What is a bot-free AI notetaker?
Updated Oct 25, 2026
Definition
A bot-free AI notetaker records a meeting from your own computer or browser instead of sending a bot into the call. Nobody new appears in the participant list, but you still get the transcript, summary and action items afterwards.
Why people choose bot-free
- Client calls, interviews and leadership meetings, where an extra participant feels out of place.
- Companies or customers that block meeting bots.
- No waiting for a bot to be let in from the lobby.
How it records
A desktop app records the meeting app on your computer, and a browser extension records the meeting tab. Either way the audio comes from your device, so the meeting platform doesn't need a bot or an admin approval.
Bot-free notetaker vs. meeting bot
Meeting bot
Joins from your calendar and records even when you're not there. It shows up in the meeting as a participant.
Bot-free notetaker
Records from your own computer while you're in the meeting. Nobody new joins the call.
How Acta records without a bot
Acta's desktop app for Windows and Mac records the Zoom and Teams desktop apps, and opens by itself when a meeting starts. The Acta Chrome extension records Google Meet, Zoom and Teams in the browser. When you can't attend, the Acta notetaker can join from your calendar instead; that option does appear in the meeting.
AI meeting notes without a botFAQ
Can a bot-free notetaker record a meeting I'm not in?
No. It records from your computer, so you need to be in the meeting. For meetings you can't attend, use a notetaker that joins from your calendar.
Do other people know a bot-free notetaker is recording?
They won't see a bot, so tell them. It's good practice, and in many places the law, to say a meeting is being recorded.