Introducing Botless Recording: More Flexibility, Same Enterprise Security

Meeting bots are incredibly useful, especially for structured calls, demos, and team-wide discussions where visibility and video playback matter. But not every meeting needs that same setup. Sometimes you’re in a quick sync, an in-person chat, or a sensitive external call where a quieter, more flexible way to capture the conversation makes sense.

That’s why Fellow gives you both options: bot and botless, under one secure, governed framework. Two ways to record, with zero tradeoffs in security or privacy, so you get structure when you want it, and discretion when you need it. In this blog post, we’ll cover the pitfalls of ungoverned meeting recording, what secure botless recording should look like in practice, and how botless recording works in Fellow. 

What is the reality of recording meetings without a bot?

The idea of botless recording sounds simple; just capture audio directly from your device and skip the extra participant. But in practice, most tools that promise this kind of flexibility fall short on governance and transparency. Here’s the reality:

Most botless tools behave Like spyware

Most botless options act more like personal capture tools than meeting software; quiet processes running on someone’s device, generating recordings that no one else can see, access, or govern. It’s convenient for the individual, but it creates blind spots everywhere else. And without internal disclosure, the behavior edges uncomfortably close to spyware.

The challenge? Most organizations manage bot and botless recordings separately, leaving gaps in policy, retention, and visibility. Not every meeting needs a bot, but every meeting deserves to be captured securely. 

What makes botless recording different in Fellow?

Botless recording in Fellow is designed to make capturing conversations effortless and secure, whether you’re online, in person, or somewhere in between. Here’s how it works:

Seamless audio capture for any type of meeting

With Botless Recording, you can capture audio directly from your device. This means no bot participant required, and no complicated setup. It’s a fast, frictionless way to ensure every meaningful conversation is documented and searchable in Fellow. Simply select “Record without bot” from your meeting note or pop-up modal, and Fellow starts capturing high-quality audio in the background while you stay focused on the discussion. 

Zero-compromise on privacy and security

Behind the scenes, botless recordings are protected by the same enterprise-grade security and compliance policies that govern your bot-based recordings. Every capture is encrypted, stored within Fellow’s secure infrastructure (never on local devices), and governed by admin-defined policies for retention, access, and sharing. This gives teams the freedom to record in any setting without sacrificing visibility, governance, or peace of mind.

What does secure botless recording look like in practice?

If you choose not to bring a bot into the call, you still need a capture method that’s transparent to your team, governed by policy, and consistent with how your organization handles meeting data. Fellow solves the problems that have made botless recording impossible to trust: internal participants aren’t kept in the dark, and recordings no longer sit outside organizational control. Here’s what secure botless recording looks like in practice:

Governed by policy

Every recording in Fellow, whether it’s done with a bot or botless, follows the same admin-defined rules for retention, access, and compliance. Policies are automatically enforced, so nothing falls outside of IT oversight. Botless recordings live within the same secure framework as your existing data, complete with audit trails and deletion schedules that match your compliance standards.

Transparent internally

Botless doesn’t mean hidden. Internal participants always see when a meeting is being recorded, even without a bot in the call. This keeps internal meetings transparent and ethical while eliminating the privacy risks of ungoverned personal recording tools. Teams can capture discreetly, but never invisibly.

Discreet externally

For sensitive client calls, interviews, or vendor discussions, botless recording offers a quiet, professional alternative. There’s no visible bot or awkward introduction; just seamless, compliant audio capture that respects the flow of conversation while meeting your organization’s recording policies.

Collaborative

Every botless recording flows into the same collaborative workspace as bot-based captures. Teams can access transcripts, summaries, and action items side-by-side, keeping context intact and data unified. With consistent permissions and sharing settings, meeting information stays both discoverable and governed.

How can I record my meetings without a bot in Fellow?

Recording without a bot in Fellow is as simple as it sounds: no setup friction, no extra tools, and no disruption to your workflow. Whether you’re joining a virtual call or meeting face-to-face, you can start capturing high-quality audio in seconds, all while staying fully compliant with your organization’s policies. Here’s how it works:

1. Start a meeting anywhere

Fellow’s Botless Recording works wherever you meet, like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack huddles, or in-person. Just launch your meeting as usual; there’s no bot to invite or link to manage.

2. Select “Record botless” in Fellow

From your meeting note or pop-up modal, simply choose “Record without bot.” This tells Fellow to begin capturing audio directly from your device, giving you full control over when and how the recording starts.

3. Capture audio seamlessly

Once enabled, your desktop app records high-quality audio in the background. Every capture remains subject to your organization’s recording policies, ensuring that even spontaneous moments are still securely governed.

4. Access & share securely

After your meeting, the transcript, summary, and action items appear right alongside your existing bot recordings in Fellow. You can review, edit, or share them within your workspace.

Note: Botless Recording requires the Fellow Desktop app for secure device-level audio capture.

What are some botless recording use cases?

Not every meeting needs a visible recording bot, but that doesn’t mean those conversations should disappear. Botless recording is built for the moments that matter but don’t always fit a structured setup, giving you the flexibility to capture context wherever work happens. Here are a few ways teams are using it:

Ad hoc 1:1s or quick syncs

Spontaneous conversations often contain valuable decisions and next steps. With botless recording, you can capture insights from quick check-ins or hallway chats without disrupting the flow or scheduling a formal meeting.

In-person or hybrid meetings

For teams meeting in person or with a mix of remote and local participants, botless recording ensures everyone’s voice is captured clearly. Just start recording from your desktop app, all your discussions stay accessible and transcribed in Fellow.

Slack huddles

When your team jumps into an impromptu Slack huddle, you can still record and summarize the conversation directly through Fellow. It’s the easiest way to preserve key takeaways and action items from informal discussions that would otherwise be lost.

External calls where discretion is key

Some meetings require a quieter touch. For sensitive client calls, vendor negotiations, or candidate interviews, botless recording lets you document the conversation without adding a visible participant or interrupting the experience,  while keeping everything secure and compliant within Fellow.

Final thoughts 

At Fellow, we believe organizations shouldn’t have to pick between bot and botless, which is why we’re redefining the next era of meeting capture. You need both, depending on the meeting. With Botless recording, we’re giving teams flexibility and IT peace of mind, all in one secure platform.

Botless Recording is now available to all Fellow customers through the Desktop app. Choose “Record without Bot” to start your first botless capture. Not a Fellow user yet? Sign up and try Botless for free for 14 days.

FAQ

1. Does botless recording still generate transcripts and AI summaries?

Yes. Botless recordings produce the same high-quality transcripts, summaries, and action items as your traditional bot-based recordings. Once captured, the meeting data appears in Fellow alongside your other recordings, ready to search, share, and collaborate on — all within the same secure workspace.

2. Is botless recording automatically enabled for everyone in my organization?

Not by default. Admins control access to botless recording through organization-wide settings. They decide who can use it, how long recordings are retained, and what permissions apply. This ensures botless flexibility is introduced safely, with the right level of oversight.

3. Can external participants tell when a meeting is being recorded with botless?

In most cases, external guests won’t see or hear a recording bot, making the experience more discreet. However, internal participants within your organization will always see when a recording is active, ensuring that privacy and transparency standards are upheld internally — even in external-facing meetings.

4. Does botless recording store data locally on my computer?

No. Unlike personal capture tools, botless recordings in Fellow never live on local devices. Audio is securely encrypted, uploaded, and stored within Fellow’s governed infrastructure, where it remains subject to your organization’s retention and access policies.

5. How is consent managed for botless recordings?

Fellow’s approach prioritizes transparency and compliance. Internal users are always notified when a recording begins, even if no bot joins the call. For external meetings, organizations can define their own consent and disclosure policies through admin settings to ensure consistent compliance across all recording types.