Desktop Capture records audio directly from your computer and generates transcripts and AI notes automatically. It works on any meeting platform, including Slack Huddles and in-person conversations where a bot cannot join.
System requirements: Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) running macOS 14.2 or later, or Windows. See Download Grain for Grain desktop app installation setup.
Prefer a Video? Watch a tutorial here.
Why use Desktop capture
Universal compatibility: get AI notes on platforms where bots can't join, like Slack Huddles, in-person meetings, or ad-hoc calls
No bot management: eliminate the hassle of managing when bots join meetings
Seamless experience: auto-detects meetings and captures them without disrupting participants
Private by default: all captures remain private unless you choose to share them
Bot capture & Desktop capture: quick comparison
Feature | Bot capture | Desktop capture |
Bot joins meeting | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Media file saved | ✅ Yes (MP4 video) | ❌ No |
AI notes & transcript | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Works with all meeting types | ❌ No; Supported platforms only (Zoom/Meet/Teams/Webex) | ✅ Yes |
Meeting access | Follows auto-share rules | Private by default |
Desktop capture set up
Desktop capture uses your computer's audio to transcribe and summarize meetings. Here's how to get started:
Grant permissions: Grain will request microphone and screen recording permissions to capture audio from your computer
Configure auto-capture settings: choose which meeting types to automatically capture:
Internal meetings: scheduled meetings with only participants from your workspace domain(s)
External meetings: scheduled meetings with participants outside your workspace domain(s)
Unscheduled meetings: ad-hoc meetings and Slack huddles Grain detects
Start capturing: Either manually start a capture using the ‘+ New’ button on the ‘Meetings’ page, or let Grain auto-detect and capture meetings based on your settings
When a meeting ends, Grain automatically stops capturing, opens the desktop app, and begins generating your AI notes.
Using the feature
During a meeting
When Desktop capture detects a meeting that matches your auto-capture settings, it starts recording automatically. A capture controller appears so you can see that recording is active.
Stop or discard: use the capture controller to stop recording at any time. If you stop and choose to discard, no data is stored for that session.
After a meeting
When a meeting ends, Desktop Capture stops automatically and begins generating your AI notes. The Grain desktop app opens to the recording page once processing is complete.
Desktop captures appear under ’My Meetings’ marked with a distinct icon to indicate they are transcript and AI notes only (no video is stored).
From the recording page you can:
Read and edit the full transcript
Review and edit AI-generated notes and action items
Copy a link to share notes with others
Use AI Transcript Actions to send the transcript to Claude or ChatGPT
Note: Desktop capture supports transcription in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. The language spoken is detected automatically. For meetings in other languages, transcription runs asynchronously after the meeting ends and may take additional time to appear. Transcript language cannot be manually changed for Desktop captures.
Privacy and consent
Desktop captures are always private by default. They are never automatically shared with meeting participants or your Grain workspace. You control when and how to share them.
You are responsible for ensuring you have appropriate consent from all participants before capturing a meeting. Consent requirements vary by location:
United States: requirements vary by state; some require only one-party consent, others require all-party consent
European Union and other regions: similar all-party consent requirements generally apply
Best practices:
Inform participants at the start of the call that you are transcribing using Grain
Respect any participant who declines to be recorded
Obtain fresh consent from participants who join mid-call
Use transcriptions only as disclosed
Note: This section is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. You are responsible for ensuring your use of Grain complies with applicable laws.
FAQ
What devices support desktop capture? Desktop capture currently works on Mac Apple Silicon & Windows computers. We don't have plans to support Linux or Intel-based Mac computers.
Do Desktop captures include video? No. Desktop capture only provide transcripts and AI notes. No video is recorded or retained. For video recordings, use the Grain bot.
Can I use Desktop capture for voice memos or solo sessions? Yes. Desktop Capture works for any audio on your computer, including voice memos, solo brainstorming, or presentations with no other participants.
What if I do not want to capture a specific meeting? You can stop and discard a capture at any time using the capture controller. Adjust your auto-capture settings in My Meetings to limit which meetings are captured automatically. See auto-capture settings for more information.
Are desktop captures shared automatically? Desktop captures are private by default. If you have team auto-share enabled for desktop capture in My Meetings or Teams settings, recordings will be shared automatically after capture ends. If team auto-share is off or not configured, captures remain private until you explicitly share them.
How are desktop captures different from bot recordings?
Desktop captures:
Don't include video (audio only)
Are always private by default
Don't require a bot to join the meeting
Work on any platform or in-person meetings