The Definitive Guide to Switching Off Otter.ai: Taking Control of Your Conversations
Ever been in a meeting and suddenly see "Otter.ai" pop up as a participant, busily transcribing every word? While Otter.ai is a fantastic tool for many, providing real-time transcripts and summaries, there are times you might want it to not be there. Perhaps you're discussing sensitive information, or simply prefer to take notes the old-fashioned way. Whatever your reason, gaining control over Otter.ai's presence in your virtual meetings is crucial.
Ready to reclaim your meeting privacy and stop Otter.ai from listening in? Let's dive in! This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step to ensure Otter.ai is switched off exactly when and how you want it.
Step 1: Identify the Otter.ai Source – Is it You or Someone Else?
Before we even touch any settings, the first and most crucial step is to figure out why Otter.ai is joining your meetings. Is it your own account that's configured to auto-join, or is a colleague or external participant using it? This dictates the primary approach you'll need to take.
Self-Assessment:
Did you set up Otter.ai to integrate with your calendar (Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, etc.)?
Are you the meeting host, and is Otter.ai showing up even when you haven't invited it?
Do you use Otter.ai regularly for your own transcription needs?
If the answer to any of these is "yes," then you'll likely be managing the settings within your own Otter.ai account. If "no," it's probably an external participant, and we'll cover strategies for that too.
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| How To Switch Off Otter Ai |
Step 2: Stopping Otter.ai from Auto-Joining Your Meetings (For Otter.ai Users)
This is the most common scenario: you have an Otter.ai account, and it's automatically joining your scheduled calls. Let's put a stop to that!
Sub-heading 2.1: Disabling Auto-Join via Otter.ai Settings
This is your primary control panel for Otter.ai's auto-joining behavior.
Log in to your Otter.ai account:
Open your web browser and go to
otter.ai Enter your credentials and sign in.
Navigate to Account Settings:
Once logged in, look for your profile picture or name in the upper corner (usually top left or right).
Click on it, and from the dropdown menu, select "Account Settings."
Access Meeting Settings (OtterPilot/Notetaker):
Within Account Settings, you'll see various tabs. Click on the "Meetings" tab (it might also be labeled "OtterPilot" or "Notetaker").
Toggle Off Auto-Join:
Look for a section related to "Auto-join meetings" or "OtterPilot auto-join."
You'll typically find a toggle switch labeled "Auto-join all meetings."
Click this toggle to turn it OFF.
Confirm the Action:
Otter.ai might display a pop-up confirming that turning off auto-join will affect a certain number of your upcoming meetings.
Read this carefully and then select "Yes, turn them off" to confirm.
Result: Otter.ai will no longer automatically join your synced calendar events. Remember, if you previously manually toggled auto-join on/off for specific events, those individual settings might retain their state. It's always a good idea to review your calendar.
Tip: Revisit challenging parts.
Sub-heading 2.2: Managing Auto-Share Settings (Privacy Control)
Even if Otter.ai joins a meeting, you might want to control who sees the notes. This is where auto-share settings come in.
Access Meeting Settings (Same as above):
From your Otter.ai homepage, click the gear settings icon on the upper corner of the calendar. This will take you to your Account Settings > Meetings page.
Locate Default Audience for Shared Notes:
Find the dropdown menu next to "Default audience for shared notes."
Select "Don't Share - keep my notes private":
Change this setting to prevent notes from being automatically shared.
Note: This change won't affect events where you've manually set auto-share. You'll need to review those individual meetings on your homepage calendar to adjust their sharing settings if needed.
Sub-heading 2.3: Removing Otter.ai from a Live Meeting
Sometimes, Otter.ai might already be in a meeting you're in, and you need it gone immediately.
From the Otter.ai Home Page:
On the right side of your Otter.ai homepage, navigate to the "Calendar" section.
You should see the current live OtterPilot recording displayed.
Click the "Stop recording" button.
Confirm by clicking "Yes, turn it off."
From Conversation Controls (within Otter.ai):
Go to "My Conversations" and select the conversation that is currently being recorded by OtterPilot.
In the control playback bar, click "Stop OtterPilot."
Confirm the removal.
From the Video Conferencing Platform (if you are the host/presenter):
Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams: If you have host or presenter permissions, you can directly remove Otter.ai from the participant list.
During the meeting, find "Otter.ai" or "OtterPilot" in the participant list.
Use the meeting controls (usually hovering over their name and looking for a "Remove" or "Kick" option) to remove them from the meeting.
Step 3: Blocking Otter.ai from Joining Meetings (For Non-Otter.ai Users or Team-Wide Control)
What if you don't use Otter.ai, but it keeps showing up because someone else is using it, or you want to implement a broader block for your organization?
Sub-heading 3.1: Revoking Permissions in Video Conferencing Platforms
Otter.ai often integrates with platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. You can remove these connections.
For Zoom:
As an Admin (Recommended for organizations):
Sign in to your Zoom account on the web at
marketplace.zoom.us Click "Manage" in the upper right corner.
Select "Admin App Management" > "Apps on Account."
Find Otter.ai in the list of installed apps.
Click on Otter.ai, then click "Manage App."
From here, you should be able to disable or remove the app.
For Individual Users (If you linked it):
Sign in to your Zoom account on a web browser.
Go to "Settings" or "Profile".
Look for sections related to "Integrations," "Connected Apps," or "Third-Party Apps."
Find Otter.ai and revoke its access or disconnect it.
Tip: Reading carefully reduces re-reading.
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For Google Meet:
Otter.ai usually connects via Google Calendar or a Chrome extension.
Via Google Calendar:
Open Google Calendar.
Click on the gear icon (Settings) and select "Settings."
Navigate to the "Event settings" section.
Look for Otter.ai under "Conferencing providers" and remove it.
Via Chrome Extension:
Open Google Chrome.
Type
chrome://extensionsin your address bar and press Enter.Find Otter.ai in the list of extensions.
Click "Remove" or toggle it off. Confirm in the pop-up.
For Microsoft Teams:
Uninstalling the App from Teams (Individual User):
Open Microsoft Teams.
Go to the "Apps" tab on the left sidebar.
Find Otter.ai in the list of installed apps.
Click "More options" (three dots) next to Otter.ai.
Select "Uninstall" to remove the bot from your Teams environment.
Blocking Otter.ai in Teams Admin Center (For IT Admins):
Log in to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center.
Navigate to "Teams apps" > "Permission policies."
You can create or modify a policy to block Otter.ai. Ensure you also disable the option for users to add new apps.
Disable Anonymous Join: Go to "Meetings" > "Meeting policies" and set "Allow anonymous users to join meetings" to Off. This is effective because Otter.ai bots often join as anonymous users.
Configure Lobby Settings: Set up a lobby for meetings where all participants must be admitted manually. This gives you control over who enters.
Block Domains: Under "Users" > "External access," consider blocking the
otter.aidomain.
Sub-heading 3.2: Account Deletion (The Nuclear Option)
If you no longer wish to use Otter.ai at all and want to ensure no data is retained, deleting your account is the most complete solution.
Sign in to your Otter.ai account at
otter.ai Click on your name/profile in the upper corner.
Select "Account Settings."
Navigate to the "General" tab.
Scroll to the very bottom and select the option "Delete Account."
You will likely be prompted to enter your password to verify your identity.
Click "Verify and continue" or a similar confirmation button.
Read any final messages about data deletion and confirm to permanently remove your account.
Important: Deleting your account from Otter.ai does not automatically revoke its permissions from your connected apps (like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365). You may still need to go into your connected app's settings (e.g., Google's "Connected apps & sites," or Microsoft's Defender for Cloud Apps/Azure AD Enterprise Applications) and remove Otter.ai's access manually.
Step 4: Confirm It's Gone – The Test Meeting
After implementing any of the above steps, it's a good idea to perform a quick test to ensure Otter.ai is no longer showing up.
Schedule a short test meeting: It doesn't need to be complex or involve many people.
Observe the participant list: When the meeting starts, carefully check the participant list. Does "Otter.ai," "OtterPilot," or any similar AI notetaker appear?
Check for notifications: Are there any pop-ups or chat messages indicating a recording or transcription is in progress by Otter.ai?
If you see no signs of Otter.ai, congratulations! You've successfully switched it off. If it's still there, re-visit the relevant steps, ensuring you've covered all potential integration points.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Tip: Take your time with each sentence.
Here are 10 common questions about turning off Otter.ai, with quick answers to guide you.
How to stop Otter.ai from automatically joining all my meetings?
Go to your Otter.ai Account Settings > Meetings, and toggle off the "Auto-join all meetings" option under the OtterPilot section.
How to remove Otter.ai from a live Zoom meeting?
If you're the host, locate "Otter.ai" in the participant list within Zoom and use the meeting controls to remove them. You can also stop the recording from your Otter.ai homepage under the Calendar section.
How to prevent Otter.ai from joining my Google Meet calls?
Check your Google Calendar settings for "Conferencing providers" and remove Otter.ai. Also, disable or remove any Otter.ai Chrome extensions.
How to uninstall Otter.ai from Microsoft Teams?
In Microsoft Teams, go to the "Apps" tab, find Otter.ai, click the three dots for "More options," and select "Uninstall."
Reminder: Reading twice often makes things clearer.
How to ensure Otter.ai doesn't share my meeting notes with others?
In your Otter.ai Account Settings > Meetings, set "Default audience for shared notes" to "Don't Share - keep my notes private."
How to permanently delete my Otter.ai account and all associated data?
Log into your Otter.ai account, go to Account Settings > General, and select "Delete Account." Follow the prompts for verification.
How to stop Otter.ai from sending pre-recording emails to participants?
Within your Otter.ai Account Settings > Meetings, look for and disable the setting related to "Send pre-recording emails."
How to block Otter.ai at an organizational level (for IT admins)?
IT administrators can block Otter.ai via the Zoom Marketplace, Google Workspace admin console, or Microsoft Teams Admin Center by revoking app permissions, blocking domains, and controlling anonymous user access.
How to identify if someone else is using Otter.ai in my meeting?
Otter.ai typically appears as a participant in the meeting list, often named "Otter.ai," "OtterPilot," or similar. There might also be in-meeting notifications about transcription.
How to manage Otter.ai's chat messages during a meeting (e.g., live transcript links)?
In your Otter.ai Account Settings > Meetings, find the "Notetaker chat messages" section. You can toggle off options like "Send live transcript and summary" or "Send Otter Chat Q&A."
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