Zoom Data Retention Policy is Changing: Take action now to avoid losing your saved recordings.
As part of our ongoing efforts to support University-wide Zoom services and manage digital resources efficiently, please note the following updates to the Zoom data retention policy and take action now to avoid losing your saved recordings:
Zoom Meetings and Zoom Voice Recordings Retention
As of August 22, 2025, Zoom recordings older than 16 months will be deleted [Recordings prior to March 22, 2024].
For students, faculty, and staff, the retention period for Zoom Meetings and Zoom Voice recordings will be increased from 12 to 16 months from the date of creation. All recordings will be permanently deleted from Zoom and will be unavailable after this time.
For students, faculty, and staff who have left the university, Zoom accounts and recordings will continue to be permanently deleted 12 months after leaving.
Please take action now to download any recordings you wish to keep before they are removed.
Saving Zoom Files Locally
To retain recordings indefinitely, users have the option to save recordings on a local device. Please see instructions below.
Steps to Download Zoom Recording on Local Device
- Log into Zoom by following the link USC Zoom
- On the left-hand menu, select ‘Recordings & Transcripts’.
- For the video you would like to download, click on ‘…’ on the right side of the screen.
- Select ‘Download’ in the drop-down menu.
- Click ‘Download’ on the pop-up.
- Save downloaded files to your local device.
Support Information
If you have questions, please contact the ITS Customer Service Center at (213) 740-5555.