How do I start a transcription for an in-person meeting?

Last updated: February 10, 2026

Answer

Click "+ Add meeting" in the left sidebar and select "Transcribe" to start a live transcription for an in-person meeting or dictation. You can also use the Focal phone number to transcribe phone calls.

Steps

  1. Click "+ Add meeting" in the left sidebar
  2. Select "Transcribe" (labeled "In-person meetings or dictations")
  3. Focal will begin recording and transcribing
  4. When finished, the conversation will appear in your Conversations list

For past meetings

If a meeting already happened but wasn't recorded, you can still capture it:

  1. Go to the Today page
  2. Find the past meeting and click "More actions"
  3. Select "Add dictation" to record voice notes, or "Upload recording" to upload an audio file

Good to know

  • You can also upload a pre-recorded audio file via "+ Add meeting" > Upload.
  • For phone calls, you can use Focal's phone transcription feature — see "How do I use phone transcription?"

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