Have you found Otter.ai unexpectedly joining your Microsoft Teams meetings, transcribing conversations, and perhaps even sharing notes without your explicit desire? While Otter.ai is a powerful tool for transcription and note-taking, its automatic integration with platforms like Microsoft Teams can sometimes be a source of privacy concerns or simply an unwanted feature.
Fret not! This comprehensive guide will walk you through the various methods to remove Otter.ai from your Microsoft Teams environment, whether you're an individual user or a Teams administrator. We'll cover everything from stopping automatic joins to revoking permissions and even completely deleting your Otter.ai account if needed.
Understanding Otter.ai's Presence in Microsoft Teams
Before we dive into the steps, it's important to understand how Otter.ai integrates with Microsoft Teams. Typically, Otter.ai's "OtterPilot" feature will automatically join meetings if your calendar is synced with Otter.ai and the auto-join setting is enabled. It appears as a guest participant and records the audio, then transcribes it. For organizations, Otter.ai might also be deployed as an enterprise application, giving it broader permissions.
This guide will address both individual user settings and, for administrators, broader organizational controls.
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| How To Remove Otter Ai From Microsoft Teams |
Step 1: Stop OtterPilot from Automatically Joining Your Meetings (Individual User Focus)
This is often the first and most effective step for individual users who want to prevent Otter.ai from showing up in their meetings.
Sub-heading: Accessing Otter.ai Account Settings
Open your web browser and navigate to the Otter.ai website:
https://otter.ai Sign in to your Otter.ai account. If you signed up using your Google or Microsoft account, you might be redirected to authenticate through those platforms.
Once logged in, look for your profile icon or initials (usually in the top right or left corner) and click on it.
From the dropdown menu, select "Account Settings".
Sub-heading: Disabling Auto-Join for Meetings
Within your Account Settings, look for a section related to "Meetings" or "AI Notetaker settings." This is where Otter.ai manages its integration with your calendar and meeting platforms.
Locate the setting for "Auto-join all meetings" or a similar option for OtterPilot.
Toggle this setting OFF. You might see an option like "Meetings I manually select" – choose this if you still want the option to invite Otter.ai manually to specific meetings.
Save your changes if there's a save button. Otter.ai settings often save automatically.
What this does: By disabling auto-join, Otter.ai will no longer automatically detect and join meetings from your synced calendar.
Step 2: Remove Otter.ai from a Live Microsoft Teams Meeting
If Otter.ai has already joined a meeting, you can remove it directly from within the Microsoft Teams meeting interface, provided you have the necessary permissions (usually as the meeting organizer or presenter).
QuickTip: Read step by step, not all at once.
Sub-heading: Removing OtterPilot as a Participant
During the live Microsoft Teams meeting, look for the "People" or "Participants" icon in the meeting controls (usually at the top or bottom of the screen).
Click on the "People" icon to open the participant list.
Find "OtterPilot" or a similar name in the list of participants. It will appear as a guest or external participant.
Hover over OtterPilot's name and click on the three dots (...) that appear next to it.
From the context menu, select "Remove participant" or "Remove from meeting."
Confirm your action if prompted.
What this does: This immediately expels Otter.ai from the current meeting, stopping any ongoing recording or transcription. However, it doesn't prevent Otter.ai from joining future meetings if the auto-join setting is still enabled in Otter.ai's settings.
Step 3: Disconnect Otter.ai from Your Microsoft Calendar (Revoking Calendar Access)
Otter.ai typically relies on calendar integration to know when to join meetings. Disconnecting your Microsoft calendar from Otter.ai is another crucial step.
Sub-heading: Managing Connected Apps in Otter.ai
Sign in to your Otter.ai account (if you're not already).
Navigate to "Account Settings".
Look for a section titled "Apps," "Integrations," or "Connect calendars & contacts."
You should see your connected Microsoft Calendar listed.
Click on the "Disconnect" or "Remove" button next to your Microsoft calendar account.
Confirm the disconnection.
What this does: This revokes Otter.ai's access to your Microsoft calendar, preventing it from seeing your meeting schedule and automatically joining.
Step 4: Remove Otter.ai as an Application from Microsoft Teams (Teams User/Admin)
While Otter.ai might primarily operate by syncing with your calendar, it can also be installed as an app directly within Microsoft Teams. Removing it as an app can further sever its ties.
Sub-heading: For Individual Microsoft Teams Users
Open your Microsoft Teams desktop application or web app.
On the left-hand navigation bar, click on "Apps".
In the "Apps" section, scroll down or use the search bar to find "Otter.ai" or "OtterPilot."
Right-click on the Otter.ai app icon.
Select "Uninstall" or "Remove."
Confirm the uninstallation if prompted.
Sub-heading: For Microsoft Teams Administrators (Organizational Control)
Tip: Context builds as you keep reading.
If you are a Microsoft 365 administrator, you have more granular control over which applications can be used within your organization's Teams environment. This is the most effective way to prevent Otter.ai from being used by anyone in your organization.
Log in to the Microsoft Teams admin center (https://www.google.com/search?q=admin.teams.microsoft.com).
In the left-hand navigation, expand "Teams apps" and select "Manage apps."
Use the search bar to find "Otter.ai."
Once found, click on the application name to open its details.
You'll see options to "Block" the app for your entire organization or manage user permissions. Choose to "Block" it.
You can also review "Permission policies" under "Teams apps" to ensure that Otter.ai is not allowed by any policies. If it is, modify the policy to block it.
What this does: This prevents users in your organization from installing or using the Otter.ai app within Microsoft Teams. Blocking it at the admin level is the most comprehensive solution for organizational control.
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Step 5: Revoke Otter.ai's Permissions in Your Microsoft Account (Advanced User/Admin)
Even if you disconnect your calendar and remove the app, Otter.ai might still have lingering permissions granted when you initially authorized it. Revoking these permissions directly from your Microsoft account is a good security practice.
Sub-heading: Accessing App Permissions in Microsoft
Open your web browser and go to your Microsoft account's privacy dashboard:
https://account.microsoft.com/privacy Sign in with the Microsoft account you used to integrate with Otter.ai.
On the privacy dashboard, look for "Apps and services that can access your data" or a similar section.
Find "Otter.ai" in the list of applications.
Click on "Remove these permissions" or a similar option next to Otter.ai.
Confirm the removal of permissions.
Sub-heading: For Azure Active Directory/Entra ID Administrators
For organizations, administrators can manage enterprise applications and their permissions directly in Azure Active Directory (now Microsoft Entra ID).
Log in to the Azure portal (portal.azure.com).
Navigate to "Azure Active Directory" (or "Microsoft Entra ID").
In the left-hand menu, select "Enterprise applications."
Search for "Otter.ai" in the list of applications.
Click on the Otter.ai application.
Review its permissions and granted access. You can choose to "Disable for users" or even "Delete" the enterprise application if it's no longer needed.
Consider implementing Conditional Access policies to block sign-in for the Otter.ai application for all users if you want to ensure it cannot be used.
What this does: This step completely severs any direct data access permissions Otter.ai might have been granted to your Microsoft account or organizational resources.
Step 6: Consider Deleting Your Otter.ai Account (Optional but Recommended for Full Disengagement)
If you no longer wish to use Otter.ai at all, the most thorough way to remove its presence is to delete your Otter.ai account entirely. Be aware that this is irreversible and will delete all your conversations and data stored on Otter.ai.
Sub-heading: Initiating Account Deletion in Otter.ai
Tip: Reread sections you didn’t fully grasp.
Sign in to your Otter.ai account.
Go to "Account Settings".
Under the "General" tab (or similar), scroll down to the very bottom.
You should find an option to "Delete account."
Click on it and follow the on-screen prompts, which will likely include confirming your password and understanding the consequences of deletion.
What this does: This permanently removes all your data and access from Otter.ai.
Related FAQ Questions
How to stop Otter.ai from auto-joining all my Microsoft Teams meetings?
You can stop Otter.ai from auto-joining by logging into your Otter.ai account, going to "Account Settings" > "Meetings" or "AI Notetaker settings," and disabling the "Auto-join all meetings" option.
How to remove Otter.ai if it's currently recording my Teams meeting?
During a live Teams meeting, open the "Participants" list, find "OtterPilot," click the three dots next to its name, and select "Remove participant."
How to disconnect my Microsoft calendar from Otter.ai?
Log in to Otter.ai, go to "Account Settings" > "Apps" or "Connect calendars & contacts," and click "Disconnect" next to your Microsoft calendar.
How to uninstall the Otter.ai app from Microsoft Teams?
In the Microsoft Teams desktop or web app, go to "Apps" on the left sidebar, find "Otter.ai," right-click on it, and select "Uninstall" or "Remove."
QuickTip: Repeat difficult lines until they’re clear.
How to block Otter.ai for my entire organization in Microsoft Teams?
As a Microsoft Teams administrator, go to the Microsoft Teams admin center, navigate to "Teams apps" > "Manage apps," search for "Otter.ai," and choose to "Block" the application.
How to revoke Otter.ai's permissions granted to my Microsoft account?
Visit your Microsoft account's privacy dashboard (
How to delete my entire Otter.ai account?
Log in to Otter.ai, go to "Account Settings" > "General," scroll to the bottom, and click "Delete account." Be aware this is permanent and irreversible.
How to prevent any AI transcription bot from joining my Teams meetings?
For a proactive approach, consider enabling "Waiting Room" settings in your Teams meetings and requiring authentication for participants. As an administrator, you can block specific domains or applications in the Microsoft Teams admin center and Azure AD.
How to check if Otter.ai still has access to my Microsoft Teams data after removal?
After performing the steps, regularly check your Otter.ai "Account Settings" for connected calendars/apps, and for administrators, monitor your Teams Admin Center and Azure AD "Enterprise applications" for any lingering Otter.ai entries or permissions.
How to get support if I'm still having trouble removing Otter.ai?
If you've followed these steps and are still facing issues, it's best to contact Otter.ai support directly through their help center on otter.ai, or if you're an organizational user, reach out to your IT administrator or Microsoft Support.
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