Meetings move fast. Ideas float, decisions happen in passing, and five minutes after you walk out, half the important stuff has slipped away. Enter Copilot + Teams: the tag team that can transcribe your meetings, summarize the key points, and surface action items — so you can spend less time scribbling and more time doing. This guide walks you through exactly how to use Copilot to transcribe meetings, the practical settings you should check, privacy and admin considerations, and tips to get crisp, usable transcripts every time.

• Copilot in Teams relies on transcription — enable live transcription in the meeting to unlock Copilot’s full meeting features. Microsoft Support
• Meeting organizers or IT admins can control Copilot/transcription policies in the Teams admin center. Microsoft Learn
• Always announce transcription to participants and follow company policy — it’s both good etiquette and sometimes a legal requirement. Microsoft

What exactly happens when you “use Copilot to transcribe”?

Copilot in Microsoft Teams can listen (via Teams’ live transcription), convert speech to text, and then generate recaps, summaries, and action items. In short: transcription is the raw material; Copilot is the editor that turns that raw text into usable outputs (summaries, speaker-tagged notes, tasks). Note: if transcription is turned off, Copilot’s post-meeting abilities are limited or unavailable. Visit Microsoft Support.

Step-by-step: How to transcribe a meeting with Copilot in Teams

1. Confirm you have the right license & Copilot access.
   Copilot features require a Microsoft 365 plan plus Copilot entitlement. If you don’t see Copilot or transcription options, check with your IT admin. Lifewire
   
2. Schedule the meeting (or open the meeting lobby).
   When creating a Teams meeting, reviewers and organizers can decide whether Copilot/transcription is allowed or only available during the call.
   
3. Enable live transcription (organizer or allowed attendee).
   In the meeting, open More actions (•••) → Record and transcribe → Start transcription. If transcription must be enabled for Copilot, Teams will prompt you. Live transcription shows speaker names and timestamps in real time. Microsoft Support+1
   
4. Activate Copilot in meeting controls.
   Click the Copilot icon in the meeting controls. Copilot will ask to confirm transcription language and permissions; confirm and let it run. Remember: Copilot can start only when transcription is active unless your admin has allowed Copilot-only background mode. Microsoft Support
   
5. Use Copilot commands during or after the meeting.
   While the meeting runs, ask Copilot to “summarize discussion so far,” “list decisions,” or “extract action items.” After the meeting, Copilot can produce a polished recap based on the saved transcript (if policy allows saving). Microsoft Learn
   
6. Save, share, and act.
   If your organization allows transcript saving, you can download, edit, share, or feed the transcript into your task tracker. If not saved, some Copilot features won’t be available after the meeting ends. Microsoft Learn

Admin & privacy checkpoints (don’t skip these)

• Admin controls exist. IT can enable Copilot only with saved transcripts required, or turn the feature off for certain policies. If you can’t transcribe or use Copilot, ask IT to check Meeting Policies → Recording & transcription → Copilot settings. Microsoft Learn
• Tell participants. Microsoft recommends announcing when meetings will be recorded/transcribed — it’s best practice and protects psychological safety. Microsoft
• Retention and storage. Check where transcripts are stored (tenant settings) and how long they’re kept. Some orgs require opt-in or limit who can access transcripts. Practical 365+1

Tips for clean, useful transcripts (real, practical things that work)

• Use headsets or good mics. Cleaner audio = fewer transcription errors.
  
• Ask participants to say their name before speaking for clear speaker attribution when names aren’t auto-matched.
  
• Avoid overlapping talk. Transcription engines struggle when multiple people talk at once.
  
• Set the spoken language explicitly in Copilot/Teams if you’ll use non-default languages — this improves accuracy. Microsoft Support
  
• Record visual cues as short captions (e.g., “Slide X: roadmap update”) so Copilot can use visual context when creating recaps.

Use cases — where Copilot transcription pays back big time

• Sales calls: Save precise commitments and follow-ups without rewriting notes.
  
• Product syncs: Pull out decisions, owners, and deadlines automatically.
  
• Interviews and research: Keep verbatim quotes with proper timestamps.
  
• Executive briefings: Generate crisp one-page recaps for leadership.

Troubleshooting — common hiccups and quick fixes

• No Copilot icon? Verify licenses and that your tenant has enabled Copilot in Teams. Lifewire
  
• Transcription is missing speaker names. Ensure Teams user accounts have recognized display names and that the meeting invite used internal emails.
  
• Transcript not saved after meeting. Check your organization’s retention policy; some policies require transcripts to be saved explicitly. Microsoft Learn

Safety, compliance, and etiquette — the short version

Always announce transcription and obtain consent where required. Use admin tools to limit transcript access and retention. For sensitive content, consider manual note-taking or restricting recordings entirely. Microsoft and enterprise admins provide governance controls to balance productivity with privacy. Microsoft

Bonus: Prompts to use with Copilot during/after a meeting

• “Summarize this meeting in 5 bullet points with owners and due dates.”
• “List decisions and next steps with suggested owners.”
• “Create an email to stakeholders summarizing outcomes and action items.”
• “Extract three direct quotes relevant to the product roadmap.”

These short, action-focused prompts get you usable deliverables fast — and make the transcript worth its weight in gold.

Final thoughts

Using Copilot to transcribe meetings turns ephemeral conversations into searchable, actionable knowledge. The magic is simple: enable transcription, let Copilot convert speech into structure, and then use short prompts to extract what matters. Do set the governance rules, announce transcripts, and optimize your audio setup — those few steps will improve accuracy and trust. Once set up, you’ll find Copilot saves time, reduces misunderstandings, and helps your team move faster.