How to Deactivate Otter.ai from Microsoft Teams: A Comprehensive Guide
Are you finding Otter.ai automatically joining your Microsoft Teams meetings, transcribing conversations you'd rather keep private, or simply no longer need its services? You're not alone! While Otter.ai is a powerful tool for transcription and note-taking, there comes a time when you might want to disconnect it from your Microsoft Teams environment. This lengthy guide will walk you through every step to ensure Otter.ai is deactivated and no longer a part of your Teams meetings.
Ready to reclaim control over your meeting privacy and digital workspace? Let's dive in!
Step 1: Identify the Source of Otter.ai's Presence
Before you can effectively deactivate Otter.ai, it's crucial to understand how it's integrated with your Teams account. Is it an app you personally installed, or is it an organization-wide deployment? This initial assessment will help you choose the most effective deactivation path.
 |
| How To Deactivate Otter Ai From Teams |
Sub-heading: Personal vs. Organizational Integration
Personal Integration: This is the most common scenario where you or a colleague individually connected Otter.ai to your Microsoft Teams or calendar. Otter.ai's "OtterPilot" feature, designed to auto-join meetings, is often enabled through calendar synchronization.
Organizational Integration: In some corporate or educational environments, IT administrators might have deployed Otter.ai as an enterprise application across the entire organization. In such cases, you might have limited personal control, and administrative intervention will be necessary.
Take a moment to consider which scenario applies to you. This will directly impact the steps you need to take.
Step 2: Stop Otter.ai from Auto-Joining Future Meetings (Most Common Method)
This is often the primary reason users want to deactivate Otter.ai – to prevent it from automatically joining every meeting. This step focuses on disabling OtterPilot's auto-join functionality within your Otter.ai account settings.
Sub-heading: Accessing Otter.ai Account Settings
Sign in to your Otter.ai account. Open your web browser and go to the Otter.ai website (otter.ai). Log in with your credentials. If you signed up using your Google or Microsoft account, use those options to log in.
Navigate to Account Settings. Once logged in, look for your profile icon (usually in the top left or top right corner). Click on it, and from the dropdown menu, select "Account Settings".
Sub-heading: Disabling OtterPilot's Auto-Join
Go to the "Meetings" Tab. Within your Account Settings, you'll see various tabs. Click on the tab labeled "Meetings". This section specifically manages how Otter.ai interacts with your calendar and meetings.
Locate the "OtterPilot" Section. Scroll down within the "Meetings" tab until you find the "OtterPilot" section.
Toggle Off "Auto-join all meetings". You'll see an option like "Auto-join all meetings" or similar. Toggle this switch to the OFF position.
Important Note: Otter.ai may present a pop-up confirming how many upcoming meetings OtterPilot is scheduled to join automatically. Review this carefully and then select "Yes, turn them off" to confirm your decision.
Review your Calendar Events. After toggling off auto-join, it's a good practice to quickly review your Otter.ai homepage calendar. This will give you a visual confirmation that OtterPilot is no longer scheduled to join your upcoming meetings.
By completing this step, Otter.ai should no longer automatically join any of your future Microsoft Teams meetings (or other synced calendar events).
Step 3: Disconnect Your Calendar from Otter.ai
Tip: Don’t skip — flow matters.
Even after disabling auto-join, Otter.ai might still have a connection to your calendar. Disconnecting this link ensures complete separation.
Sub-heading: Removing Calendar Integration
Return to Account Settings. If you're not already there, go back to your Otter.ai "Account Settings".
Go to the "Apps" Tab. Within Account Settings, look for and click on the "Apps" tab (or "Integrations," depending on Otter.ai's current interface).
Locate "Connect calendars & contacts". Scroll down to find the section related to connecting calendars and contacts.
Click "Disconnect" next to your Microsoft Calendar. You should see your connected Microsoft calendar listed. Click the "Disconnect" button next to it.
This action will stop all future calendar events from syncing to Otter.ai, further reducing its presence in your workflow.
Step 4: Remove Otter.ai from Active Meetings (If Currently Running)
If Otter.ai is currently transcribing a live Teams meeting, you can remove it directly from that meeting. This is similar to removing any other participant.
Sub-heading: Removing OtterPilot as a Participant
Open your Microsoft Teams Meeting.
Access the Participants List. In your Teams meeting window, click on the "People" icon (or "Show participants") to open the participants pane.
Locate "Otter.ai" or "OtterPilot". Look for a participant named "Otter.ai," "OtterPilot," or something similar in the list.
Remove the Participant.
Hover your mouse over the Otter.ai participant.
Click on the "..." (More options) button that appears next to their name.
Select "Remove" or "Remove from meeting".
Confirm Removal. You may get a confirmation prompt; confirm that you wish to remove Otter.ai.
This will immediately stop Otter.ai from recording and transcribing the current meeting.
Step 5: Managing Otter.ai as an Application within Microsoft Teams (For Individual Users)
While Otter.ai primarily operates through its web application and calendar integration, it might appear in your Teams' "Apps" section. It's good practice to check and manage it there.
Sub-heading: Uninstalling from Teams Apps
Open Microsoft Teams Desktop Application or Web App.
Go to "Apps" on the Left Sidebar. In the left-hand navigation pane of Teams, click on "Apps".
Manage Your Apps. At the top of the Apps section, you might see "Your apps" or "Manage your apps." Click on this.
Search for Otter.ai. Use the search bar to find "Otter.ai" or "Otter."
Uninstall or Remove. If Otter.ai appears in your list of installed apps:
Click on the "..." (More options) icon next to Otter.ai.
Select "Uninstall" or "Remove".
Confirm the removal if prompted.
Restart Teams. It's often a good idea to restart your Microsoft Teams application after making such changes to ensure they take full effect.
This step addresses any direct app installation within your personal Teams client.
Step 6: For Organization-Wide Control (Admin Level)
If you are an IT administrator or suspect Otter.ai was deployed at an organizational level, additional steps are required within the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and Azure Active Directory (now Microsoft Entra ID). Please note: These steps should only be performed by individuals with appropriate administrative permissions.
QuickTip: Slow scrolling helps comprehension.
Sub-heading: Blocking Otter.ai in Microsoft Teams Admin Center
Access Teams Admin Center. Go to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center (https://www.google.com/search?q=admin.teams.microsoft.com) and log in with your admin credentials.
Navigate to "Teams apps" > "Manage apps".
Search for Otter.ai. Use the search function to find the "Otter.ai" application.
Block the App. Select Otter.ai from the list. You should find an option to "Block" the app. This prevents users in your organization from installing or using it.
Sub-heading: Managing Otter.ai in Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)
Otter.ai, especially its auto-joining functionality, often leverages OAuth permissions granted in Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory). This is a critical place to check for organization-wide removal.
Access Microsoft Entra admin center. Go to portal.azure.com and navigate to Microsoft Entra ID.
Go to "Enterprise applications". In the left-hand menu, under "Manage", click on "Enterprise applications".
Search for Otter.ai. Use the search bar to find "Otter.ai" or "Otter."
Review and Disable/Delete.
Click on the "Otter.ai" application.
Go to "Properties". You may find an option like "Enabled for users to sign-in?". Toggle this off.
You can also review the "Users and groups" section to see which users have consented to this application. You might be able to remove specific users or delete the application entirely if it's no longer needed and causes issues.
Blocking the app in both Teams Admin Center and disabling/removing its enterprise application in Entra ID provides the most comprehensive organizational control.
Step 7: Delete Your Otter.ai Account (Optional, but Recommended for Full Disengagement)
If you no longer plan to use Otter.ai at all, deleting your account is the most definitive way to ensure full deactivation and data removal.
Sub-heading: Steps to Delete Your Otter.ai Account
Sign in to Otter.ai. Go to otter.ai and log in.
Access Account Settings. Click on your profile icon and select "Account Settings".
Go to the "General" Tab. Within Account Settings, click on the "General" tab.
Locate "Delete account". Scroll down to the very bottom of the "General" tab. You should see a section or button labeled "Delete account".
Enter Your Password and Confirm. To proceed, you'll likely need to enter your Otter.ai password (or authenticate via Google/Microsoft if that's how you signed up). Carefully review any pop-up warnings about data deletion, and then confirm your decision to delete the account.
Important Considerations:
Data Loss: Deleting your account will permanently remove all your conversations, notes, and data from Otter.ai. Ensure you've exported any important information before proceeding.
Subscriptions: If you have an active paid subscription, you might need to cancel it first before you can delete your account. Check your "Plan" section within Account Settings for details.
Workspaces: If you are part of an Otter.ai Workspace with other members, you may need to remove yourself from the Workspace or have the Workspace owner delete the Workspace before you can delete your individual account.
Deleting your account provides the highest level of deactivation and data privacy from Otter.ai.
Step 8: Clear Browser Extensions (If Applicable)
If you've ever installed an Otter.ai browser extension (e.g., for Chrome), it's wise to remove it to prevent any lingering connections or accidental activations.
Sub-heading: Removing Browser Extensions
Open your web browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Firefox).
Access Extensions/Add-ons.
Chrome: Click the puzzle piece icon (Extensions) in the toolbar, then "Manage extensions."
Edge: Click the three dots (...), then "Extensions."
Firefox: Click the three lines (hamburger menu), then "Add-ons and themes."
Locate Otter.ai Extension. Find "Otter.ai" in your list of installed extensions.
Remove or Disable. Click the "Remove" or "Uninstall" button next to the Otter.ai extension. You can also temporarily "Disable" it if you prefer not to uninstall completely.
This ensures no browser-based Otter.ai components are attempting to interact with your Teams meetings.
Tip: A slow, careful read can save re-reading later.
Step 9: Verify Deactivation
After following these steps, take a moment to verify that Otter.ai is no longer interfering with your Microsoft Teams meetings.
Sub-heading: Confirmation Steps
Schedule a Test Meeting: Create a short, informal Microsoft Teams meeting.
Observe:
Does Otter.ai (or OtterPilot) automatically join the meeting?
Are there any chat messages from Otter.ai?
Is there an Otter.ai participant in the participants list?
Check Your Otter.ai Calendar: Log back into your Otter.ai account and check your calendar to ensure no upcoming Teams meetings are scheduled for OtterPilot to join.
If Otter.ai is still appearing, re-trace your steps, especially focusing on the Otter.ai account settings and, if applicable, your organization's administrative controls.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Deactivating Otter.ai from Teams
Here are 10 common questions related to deactivating Otter.ai from Microsoft Teams, along with quick answers:
How to stop Otter.ai from joining all my future Teams meetings?
You can stop Otter.ai from automatically joining future meetings by signing into your Otter.ai account, going to Account Settings > Meetings, and toggling off "Auto-join all meetings" under the "OtterPilot" section.
How to remove Otter.ai from a live Microsoft Teams meeting?
During a live Teams meeting, open the "People" (participants) pane, locate "Otter.ai" or "OtterPilot" in the list, click the "..." (More options) next to it, and select "Remove from meeting."
How to disconnect my calendar from Otter.ai?
Log into your Otter.ai account, navigate to Account Settings > Apps, find the "Connect calendars & contacts" section, and click "Disconnect" next to your Microsoft calendar.
How to uninstall the Otter.ai app from Microsoft Teams?
QuickTip: Reread for hidden meaning.
Open the Microsoft Teams desktop or web app, go to "Apps" on the left sidebar, click "Manage your apps," search for "Otter.ai," click "..." (More options), and select "Uninstall" or "Remove."
How to prevent Otter.ai from being used by anyone in my organization on Teams?
A Microsoft 365 administrator can go to the Teams Admin Center (Teams apps > Manage apps), find "Otter.ai," and block the application. They should also check Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) under "Enterprise applications" to disable or remove the Otter.ai application there.
How to delete my Otter.ai account entirely?
To permanently delete your Otter.ai account, sign in to Otter.ai, go to Account Settings > General, scroll down to "Delete account," and follow the prompts, including entering your password and confirming the deletion. Remember to export any necessary data first.
How to check if Otter.ai is still connected to my Teams calendar?
After disconnecting, log into your Otter.ai account and go to the "Home" page or "Calendar" view. If your calendar is no longer syncing, you won't see upcoming Teams meetings listed for OtterPilot.
How to remove an Otter.ai browser extension?
Open your web browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge), go to its extensions/add-ons management page (usually found via a puzzle piece icon or browser menu), locate the "Otter.ai" extension, and choose to "Remove" or "Uninstall" it.
How to ensure all my Otter.ai data is gone after deactivation?
The most comprehensive way to ensure data removal is to fully delete your Otter.ai account (Step 7). Simply stopping auto-join or disconnecting the calendar will not delete existing transcripts.
How to get help if I'm still having issues deactivating Otter.ai?
If you've followed these steps and are still experiencing issues, contact Otter.ai support directly via their help center (help.otter.ai) or, if it's an organizational deployment, reach out to your IT administrator.
 |
