ways: a Chrome extension that records the meeting from your own browser, or MeetFlovv Bot, which joins the call as a separate participant. Both produce the same transcript, speaker names and notes. The difference is where the audio comes from, who can see that you are capturing, and whether you need to be in the meeting at all.
Here is how each one works and how to choose the right way to transcribe Google Meet calls for each kind of meeting.
The short answer
- Pick the Chrome extension when you are in the meeting yourself and would rather not add a participant.
- Pick MeetFlovv Bot when you cannot attend, when you want to be hands-off, or when you want MeetFlovv to join scheduled meetings from your calendar (Calendar auto-join needs Pro or Business).
You can use both. Some people use the extension for quick one-to-one calls and the bot for recurring team meetings.
How the Chrome extension captures a meeting
The extension runs in your own Chrome browser. When you open a Google Meet call and choose Start Notes, it starts recording two sources:
- The meeting tab's audio, which carries everyone else's voices.
- Your microphone, mixed in only while Google Meet shows you as unmuted. When you mute in Meet, your microphone is left out.
The extension uploads short audio chunks, 15 seconds each, while the call goes on; nothing is saved on your computer. The extension also reads who is speaking from Google Meet's captions and sends that timing along, which is how speaker names end up on the transcript.
When you choose Stop Notes, the extension waits up to 90 seconds for the last pieces to finish uploading, then marks the meeting as finished so the notes can be written.
What other people see. Nothing joins the call. The extension uses the browser's own tab-capture permission, and Chrome shows a recording indicator on the tab while it is being captured. Tell the other participants that you are transcribing, since they will not see a separate notetaker in the list.
What you need. Chrome on a desktop or laptop, the MeetFlovv extension, and a MeetFlovv account. You need to be in the meeting, with the meeting tab open, for the whole time you want captured.
How MeetFlovv Bot captures a meeting
MeetFlovv Bot is a meeting bot in the plain sense: a separate participant that runs in its own browser on MeetFlovv's servers. You give MeetFlovv a Google Meet link, and the bot asks to join under your first name followed by "'s Notetaker" ("MeetFlovv Notetaker" if your account has no name) unless you choose another name.
From there:
- If the meeting requires approval, the host admits the bot like any other guest. The bot waits up to 10 minutes to be let in.
- Once inside, the bot keeps its own camera and microphone off and records the meeting audio in the same 15-second pieces the extension uses.
- It leaves on its own when the meeting ends or when it is the last one left in the call.
You can follow each bot session's status, from joining to finished, on the bot page in your dashboard.
What other people see. The bot appears in the participant list under its name, so everyone can see the meeting is being captured. It cannot get past a waiting room, a meeting password or host approval.
What you need. Just the meeting link. You do not have to attend, and nothing has to stay open on your computer.
Side by side
| Chrome extension | MeetFlovv Bot | |
|---|---|---|
| Joins as a participant | No | Yes, named after you by default (for example, Ana's Notetaker) |
| You must attend | Yes | No |
| Audio source | Meeting tab, plus your mic while unmuted | The bot's own seat in the call |
| Host approval needed | No | When the meeting requires it |
| Works with Calendar auto-join | No | Yes |
| Transcript, speaker names, notes | Yes | Yes |
What stays the same
Whichever way you capture, everything after the audio is identical. Both send 15-second pieces into the same pipeline. Each piece is transcribed while the meeting runs, speaker names are matched from caption timing, and the notes are written once the meeting ends: summary, key points, decisions, action items and open questions.
Your data is handled the same way too. Audio files are deleted right after they are transcribed, the transcript is kept for 48 hours after your notes are ready, and the notes stay until you delete them. The details are in Meeting recording privacy: where your audio goes.
Choosing for common situations
A one-to-one or a sales call you are running yourself. Use the extension. There is no extra participant to explain, and you are in the call anyway.
A meeting you cannot make. Send the bot with the link. You will have the transcript and notes when it ends.
A recurring team meeting. Use the bot with Calendar auto-join (Pro and Business), so you never have to remember to start anything. How to auto join Google Meet with your calendar shows how to set it up.
A large meeting where you are mostly listening. Either works. The extension keeps your microphone out while you are muted. The bot keeps your own computer free of any recording.
Several meetings at the same time. Only the bot can be in more than one place at once. Each plan sets how many bots can run at the same time; see the pricing page.
A note on consent
Whichever method you use, you are responsible for letting people know their meeting is being transcribed, and for getting any consent your local law requires. The bot makes capture visible by being in the participant list. With the extension, a quick "I'm taking notes with MeetFlovv" at the start of the call does the same job.
Get started
You can try both methods on the Free plan. Install the Chrome extension, or send the bot to your next meeting from the dashboard. If you want to know what you get once the audio is in, read AI meeting notes for Google Meet, explained.
