Can I get a live summary during a Zoom call?
Yes — you can get a live summary during a Zoom call by using a real-time meeting summarizer like Canary, which captures the call's system audio locally and shows a continuously updating summary while the meeting is happening. This is different from most AI notetakers, which only produce a summary after the call ends. Because Canary doesn't join as a bot, it works the same on Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams.
Last updated May 24, 2026
Yes — and it’s the whole point of a real-time tool. Most AI notetakers wait until the Zoom call is over to generate a summary. A real-time meeting summarizer shows you one while the call is still happening.
How it works
Canary uses local system audio capture to listen to the voices Zoom is already playing through your speakers. It runs streaming transcription on that audio and keeps a live rolling summary updated second by second — shown at several time horizons at once (now, last 2 min, last 5 min, full call).
Because it works from system audio rather than a Zoom integration:
- Nothing joins the call — no bot in the participant list.
- No plugin or virtual audio device to install.
- The same approach works on Google Meet and Teams, not just Zoom.
Why most tools can’t do this
Tools like Otter or Fireflies are designed around the post-meeting recap — see does Otter show a summary during the meeting? for the honest comparison, and how Canary differs from Granola.
A note on consent
Capturing a call should always be transparent. Recording-consent laws vary by region, so tell the other participants when you’re using a tool that listens to the meeting.
Frequently asked questions
Does Canary join the Zoom call as a bot?
No. Canary captures your computer's system audio locally, so nothing appears in the Zoom participant list and there's no plugin or virtual audio device to install.
Does this work on Google Meet and Teams too?
Yes. Because it works from system audio rather than a meeting integration, the same live summary works on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or any other call your computer plays audio from.
Does Zoom's own AI Companion give a live summary?
Zoom's AI Companion can answer questions on request during a meeting, but it doesn't show a continuously updating, multi-resolution rolling summary the way a dedicated real-time summarizer does.