Issue retrieving a recording. Can't find it anywhere

[Marie-Judie]

I recorded a zoom meeting just by clicking on the link provided. It was opened on the browser not via the app. I didn't sign in. After the meeting ends, I close the laptop. Today I opened it and tried to retrieve the video but can't find it anywhere not in documents not in downloads. The only thing I found in Downlaods is a link type Application.

[iambobsat]

Hi Marie-Judie, 

Did You Actually Record the Meeting?

If you are the host and joined via browser (not the desktop app) and weren’t signed in, Zoom still puts limits on recording.

Here's how it breaks down:

Condition	Can You Record?	Recording Location
Host, using Zoom app, signed in	Yes	Local (or Cloud if enabled)
Host, using browser, signed in	Sometimes	Cloud only (if licensed)
Host, using browser, not signed in	No	No recording created

*Only licensed users (with Cloud Recording enabled) can record from browser. Free/basic users can't record in browser even as hosts.

So If You Were the Host, Here's What To Check:

1. Did You Sign In First?

• If no → Zoom does not know you're the host → recording likely didn’t happen.
• If yes → Proceed to Step 2.
  
  

2. Did You See a “Recording” Indicator During the Meeting?

• If you clicked "Record", Zoom should have displayed a status (either “Recording” or “Saving to the cloud”).
  
  

3. Do You Have a Zoom Licensed (Paid) Account?

• Cloud Recording only works if you're a licensed user (Pro, Business, etc.) — not a free/basic account.
• If you're licensed and signed in, your cloud recordings would be here:
  👉 zoom.us/recording
  
  

What If You Didn't Sign In?

Even as the true host, if you joined without logging in, Zoom treats you as a guest:

• You wouldn’t have host controls
• You can’t initiate a recording
• No recording would be created or saved — not locally, not in the cloud
  
  

What About Local Files?

Zoom only saves local recordings if:

• You used the Zoom desktop app
• You clicked Record
• You closed the meeting properly (Zoom then converts and saves the file)
  
  

If any of these were missing (especially using browser-only), no video file is created or saved on your laptop.

What You Can Do Now:

1. Check zoom.us/recording — log in with the host account
2. If you're on a free/basic account, there won't be cloud recordings unless you have a paid plan

Check Downloads or Documents > Zoom for any zoom_0.mp4 or .zoom file (just in case)
If unsure, search system-wide for keywords like “zoom” or file types like .mp4 or .zoom

[Marie-Judie]

But I saw the recording button on at the top right of the screen. I clearly heard the voice saying "recording in progress" when I started recording.