RibbonHow to take notes during a video call on a Mac
Make the call window small and put it beside your notes, rather than full screen. On macOS 15 and later, Fn⌃← on the notes and Fn⌃→ on the call gives you halves. Better still, give the call a narrow column and the notes the rest, so you can see faces and type in a full-width document.
1. Get the call out of full screen
Some calling apps open in full screen, or switch to it when someone shares their screen. Press ⌃⌘F (or use the app's own full-screen button) to leave it, so the call becomes an ordinary window you can resize.
2. Pick a call layout that works narrow
- Zoom and Teams: switch to speaker view, or a gallery with fewer tiles, so faces stay large in a small window.
- Google Meet: choose a layout with fewer tiles; in a narrow window, the person speaking stays visible.
A call window a third of the screen wide is usually plenty.
3. Put notes beside it
- Halves: Fn⌃← / → on macOS 15 and later. On a big monitor, fine.
- A third and two thirds: better on a laptop. macOS can't do thirds by itself; Rectangle, Raycast or a window manager can.
- Float the call: some calling apps can shrink into a small floating window while you work elsewhere; check the app's View menu or settings. Floating windows cover part of your notes, so this suits listening more than active note-taking. See keep a window on top.
4. Screen sharing without showing your notes
If you're presenting, share a window, not the whole screen. All the major apps offer this when you start sharing. Your notes stay private, and notifications don't appear on the share. Turning on Do Not Disturb (Control Center → Focus) during calls is a good habit either way.
5. On a laptop
A 13-inch screen with a call, notes and maybe an agenda or a doc being discussed is tight. A scrolling window manager suits this well. In Ribbon, every window is a column on a strip that scrolls sideways:
- Make the call window a quarter or a third wide (⌃⌥R cycles preset widths).
- Put your notes beside it, two thirds wide.
- The agenda, the doc being discussed or the chat go in columns further along. Swipe over to check something, then swipe back; the call and notes stay put and nothing covers the call.
Dialogs float on their own, and you can make any app always float in Ribbon's settings if you'd rather keep a call above the strip. Try the strip in the live demo; Ribbon is $9.99 once.
6. Notes apps that suit calls
- Apple Notes: quick, and it can record and transcribe audio on recent macOS versions in supported regions and languages. Ask everyone's permission before recording.
- Any plain document works: the point is that it's full height and easy to type in.
- Meeting-notes tools built into Zoom, Teams and Meet can summarise calls; check your organisation's policy first.
FAQ
How do I see Zoom and my notes at the same time on a Mac?
Leave full screen, make the Zoom window smaller, and put it beside your notes. On macOS 15 and later, Fn⌃ plus the arrow keys tiles them to halves.
How do I share my screen without showing my notes?
Share a single window instead of the entire screen when you start sharing.
Can I keep a video call on top of other windows?
Some calling apps have their own floating mini-window. macOS has no general always-on-top switch; putting the call beside your notes avoids the need.