How to Stop Otter.ai in Zoom: Your Comprehensive Guide
Have you ever joined a Zoom meeting, only to realize Otter.ai has silently slipped in, diligently transcribing every word? While Otter.ai can be an incredibly useful tool for meeting notes and accessibility, there are times you might want to stop it from recording your Zoom calls, whether for privacy concerns, a casual chat, or simply because you prefer to take your own notes.
Ever found yourself in that situation, wondering how to politely (or not-so-politely) show Otter.ai the digital exit door? You're not alone! This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step to ensure Otter.ai doesn't overstay its welcome in your Zoom meetings, both in the moment and for all future interactions.
Let's dive in and regain control of your meeting privacy!
Step 1: Identify and Remove Otter.ai from a Live Zoom Meeting
The most immediate concern is often stopping Otter.ai right now in a meeting that's already in progress. There are a few ways to do this, depending on your role in the meeting (host or participant) and where you prefer to take action.
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| How To Stop Otter Ai In Zoom |
Sub-heading 1.1: Removing Otter.ai as the Zoom Host/Co-Host
If you are the host or a co-host of the Zoom meeting, you have the most direct control over participants, including any bots like Otter.ai.
Access the Participants Panel: In your active Zoom meeting, locate the "Participants" button in the bottom toolbar. Click on it to open the participants panel on the right side of your screen.
Locate Otter.ai: Scroll through the list of participants. Otter.ai will typically appear as "Otter.ai Notetaker" or similar.
Remove the Participant:
Hover your mouse over "Otter.ai Notetaker."
Click on the "More" button that appears next to its name.
From the dropdown menu, select "Remove."
A confirmation prompt will appear. Click "Remove" again to confirm.
Otter.ai will then be disconnected from your current Zoom meeting.
Sub-heading 1.2: Stopping Otter.ai from the Otter.ai Web Portal or App (If You Own the Otter Account)
If you are the owner of the Otter.ai account that is joining the meeting, you can stop the recording directly from the Otter.ai platform. This is particularly useful if you manually started the recording or if OtterPilot auto-joined based on your calendar.
Go to Otter.ai: Open your web browser and navigate to
otter.ai Navigate to Live Conversations/Calendar:
From the Home Page Calendar: On the right side of the Otter.ai homepage, you'll see a calendar section. If Otter.ai is currently recording a live meeting, it will be displayed here. Look for the live recording indicator.
From "My Conversations": Alternatively, go to the "My Conversations" section in the Otter.ai app. Locate the conversation that is currently recording (it will have a "LIVE" or recording indicator).
Stop the Recording: Click the "Stop Recording" button associated with the live conversation. You may be asked to confirm.
Otter.ai will immediately stop transcribing and leave the Zoom meeting.
QuickTip: A quick skim can reveal the main idea fast.
Sub-heading 1.3: What if you're a Participant and Can't Remove Otter.ai?
If you are a participant and not the host, you won't have the "Remove" option for other participants in Zoom. In this scenario, your best course of action is to:
Politely ask the meeting host to remove "Otter.ai Notetaker" from the participant list. Explain your reasons if you feel comfortable doing so.
If you know who enabled Otter.ai, you can also message them directly and ask them to stop the recording from their Otter.ai account.
Step 2: Prevent Otter.ai from Joining Future Zoom Meetings
Removing Otter.ai from a single meeting is a quick fix, but to ensure it doesn't automatically join your future calls, you need to adjust your settings in Otter.ai.
Sub-heading 2.1: Disabling OtterPilot Auto-Join for All Meetings
This is the most common and effective way to stop Otter.ai from automatically joining your Zoom meetings.
Log in to Otter.ai: Go to
otter.ai Access Account Settings:
Click on your profile icon or name in the top-left corner (or sometimes bottom-left, depending on the interface).
From the dropdown menu, select "Account Settings."
Go to Meeting Settings: In the Account Settings menu, look for and click on the "Meetings" tab.
Disable OtterPilot:
Scroll down to the "OtterPilot" or "Otter Assistant" section.
Find the option that says "Auto-join all meetings" or "Automatically add Otter Notetaker to your meetings."
Toggle this setting OFF (it should turn from green/blue to grey).
A pop-up might appear asking you to confirm or showing how many upcoming meetings Otter.ai was scheduled to join. Confirm by selecting "Yes, turn them off."
Your settings are usually saved automatically. Otter.ai will no longer automatically join your scheduled Zoom meetings based on your synced calendar.
Sub-heading 2.2: Managing Manual Meeting Selections
Even if you disable auto-join, you might still have Otter.ai manually set to join specific meetings. It's good practice to review these.
In Otter.ai, navigate to Account Settings > Meetings (as in Step 2.1).
Review Meeting Join Preferences: Look for options related to "Meetings I manually select" or similar. Ensure that this is set to your preference (e.g., only joining meetings you explicitly add it to).
Check Your Calendar Events: On the Otter.ai homepage, in the calendar section, you can often see which individual events have Otter.ai manually toggled on. Review these to ensure Otter.ai is off for meetings you don't want it in.
Step 3: Advanced Prevention Measures within Zoom
While Otter.ai's settings are key, there are also steps you can take within your Zoom account to add extra layers of protection against unwanted AI bots, including Otter.ai. These are especially useful for hosts managing privacy for multiple participants.
QuickTip: Use CTRL + F to search for keywords quickly.
Sub-heading 3.1: Utilizing Zoom's Waiting Room Feature
The Waiting Room is a powerful tool to control who enters your meeting.
Sign in to Zoom Web Portal: Go to
zoom.us Navigate to Settings: On the left navigation menu, click "Settings."
Enable Waiting Room:
Go to the "Meeting" tab, and then select "Security."
Find the "Waiting Room" option and toggle it ON.
You can also customize who goes into the waiting room (e.g., "All participants" or "Users who are not in your account").
With the Waiting Room enabled, you will explicitly approve or deny entry to every participant, including Otter.ai bots.
Sub-heading 3.2: Allowing Only Authenticated Users
This setting restricts participants to those who are signed in to a Zoom account.
Sign in to Zoom Web Portal: (As in Step 3.1)
Navigate to Settings: (As in Step 3.1)
Enable Authenticated Users Only:
Go to the "Meeting" tab, and then select "Security."
Find the option "Only authenticated meeting participants can join meetings" and toggle it ON.
This can help prevent generic bots from joining, though Otter.ai often has a legitimate "account" it uses.
Sub-heading 3.3: Blocking Specific Domains
For persistent issues with specific AI bots, you can block their domains from joining your meetings.
Sign in to Zoom Web Portal: (As in Step 3.1)
Navigate to Settings: (As in Step 3.1)
Block Domains:
Go to the "Meeting" tab, and then select "Security."
Look for "Block users in specific domains from joining meetings and webinars."
Toggle this ON.
Click the pencil icon to edit the list.
Add
otter.ai(and any other known AI bot domains likefireflies.ai,read.ai, etc.) to the block list.Click "Save."
Be aware that AI bot vendors may use multiple or alternate domains, so this might not be foolproof, but it's a good line of defense.
Step 4: Review Browser Extensions and Zoom App Updates
Sometimes, integrations can linger or behave unexpectedly if not properly updated or managed.
Sub-heading 4.1: Check Your Browser Extensions
QuickTip: Focus more on the ‘how’ than the ‘what’.
If you've ever used an Otter.ai browser extension for quick access or specific features, it's worth checking its status.
Open your browser's extension manager:
For Chrome: Go to
chrome://extensionsFor Firefox: Go to
about:addonsFor Edge: Go to
edge://extensions
Locate any Otter.ai extensions:
Disable or Remove: If you find one, disable it or remove it completely if you no longer need it.
This ensures no background processes from an extension are inadvertently triggering Otter.ai.
Sub-heading 4.2: Update Your Zoom Application
Keeping your Zoom application up-to-date is crucial for optimal performance and security, and it can also resolve issues with lingering integrations.
Open your Zoom desktop client.
Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner.
Select "Check for Updates."
If an update is available, follow the prompts to install it.
Newer versions of Zoom often include enhanced security features and better control over third-party integrations.
Step 5: The "Restart Everything" Approach (The Classic Fix)
When all else fails, the trusty "turn it off and on again" method can sometimes work wonders.
Close all Zoom windows and applications.
Close all Otter.ai browser tabs and applications.
Restart your computer.
This can clear any temporary glitches or lingering processes that might be causing Otter.ai to join unwanted meetings.
FAQ: How to Stop Otter.ai in Zoom
Here are 10 related FAQ questions with quick answers to help you troubleshoot common issues and gain full control over Otter.ai's presence in your Zoom meetings.
How to remove Otter.ai from a live Zoom meeting as the host?
Go to the "Participants" panel in Zoom, find "Otter.ai Notetaker," click "More," and then select "Remove."
How to stop Otter.ai from automatically joining all my future Zoom meetings?
Tip: Every word counts — don’t skip too much.
Log in to Otter.ai, go to "Account Settings" > "Meetings," and toggle off "Auto-join all meetings" or "Automatically add Otter Notetaker."
How to stop Otter.ai if I'm a participant and not the host?
Politely ask the meeting host to remove "Otter.ai Notetaker" from the participants list.
How to check if Otter.ai is integrated with my Zoom account?
Log in to your Otter.ai account, go to "Account Settings" > "Meetings," and look for options related to Zoom integration or calendar syncing.
How to disable Otter.ai chat messages during a Zoom meeting?
In Otter.ai, navigate to "Account Settings" > "Meetings." Under "Notetaker chat messages," toggle off options like "Send live transcript and summary" and "Send Otter Chat Q&A."
How to use Zoom's Waiting Room to prevent unwanted bots?
Sign in to your Zoom web portal, go to "Settings" > "Meeting" > "Security," and enable the "Waiting Room" feature.
How to block specific domains like Otter.ai from joining Zoom meetings?
In your Zoom web portal, go to "Settings" > "Meeting" > "Security," enable "Block users in specific domains from joining meetings," and add
otter.aito the blocked list.
How to ensure no lingering Otter.ai browser extensions are active?
Go to your web browser's extension manager (e.g.,
chrome://extensions), locate any Otter.ai extensions, and disable or remove them.
How to check for and install Zoom updates?
Open your Zoom desktop client, click your profile picture, and select "Check for Updates" to ensure you have the latest version.
How to manually add Otter.ai to a specific Zoom meeting after disabling auto-join?
Even with auto-join off, you can often manually invite Otter.ai to a meeting by going to your Otter.ai dashboard and selecting the specific meeting from your synced calendar to record.
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