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Slides, dashboards and documents people share are often the part of a meeting you most want to look back on. With Take snapshots of shared screens, Granola takes snapshots of what’s being presented, attaches them to your note, and uses them to improve your meeting notes. This is available on the Mac desktop app, on macOS 14 or newer. It isn’t available on Windows. On enterprise plans it is off until a workspace admin turns on Take snapshots of shared screens in workspace settings, under Data security. Members can then turn it on for themselves. Granola snapshots a screen someone else shares. It doesn’t snapshot a screen you share yourself. It works in:
  • the Zoom desktop app
  • Google Meet in Chrome
  • the Microsoft Teams desktop app, and Teams in Chrome, Edge, and similar browsers
Safari and Firefox aren’t included, and neither is Zoom in a browser. If snapshots don’t appear in Zoom, try Gallery view.

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Turning it on

Click your workspace name in the bottom-left corner, then select Settings. In Settings > Preferences, under Features: Take snapshots of shared screens turned on in Settings > Preferences. A banner says Open system settings to grant permissions, with an Open settings button.
  1. If you see Grant accessibility permissions, click Open settings and allow Granola. The switch stays off until this is granted.
  2. Turn on Take snapshots of shared screens.
  3. If macOS asks for Screen Recording, allow it. If you’re asked to restart Granola, click Later. Granola doesn’t need to restart to start taking snapshots.
While the setting is off, Granola can offer this beside the live meeting indicator when someone shares their screen. The offer says Auto-capture shared screen. It can show once a day for up to three days. Click Enable to turn the setting on. If Screen Recording is still missing, that same click opens System Settings. Closing the offer hides it for the rest of that meeting only. If you leave System Settings without allowing Screen Recording, Granola shows a card so you can open settings again. The in-meeting offer beside the live meeting indicator. It reads Auto-capture shared screen, with Enable and a Learn more link. After that, Granola takes snapshots automatically. Turn off for this meeting, on the meeting note or the live meeting indicator, stops snapshots for that meeting only. The setting stays on, and you can turn them back on from the Images stack. Snapshots pause while the meeting window isn’t visible. The indicator says Paused screen capture. Bring that window back to continue. Paused screen capture on the live meeting indicator: keep the meeting window visible to capture screens. Turn the feature off any time with the same switch in Settings > Preferences.

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Finding your snapshots

Snapshots collect in the Images stack at the bottom of your meeting note, above chat. The stack shows as soon as snapshots are running, even before the first one. While they are running it says Capturing. The Images stack above the chat at the bottom of a meeting note, with a snapshot count and a Capturing status. Click the stack to expand it, then click a snapshot to open it full size. Hover a snapshot and press the x to remove it. The live meeting indicator also shows a snapshot icon while another app is in front. Hover it to see the snapshots so far. That panel says Taking snapshots, and Turn off for this meeting is at the bottom. The Taking snapshots panel beside the live meeting indicator, showing captured screens and Turn off for this meeting.

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Privacy

Granola snapshots the shared window or content, not your whole desktop or your other apps. If the presenter shares their entire desktop, everything they show is included. Snapshots are uploaded to Granola so they can be synced to your note. When snapshots start, Granola reminds you to get consent. The first few times, a card opens beside Taking snapshots. After that, a shorter reminder appears: Always get consent when taking snapshots of shared screens. Recording and screen capture laws vary depending on where you are.