Will other people see a note taker in the meeting?

No. Cereal records your computer's microphone and sound output, so nothing joins the call or appears in the participant list. You should still tell people you're taking AI notes; Cereal gives you a message to paste in the chat.

Does it work with Teams and Meet in the browser?

Yes. Cereal records the computer's sound, so it doesn't matter whether the call runs in an app or a browser tab.

Can I get notes for a recording I already have?

Yes. Import an audio file (MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC and more) and Cereal turns it into a note with a transcript.

Free AI notes for Zoom, Teams and Google Meet, no bot

By the Toolbay team · Updated October 26, 2026

Built-in meeting assistants depend on your plan and on the host turning them on, and bot note takers have to be let in. A note taker that records your own computer works in every call app, on any plan, whether you host or not. Here is how to set one up for free with Cereal.

Set it up once

Install Cereal. Install the free Toolbay app, then Cereal in one click. Speech, speaker and notes models are included.
Allow audio (Mac). On a Mac, allow Microphone and Screen & System Audio Recording when asked. Only the sound is used, never your screen.
Connect your calendar (optional). Paste your calendar's private iCal link to see Coming up, get a nudge a minute before each meeting, and have notes titled with the event and its attendees.
Join the call as usual. Cereal notices the call in Zoom, Teams, Meet or a browser and starts taking notes with a small floating indicator (Pause, Stop).
Jot notes, then let it finish. Type a few rough notes. When the call ends Cereal re-transcribes at full quality, separates speakers and writes notes with your template.

Prefer to be asked before it records? Change it in Settings › When a meeting starts: record automatically, ask, or do nothing.

Tips for each call app

Cereal records system audio, so the same setup covers all of these.
Feature	What to know
Zoom	Desktop app or browser both work. With your calendar connected, the meeting shows up in Coming up with a nudge a minute before.
Microsoft Teams	App or browser both work. Switching headsets mid-call is fine: Cereal follows the call's output device.
Google Meet	Runs in the browser, which is fine: Cereal hears the tab through the computer's sound.
Slack huddles, Discord, Webex	Detected too. Phone calls through a desktop app work the same way.

After the call

Your own notes stay dark; what the AI added is grey. Click the magnifier on any line to see where it came from.
Ask questions about one meeting, a folder, a person or everything with Ctrl + J; search everything with Ctrl + K.
Share as Markdown, Word, PDF or email, send to Notion, log in HubSpot, or auto-post a folder to Slack.

Comparing note takers?

See free AI meeting notes for the other free, bot-free options, and Cereal vs Granola.

Questions people ask

Will other people see a note taker in the meeting?: No. Cereal records your computer's microphone and sound output, so nothing joins the call or appears in the participant list. You should still tell people you're taking AI notes; Cereal gives you a message to paste in the chat.
Does it work with Teams and Meet in the browser?: Yes. Cereal records the computer's sound, so it doesn't matter whether the call runs in an app or a browser tab.
Can I get notes for a recording I already have?: Yes. Import an audio file (MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC and more) and Cereal turns it into a note with a transcript.

Granola is a trademark of Granola. Toolbay's tools are independent open-source projects, inspired by Granola, and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Granola.