How to Use Loom in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide
Loom is the leading async video messaging platform. Record your screen and camera simultaneously, share a link, and Loom automatically generates a transcript and AI summary. Used by 25 million people to replace meetings and written explanations.
Loom has become essential infrastructure for remote and async-first teams, replacing the types of meetings and email chains that are easier to show than write. The core idea: record once, share a link, let people watch (and re-watch) on their own schedule.
Screen + Camera Recording
Loom records your screen, webcam, or both simultaneously. The interface appears as a floating bubble while you work — click to start recording, explain what you're doing in context, click to stop. The recording is uploaded and a shareable link is generated instantly.
AI Transcription and Summary
Every Loom video is automatically transcribed. The AI generates a structured summary of the key points, action items, and decisions covered. Viewers can read the summary to decide if they need to watch, search the transcript to jump to specific moments, or copy action items directly.
Async Reactions and Comments
Viewers can leave timestamped comments and emoji reactions on specific moments in the video. This creates async conversation around the content — questions, clarifications, and decisions all recorded in context rather than scattered across Slack threads.
AI Features
Loom AI can auto-generate a title and description for each video, suggest follow-up tasks based on content, create a written document from the video transcript, and identify the most important moments for highlight reels.
Use Cases
Loom replaces: status update meetings (record instead of schedule), code reviews (walk through the PR with context), design feedback (annotate mockups while narrating), sales demos (personalized async pitches), customer onboarding (recorded product walkthroughs).
Pricing
Starter (free): 25 videos, 5 min limit. Business: $12.50/month per creator. Enterprise: custom pricing. Loom was acquired by Atlassian in 2023 and integrates deeply with Jira, Confluence, and the Atlassian suite.
What You'll Need
- A Loom account (free to create)
- A modern web browser or the Loom app
- Payment method for paid features
Getting Started
Create Your Account
Visit https://www.loom.com and sign up for a freemium account. You'll need an email address to register. A free tier is available — you can upgrade later for more features.
Start Your First Conversation
Once logged in, you'll see the main chat interface. Type a question or task in the input box and press Enter. Loom supports screen-recording, async-video, ai-transcription, ai-summaries, timestamped-comments, team-collaboration — start with a simple text prompt to get familiar.
Pro Tips
- Be specific: The more context you provide, the better the response. Instead of "write an email," try "write a professional follow-up email to a client who hasn't responded in two weeks."
- Iterate: If you don't get what you need, ask for clarification or refinement: "Make it shorter" or "Use a more formal tone."
- Use examples: Show Loom what format you want by including an example in your prompt.
- Save useful conversations: Most platforms let you name and revisit conversations — organize by project or topic.
Common Use Cases
Productivity
AI tools for task management, scheduling, summarization, and workflow optimization.
Browse Productivity chatbots →Troubleshooting
- Responses seem generic or unhelpful
- Add more context to your prompt. Specify the audience, tone, length, and format you need. Try starting over with a clearer description of your goal.
- The tool isn't responding or is slow
- AI chatbots can experience high traffic. Refresh the page and try again. Check the service's status page if issues persist.
- Output is too long or too short
- Explicitly specify the length: "in 100 words," "as a brief summary," or "in detail with examples."
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Loom free to use?
- Loom has a free tier. Paid plans start from $12.5/mo.
- Do I need an account to use Loom?
- Yes, you need to create an account to use Loom.
- What can I use Loom for?
- Loom is the leading async video messaging platform. Record your screen and camera simultaneously, share a link, and Loom automatically generates a transcript and AI summary. Used by 25 million people to replace meetings and written explanations.
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