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DocumentationTroubleshooting Private Meeting Recording

Troubleshooting Private Meeting Recording

This guide helps you resolve common issues with Groupthink's Private Desktop Recording feature.

Before You Troubleshoot

Most private recording problems come down to one of a few requirements not being met. Check these first, in order.

You need the Groupthink desktop app

Private recording only works inside the Groupthink desktop app. The web app cannot record privately. If you set your attendance preference to private but never open the desktop app, nothing will record.

  • If you do not have the desktop app yet, install it from the Groupthink Desktop App Setup Instructions.
  • If you already have it installed, open it and sign in. Your meetings will use private recording automatically once the app is running.

You need to be signed in to the desktop app

Open the desktop app and confirm you are signed in to your Groupthink account. If you are not, sign in (you will be sent to your browser to complete the process, then returned to the app). See Groupthink Desktop App for the full sign-in walkthrough.

You need an active plan with meeting quota left

Starting a private recording uses a meeting from your plan. If your free meeting quota is used up, or your trial has ended, Groupthink will not start a new recording and will prompt you to upgrade instead. Upgrading to a paid plan restores private recording.

You need a supported computer

Private recording is available on Windows and on Macs running a supported version of macOS. If the private option is greyed out or unavailable, your device or operating system version may not be supported.

Note: The supported macOS version is determined by the desktop app at runtime, so a Mac on an older OS may not be able to record privately even with the app installed.

Common Issues

The Recording Will Not Start

If clicking to start a private notetaker does nothing or shows a prompt instead of recording:

  1. If you see a prompt to download the desktop app, you are not in the desktop app (or it cannot record on this device). Open the Groupthink desktop app and try again.
  2. If you see a message about your meeting quota or upgrading, you have hit a plan limit. See the plan requirement above.
  3. If neither prompt appears and nothing happens, restart the desktop app and try again.

No Audio Captured During Recording

Private recording captures your microphone and your computer's system audio. A silent or one-sided recording is almost always a system permission that has not been granted. These permissions live in your operating system, not in Groupthink, so the exact menus can differ by OS version.

On a Mac:

  1. Open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and make sure Groupthink is enabled under both Microphone and Screen Recording. macOS ties system audio capture to the Screen Recording permission, so both matter.
  2. If you just granted a permission, quit Groupthink and reopen it so the change takes effect.
  3. macOS sometimes resets these permissions after an app update. If a recording suddenly comes back empty, re-check both settings.

On Windows:

  1. Make sure Groupthink is allowed to use your microphone in your Windows microphone privacy settings.
  2. Confirm your audio devices are connected and selected as the active input.
  3. If sound problems continue, work through Microsoft's guide: Fix Sound or Audio Problems in Windows.

If audio is still missing after checking permissions, restart the Groupthink app, and if needed restart your computer, then try recording again.

Audio Quality Drops While Recording

If sound quality drops while Groupthink is recording on a Mac:

  1. In your Mac's Sound Settings, under the Input tab, select your built-in microphone (usually named something like Mac Microphone).
  2. Restart the Groupthink app and try recording again.
  3. If the problem persists, restart your Mac and try again.

Getting Help

Still stuck? Email support@groupthink.com.