Is Otter.ai's omnipresence in your Microsoft Teams meetings starting to feel less like a helpful assistant and more like an uninvited guest? Many users appreciate the transcription and summary features, but there comes a time when you might want to reclaim your meeting privacy or simply streamline your workflow. Perhaps you're using Microsoft's native transcription, or you just prefer a distraction-free environment. Whatever your reasons, getting rid of Otter.ai on Teams can seem a bit daunting at first, but with this detailed guide, you'll be able to manage its presence effectively.
Let's dive in and take back control of your meeting experience!
The Persistent Otter: Understanding How it Integrates
Before we jump into the removal process, it's crucial to understand how Otter.ai typically integrates with Microsoft Teams. Otter.ai, particularly its "OtterPilot" feature, often connects through your calendar (Outlook) and then automatically joins scheduled meetings. It can also appear as a bot in a Teams channel or be manually invited to a meeting. This multi-faceted integration means you might need to tackle its removal from a few different angles.
 |
| How To Get Rid Of Otter Ai On Teams |
Step 1: Discovering the Otter Within Your Teams Ecosystem
Ready to start the hunt? The first step is to identify how Otter.ai is currently interacting with your Microsoft Teams. Is it automatically joining all your meetings? Is it only present in specific channels? Or did you manually invite it once, and now it won't leave?
Sub-heading: Checking Your Calendar Integration
Otter.ai often integrates by linking to your calendar. This allows OtterPilot to "see" your scheduled meetings and automatically join them.
Log in to your Otter.ai account: Open your web browser and go to
https://otter.ai. Make sure you're logged into the account associated with your Teams calendar.Navigate to Account Settings: Look for your profile icon (usually in the top right or left corner) and click on it. From the dropdown menu, select Account Settings.
Find "Meetings" or "AI Notetaker" Settings: Within Account Settings, you'll typically find a section related to "Meetings," "AI Notetaker," or "Calendar Integration." This is where Otter controls its auto-join behavior.
Review Auto-Join Preferences: Here, you should see options to enable or disable OtterPilot from automatically joining your meetings. You might see settings like "Meetings I manually select" or toggles for "auto-join." If "auto-join" is enabled, this is a primary culprit for Otter's consistent appearance.
Step 2: Stopping the Automatic Join - Your First Line of Defense
Now that you've identified the auto-join setting, it's time to take action. This is often the most effective way to prevent Otter.ai from appearing in future meetings.
Sub-heading: Disabling OtterPilot Auto-Join
From your Otter.ai Account Settings (as identified in Step 1):
Locate the "Meetings" or "AI Notetaker" section.
Toggle off any options that enable OtterPilot to automatically join your synced calendar events. You might need to select an option like "Meetings I manually select" instead of "Automatically add Otter Notetaker to your meetings."
Save Changes: Don't forget to click any "Save" or "Apply" buttons to ensure your changes are registered.
QuickTip: Scan the start and end of paragraphs.
Sub-heading: Reviewing Existing Calendar Events
Even after disabling auto-join, Otter might still be toggled on for previously scheduled meetings.
Check your Otter.ai Home Page Calendar: On the Otter.ai homepage, there's often a calendar section. Review your upcoming meetings here.
Manually Toggle Off for Specific Events: If you see Otter Notetaker enabled for specific upcoming meetings, manually toggle it off for those individual events. This ensures it won't join meetings you've already scheduled.
Step 3: Evicting Otter from Live Teams Meetings
What if Otter.ai is already in a meeting you're currently in, or if it joins a meeting despite your settings? You can remove it on the fly. This method focuses on treating Otter.ai as a participant you can remove, similar to how you'd remove any other attendee.
Sub-heading: Removing Otter Notetaker from an Active Meeting
During the Teams Meeting:
Open the Participants List: In the Microsoft Teams meeting window, click on the "People" icon (usually two silhouettes) to open the participants list.
Locate "Otter Notetaker" or "OtterPilot": Scroll through the list of participants until you find Otter.ai. It will typically appear as "Otter Notetaker" or "OtterPilot."
Remove the Participant: Right-click on "Otter Notetaker" or "OtterPilot" in the participants list. A context menu will appear.
Select "Remove" or "Remove participant."
Confirm the removal if prompted.
Sub-heading: Stopping a Live Recording from Otter.ai
If Otter.ai is actively transcribing a meeting, you can also stop its recording directly from the Otter.ai platform.
Navigate to your Otter.ai Home Page: While the meeting is live, open
https://otter.aiin your browser.Find the Live Conversation: On your homepage, you should see the current live recording being conducted by Otter Notetaker.
Click "Stop Recording": Locate the "Stop Recording" button associated with that live conversation and click it.
Confirm the action when prompted. Otter Notetaker should then be removed from your Teams meeting.
Step 4: Managing Otter.ai as an App in Microsoft Teams
Otter.ai might also be installed as an application within your Microsoft Teams environment, either for your personal use or by your organization's IT administrators. Removing it from the Teams app management section can be another crucial step.
Sub-heading: Uninstalling Otter.ai from Teams (Personal Use)
If you personally installed Otter.ai as an app in Teams:
QuickTip: Ask yourself what the author is trying to say.
Open Microsoft Teams: Launch the Teams application on your desktop.
Go to "Apps": On the left-hand navigation bar, click on "Apps" (it might be represented by a puzzle piece icon).
Manage Your Apps: In the Apps section, look for an option like "Manage your apps" or similar.
Find Otter.ai: Search for "Otter.ai" in your installed apps list.
Uninstall: Click on the three dots (...) next to the Otter.ai app and select "Uninstall" or "Remove."
Confirm the removal.
Restart Teams: It's a good practice to restart your Teams application after uninstalling an app to ensure the changes take full effect.
Sub-heading: Blocking or Removing Bots in Teams Channels
If Otter.ai is interacting as a bot within a specific Teams channel:
Navigate to the Channel: Go to the specific Microsoft Teams channel where Otter.ai is present.
Manage Team (for Team Owners/Admins): If you are a team owner or administrator, right-click on the channel name and select "Manage team."
Go to the "Apps" Tab: Within the Team management settings, find the "Apps" tab.
Uninstall the Bot: Locate "Otter.ai" or "Otter Notetaker" in the list of apps and select "Uninstall" next to its name.
Confirm the uninstallation.
 |
Step 5: The Nuclear Option - Deleting Your Otter.ai Account (Use with Caution!)
If you're absolutely sure you never want to use Otter.ai again for any purpose, you can delete your entire Otter.ai account. Be aware that this is a permanent and irreversible action that will delete all your conversations, transcripts, and data within Otter.ai.
Sub-heading: Steps to Delete Your Otter.ai Account
Log in to Otter.ai: Go to
https://otter.aiand log in to your account.Access Account Settings: Click on your profile icon and select "Account Settings."
Navigate to "General" Tab: Within Account Settings, look for the "General" tab.
Find "Delete account": Scroll to the bottom of the "General" tab. You should see an option to "Delete account."
Follow On-Screen Prompts: Click "Delete account." You will likely be asked to authenticate by entering your password or confirming through your connected Google/Microsoft account.
Review the Warning: Otter.ai will present a warning about the permanence of the deletion. Read this carefully.
Confirm Deletion: If you're certain, confirm the deletion. Your Otter.ai account and all associated data will be permanently removed.
Important Considerations for Deleting Your Account:
Workspace Membership: If you are part of an Otter.ai Workspace, you may need to leave the Workspace or have an admin delete your account from the Workspace before you can delete your individual account.
Active Subscriptions: If you have an active paid subscription, you will likely need to cancel your subscription first and wait for it to expire before you can delete your account. Contact Otter.ai support for assistance if you need to forfeit an active subscription for immediate deletion.
Step 6: Administrator-Level Control (For IT Admins)
For organizations, simply managing individual Otter.ai settings might not be enough. IT administrators have additional controls within the Microsoft 365 admin center and Teams Admin Center to manage third-party applications like Otter.ai.
Sub-heading: Managing Apps in Teams Admin Center
Access Teams Admin Center: Go to
https://admin.teams.microsoft.comand log in with your administrator credentials.Navigate to "Teams apps" > "Manage apps": In the left-hand navigation pane, expand "Teams apps" and select "Manage apps."
Search for Otter.ai: Use the search bar to find "Otter.ai."
Block or Limit Access:
Block for Organization: You can block the app entirely for your organization if you wish to prevent all users from installing or using it.
Manage Permissions: You can also manage permissions to restrict Otter.ai's usage to specific users or groups only. This is useful if you want to allow some teams to use it while others cannot.
App Permissions Policies: Review and configure App Permission Policies to control which apps are available to users in your organization.
Sub-heading: Blocking OAuth Apps in Defender for Cloud Apps (Advanced)
Tip: The details are worth a second look.
For more comprehensive security and control over third-party applications that have been granted access to your Microsoft 365 environment, administrators can use Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.
Access Microsoft Security Portal: Go to
https://security.microsoft.com.Navigate to "Cloud Apps" > "OAuth Apps": In the left-hand menu, scroll down to "Cloud Apps" and select "OAuth Apps."
Search for Otter.ai: Look for "Otter" in the list of OAuth apps.
Block the OAuth App: Select Otter.ai and choose the option to "Block" it. This will revoke its permissions to your mailbox and other services it might have access to.
Note: Access to Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps typically requires additional licensing (e.g., Microsoft 365 E5 or a Defender for Cloud Apps license).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are 10 common questions about managing Otter.ai on Teams, with quick answers:
How to stop Otter.ai from automatically joining all my Teams meetings?
Go to your Otter.ai account settings, navigate to the "Meetings" or "AI Notetaker" section, and disable the "auto-join" feature, selecting "Meetings I manually select" instead.
How to remove Otter.ai from a live Microsoft Teams meeting?
During the meeting, open the participants list, right-click on "Otter Notetaker" or "OtterPilot," and select "Remove participant."
How to uninstall the Otter.ai app from Microsoft Teams?
Open Microsoft Teams, go to "Apps" on the left sidebar, find "Otter.ai" in your installed apps, click the three dots, and select "Uninstall."
How to prevent Otter.ai from sending chat messages in Teams meetings?
QuickTip: Copy useful snippets to a notes app.
In your Otter.ai Account Settings, under "Meetings" or "AI Notetaker," look for "Notetaker chat messages" and toggle off options like "Send live transcript and summary" and "Send Otter Chat Q&A."
How to delete my entire Otter.ai account?
Log in to Otter.ai, go to "Account Settings" > "General," and select "Delete account" at the bottom. Follow the prompts for authentication and confirmation. Be aware this is permanent.
How to remove Otter.ai from a specific Teams channel if it's acting as a bot?
If you're a team owner, go to the channel, right-click on the team name, select "Manage team," go to the "Apps" tab, find Otter.ai, and click "Uninstall."
How to disable Otter.ai's transcription services for future meetings?
The most effective way is to disable the auto-join feature in your Otter.ai account settings (as in the first FAQ). If Otter doesn't join, it won't transcribe.
How to check if Otter.ai is linked to my Microsoft Outlook calendar?
Log in to your Otter.ai account, go to "Account Settings," and look for a "Calendar Integration" or "Connected Accounts" section. It will show if Outlook is linked.
How to block Otter.ai for all users in my organization (IT Admin)?
As an IT administrator, go to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center, navigate to "Teams apps" > "Manage apps," search for Otter.ai, and set its status to "Blocked."
How to revoke Otter.ai's access to my Microsoft 365 data at an administrative level?
For IT admins, use Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. Go to https://security.microsoft.com, navigate to "Cloud Apps" > "OAuth Apps," find Otter.ai, and choose to "Block" it.
 |
