Zoom Native Capture (also known as RTMS - Real-Time Media Streaming) lets Fellow record your Zoom meetings without a bot joining as a participant. Recording happens silently in the background, and you still get a full video recording, transcript, AI recap, and action items when the meeting ends.
Note: Zoom Native Capture works with Zoom meetings only. For Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or other platforms, use the Fellow Note Taker bot or Desktop Botless Recording. For a quick comparison on types of recording, check out this article!
Why use Native Capture?
No bot in the meeting: recordings happen without a Note Taker joining as a visible participant
Recording disclosure: Zoom displays a built-in notification to all participants that the meeting content is being accessed by an app, so everyone is informed
Requirements
A paid Fellow workspace and a paid Zoom account (free plans on either side can't use Native Capture)
The Zoom desktop app installed
Host permissions for the meetings you want to record
The Share realtime meeting content with apps setting enabled in Zoom, for the meeting host specifically (covered in Step 3 below)
That last point matters more than it sounds. It's the host's Zoom settings that determine whether Native Capture can run, not the settings of whoever asked Fellow to record.
How to set up Zoom Native Capture
There are two setup paths depending on whether you're an individual user or a workspace admin rolling this out for your whole organization.
Individual Setup
Use this path if there's no workspace-wide rollout. It only covers meetings you personally host.
Step 1: Confirm Zoom Native Capture is available in your Workspace
Native Capture is on by default. If it's not showing as enabled, check with your workspace admin since this lives in a settings area that requires Fellow admin access.
Step 2: Connect the Zoom integration in User Settings
Go to User Settings > Apps & Integrations.
Find Zoom in the list and click the three-dot menu.
Click Connect and complete the Zoom authorization flow.
Step 3: Enable "Share real-time meeting content with apps" in Zoom
Open your Zoom desktop app and go to Settings > Zoom Apps.
Find Share realtime meeting content with apps and toggle it on.
This setting only takes effect for meetings where you're the host. If you're joining someone else's meeting, enabling this in your own Zoom client won't help, since it isn't your settings that control recording eligibility for that meeting. The host's settings decide it. If you regularly record meetings hosted by other people in your organization, ask your admin about the rollout below instead.
Once set up, Native Capture becomes the default recording method for meetings you host on Zoom. Click Record Now in Fellow, or configure auto-record in your Note Taker settings.
Admin rollout (recommended for most teams)
This is the setup path to push if you want Native Capture to work reliably across the organization, including for meetings hosted by people who aren't Fellow users themselves. All six steps below need to be completed in order for Native Capture to work. Partial rollouts, especially skipping Step 4, are the most common reason Native Capture fails for a customer after they thought it was set up:
Step 1: Enable Native Capture in Workspace Settings
Enable Native Capture by going to your Workspace Settings > Note Taker & AI > Zoom Native Capture. It's on by default, so confirm it wasn't turned off.
Step 2: Approve the Fellow Admin App in the Zoom Marketplace
A Zoom admin needs to pre-approve the app before it can be installed. Go to the Fellow Admin App page in the Zoom Marketplace and, under App permissions, click Approve use of this app.
Approving the app in Zoom is a separate action from connecting it in Fellow (Step 3). Doing only one and assuming the other happened automatically is a common way rollouts stall halfway.
Step 3: Connect the Zoom Admin App in Fellow
This step needs someone who is both a Fellow admin and a Zoom admin.
Go to Workspace Settings > Integrations, scroll to Other, and click the Zoom Admin App card.
Click Connect in the top right corner.
A Zoom authorization screen opens in your browser. Click Allow to grant Fellow the required account-level access.
The integration status updates to confirm the setup is complete.
Step 4: Enable and Lock "Share Realtime Meeting Content With Apps" for All Users
In Zoom, go to Admin > Account Management > Account Settings > Zoom Apps, turn on Share realtime meeting content with apps, and lock it so it applies to everyone.
This is the step to get right. Enabling it only for a pilot group, without locking it account-wide, is the most common cause of Native Capture rollouts that appear to work in testing and then fail once rolled out further. If you only check one thing when troubleshooting a failed rollout, check this one first.
Step 5: Provision the Fellow Zoom User App to Every Host
Every meeting host you want recorded needs this app installed, even hosts who don't use Fellow themselves.
Sign in to the Zoom App Marketplace as an admin or owner and search for Fellow.
Click Add for Others next to the app name.
Under As an admin, add __ for, choose all users, or select specific users.
Click Allow to authorize the app for the selected users. Affected users see a notification in the Zoom desktop app.
Step 6: Verify on a Live Call
Confirm the Apps button in the Zoom toolbar shows Fellow, and Fellow AI Note Taker appears under the host's video tile. Once complete, all Zoom meetings hosted by workspace members are captured automatically, without individual setup.
How to know it's working
Click the Apps button in your Zoom call toolbar. Fellow will appear in the list of apps currently accessing your meeting content. From here, you can Pause or Stop access at any time.
Look for the Fellow AI Note Taker text displayed below your video tile in Zoom - this confirms Native Capture is recording.
Finding your recordings
Once the meeting ends, Fellow syncs the recording to your meeting note automatically. Video, transcript, and AI recap appear in the same place as any other recorded meeting, under AI Recap. All recordings are also saved to the Meeting Recordings Library.
Frequently asked questions
Will participants know the meeting is being recorded?
Yes. Zoom displays a notification to all participants that meeting content is being accessed by an app.
Can I use Native Capture with Google Meet or Microsoft Teams?
No. Native Capture is Zoom-only. Use the Fellow Note Taker bot or Desktop Botless Recording for other platforms.
What if I have both the user-level and admin-level apps installed?
That's fine, they work together. The Admin App ensures workspace meetings are captured broadly, while the user-level app gives individuals access to integration features in the Zoom client.
A bot joined my meeting instead of Native Capture. Why?
When Native Capture can't start, Fellow silently falls back to a bot so meeting content isn't lost, which means the bot showing up is usually the only visible symptom of a Native Capture problem. Common causes:
The Share realtime meeting content with apps setting isn't enabled and locked account-wide (see Admin rollout, Step 4)
The meeting link was a vanity/personal-room link rather than a numeric one
The Fellow Zoom integration is out of date
When Native Capture can't be initiated, a bot joins as a backup so no meeting content is lost. The local recording setting in Zoom ("Record to computer files") isn't required for Native Capture, but it is required for the bot fallback to get permission to join. Turning it off removes your safety net if your meeting host isn’t set up to record with Zoom Native Capture. If your organization blocks bots from joining calls, a failed Native Capture attempt with no fallback available will surface as "Meeting recorder unavailable" instead.
Does Zoom retain a copy of the recording?
No. Zoom does not retain a copy of recordings made through Fellow's integration.
Can I use my vanity or personal-room Zoom link?
Vanity or personal-room Zoom links don't work (for example, zoom.us/my/yourname). Fellow needs a numeric meeting ID to identify the call, so links in that format aren't eligible for Native Capture, and the meeting falls back to a bot. Use the numeric link instead (zoom.us/j/1234567890).
Can I record with both Native Capture and the Note Taker bot at the same time?
No. A meeting can only be recorded using one method at a time per Fellow workspace.
If I use Native Capture for Zoom, can I still use the bot for Google Meet and Teams?
Yes. Zoom settings don't affect other platforms, and the bot can still be used there.
Does Native Capture require "Local Recording" to be enabled in Zoom?
No. The only required Zoom setting is 'Share realtime meeting content with apps' in Zoom Apps settings.
Should I add Fellow to the "Auto-start apps" list in Zoom Account Settings?
No. Fellow manages its own recording rules and preferences, and the in-call experience is better when Fellow initiates the recording rather than Zoom. If Zoom sends a recording request that Fellow determines shouldn't be recorded, the request will be rejected, and an error will display in Zoom.
Can I control what content is captured?
Yes. Meeting content capture can be paused, resumed, or stopped at any time from the Apps panel in your Zoom call.
What Zoom API permissions does Native Capture require?
See the Zoom API Scopes article for a full breakdown.