You're ready to take back control of your Zoom meetings and bid farewell to Otter.ai's automatic transcription? Excellent! While Otter.ai can be a fantastic tool for many, there are valid reasons why you might want it to not join every single one of your Zoom sessions. Perhaps you're concerned about privacy, or you prefer to manage your meeting notes manually, or maybe you just want less "noise" in your participant list. Whatever your reasons, we're here to guide you through the process, step by step.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through various methods to remove Otter.ai from your Zoom meetings, both for future events and even for ongoing sessions. Let's get started!
Understanding How Otter.ai Integrates with Zoom
Before we dive into the "how-to," it's helpful to understand why Otter.ai might be joining your meetings in the first place. Otter.ai typically integrates with Zoom in a few ways:
Calendar Sync: If you've connected your calendar (Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, etc.) to Otter.ai, it can automatically detect scheduled Zoom meetings and send its "Notetaker" bot to join them. This is often the primary culprit for uninvited Otter.ai appearances.
Manual Addition: You or another participant might have manually invited Otter.ai to a specific meeting.
Zoom Marketplace App: Otter.ai offers an app in the Zoom App Marketplace. If you've installed this, it might have permissions to join your meetings.
Browser Extensions: Less common for automatic joining, but some users might have browser extensions that facilitate Otter.ai integration.
Knowing these pathways helps us effectively address the issue.
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| How To Remove Otter Ai From My Zoom |
Step 1: The First Line of Defense - Stopping Automatic Joins from Otter.ai Settings
This is usually the most effective and straightforward method to prevent Otter.ai from automatically joining your future Zoom meetings.
Sub-heading 1.1: Accessing Your Otter.ai Account Settings
First things first, let's head over to the source: your Otter.ai account.
Open your web browser and navigate to the Otter.ai website (otter.ai).
Sign in to your Otter.ai account. If you typically sign in using Google, Microsoft, or Apple, proceed with that method.
Once logged in, look for your profile icon (usually a circle with your initial or picture) in the top left or bottom left corner of the screen. Click on it.
From the dropdown menu, select "Account Settings." This is where all the magic happens!
Sub-heading 1.2: Navigating to Meeting Settings
Within your Account Settings, you'll find various tabs. We're looking for the one related to meetings.
In the Account Settings menu, you should see a tab labeled "Meetings" (or similar, like "OtterPilot" or "AI Notetaker settings"). Click on this tab.
Tip: Every word counts — don’t skip too much.
Sub-heading 1.3: Disabling Auto-Join for All Meetings
This is the crucial step to stop Otter.ai from automatically joining your scheduled Zoom meetings.
On the "Meetings" tab, scroll down until you find a section related to "Otter Assistant" or "OtterPilot."
Within this section, you'll likely see an option like "Auto-join all meetings" or "Automatically add Otter Notetaker to your meetings."
Toggle this option OFF. The switch should change from green/blue to grey, indicating it's disabled.
Your settings are usually saved automatically, but it's always a good idea to confirm or look for a "Save" button if available.
Congratulations! Otter.ai should no longer automatically join your future Zoom meetings based on your synced calendar events.
Step 2: Removing Otter.ai from an Ongoing Zoom Meeting
What if Otter.ai already joined your current meeting? Don't worry, you can remove it on the fly.
Sub-heading 2.1: Removing via Zoom Participant List (Host/Co-host)
If you are the host or co-host of the Zoom meeting, you have the power to remove any participant, including the Otter.ai bot.
In your active Zoom meeting, click on the "Participants" button at the bottom of the Zoom window. This will open the participants panel on the right side of your screen.
Locate "Otter.ai" or "OtterPilot" in the participant list. It usually appears with a distinct icon.
Hover your mouse over the Otter.ai entry.
Click on the "More" button that appears next to it (three dots).
From the dropdown menu, select "Remove."
Zoom will ask you to confirm. Click "Remove" again.
Poof! Otter.ai is gone from your current meeting.
Sub-heading 2.2: Removing via Otter.ai Live Conversation Portal (If Applicable)
If you initiated the Otter.ai recording or have access to the live conversation, you might be able to stop it from within Otter.ai itself.
While the Zoom meeting is ongoing, open your Otter.ai application or go to the Otter.ai website and navigate to your "My Conversations" section.
Locate the conversation that is currently being recorded (it should be marked as "Live" or "Recording").
Click on the conversation to open the live transcription.
Look for a "Stop Recording" or "Stop Notetaker" button. This is often prominent in the control playback bar.
Click the button and confirm your action.
This will stop Otter.ai from transcribing the current meeting.
Tip: Compare what you read here with other sources.
Sub-heading 2.3: Removing via Otter.ai Homepage Calendar
Similar to the live conversation portal, you can often stop a live recording from your Otter.ai calendar view.
On the Otter.ai homepage, navigate to the "Calendar" section (usually on the right side).
You should see the current live recording displayed for the ongoing meeting.
Click the "Stop Recording" button associated with that meeting.
Confirm the removal.
Step 3: Disconnecting Otter.ai from Your Calendar
If you've connected your calendar to Otter.ai, ensuring this link is severed is key to preventing future auto-joins.
Sign in to your Otter.ai account and go to "Account Settings" (as in Step 1).
Look for a tab labeled "Apps" or "Connected Apps."
Under this tab, you should see your connected calendar (e.g., Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar).
Click on the option to "Disconnect" or "Remove" the calendar integration.
Confirm the disconnection.
This ensures Otter.ai can no longer "see" your scheduled Zoom meetings through your calendar.
Step 4: Managing Zoom Marketplace Integrations
While less common for individual users to unintentionally have Otter.ai as a Zoom app, it's worth checking, especially if you're part of an organization.
Sub-heading 4.1: Checking Your Zoom App Marketplace Installations
Go to the Zoom App Marketplace (marketplace.zoom.us).
Sign in with your Zoom account credentials.
In the top right corner, click on "Manage" (if you're an admin, you might see "Admin App Management").
Select "Installed Apps" or "Apps on Account."
Look for "Otter.ai" in the list of installed applications.
If you find it, click on it, and then select "Uninstall" or "Remove App." Follow any on-screen prompts to confirm.
For organization administrators, you can also disable or remove the Otter.ai app at the account level, preventing users within your organization from installing or using it.
Step 5: Reviewing Browser Extensions
Although less direct for auto-joining Zoom meetings, a rogue browser extension could sometimes contribute.
Tip: Be mindful — one idea at a time.
For Chrome: Open Chrome, click the three-dot menu in the top right, go to "More tools" > "Extensions."
For Firefox: Open Firefox, click the three-line menu in the top right, go to "Add-ons and themes" > "Extensions."
For Edge: Open Edge, click the three-dot menu in the top right, go to "Extensions."
Carefully review your list of installed extensions. If you see any Otter.ai related extensions, or anything suspicious you don't recognize, consider disabling or removing them.
Step 6: Enhanced Privacy in Zoom (Blocking Uninvited Bots)
Even after the steps above, sometimes other AI notetakers (or even a persistent Otter.ai instance) might try to join. Zoom has settings to help mitigate this.
Sub-heading 6.1: Enabling the Waiting Room
The Waiting Room is a powerful feature that allows you to manually admit participants. This is a great way to vet who joins your meeting.
Sign in to the Zoom web portal (zoom.us).
In the navigation menu, click "Settings."
Navigate to the "Security" section.
Toggle on the "Waiting Room" option.
You can also customize waiting room options, such as who is sent to the waiting room (e.g., "Guests only" or "All participants").
With the Waiting Room enabled, you'll see a notification when someone (or something) tries to join, giving you the power to deny them entry.
Sub-heading 6.2: Restricting Meeting Participants to Authenticated Users
This setting ensures that only signed-in Zoom users can join your meetings, which can help prevent some bots.
Sign in to the Zoom web portal (zoom.us).
In the navigation menu, click "Settings."
Navigate to the "Security" section.
Toggle on "Only authenticated users can join meetings."
Step 7: Final Check and Restart
Sometimes, a simple restart can clear out lingering processes or cached settings.
Close both your Zoom application and your web browser (especially if you were in Otter.ai's web interface).
Consider restarting your computer for a complete refresh.
Open Zoom and Otter.ai again to verify that the changes have taken effect. Schedule a test meeting if you want to be absolutely sure!
Troubleshooting Tips
Tip: A slow, careful read can save re-reading later.
Clear your browser cache and cookies: Sometimes old data can interfere with new settings.
Check your Otter.ai subscription: If you have an active paid subscription, ensure you understand the terms before attempting a full account deletion.
Contact Otter.ai Support: If you've followed all the steps and Otter.ai is still appearing, reach out to Otter.ai's support team for specific assistance. They can often help with more complex account issues.
Contact Zoom Support: If you suspect an issue with Zoom's integration or if other bots are still joining, Zoom support can investigate.
By following these detailed steps, you should be able to successfully remove Otter.ai from your Zoom meetings and regain full control over your meeting environment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 10 related FAQ questions with quick answers to further assist you:
How to stop Otter.ai from joining just one specific meeting? You can stop Otter.ai from joining a specific meeting by going to your Otter.ai calendar, finding that meeting, and toggling off the "OtterPilot" or "Auto-join" option for that individual event.
How to remove Otter.ai from a Zoom meeting that is currently happening? As the host or co-host, open the "Participants" panel in Zoom, find "Otter.ai" or "OtterPilot," click "More," and then select "Remove."
How to prevent all AI notetakers from joining my Zoom meetings? The most effective way is to enable Zoom's "Waiting Room" feature and set it to "All participants" or "Guests only." This forces you to manually admit everyone. You can also block specific domains of known AI notetakers in your Zoom account settings if you are an administrator.
How to disconnect Otter.ai from my Google Calendar? Log in to your Otter.ai account, go to "Account Settings," then "Apps" or "Connected Apps," and click "Disconnect" next to your Google Calendar integration.
How to uninstall the Otter.ai app from the Zoom Marketplace? Go to marketplace.zoom.us, sign in, click "Manage" (top right), then "Installed Apps," find "Otter.ai," and click "Uninstall" or "Remove App."
How to ensure Otter.ai doesn't re-join after being removed? Make sure you've toggled off "Auto-join all meetings" in your Otter.ai account settings and disconnected any calendar integrations. If it persists, enable the Waiting Room in Zoom.
How to check if Otter.ai is still connected to my Zoom account? Check your Otter.ai "Meetings" settings for the "Auto-join" toggle, and review your "Apps" settings for calendar integrations. Also, check your Zoom Marketplace for installed apps.
How to delete my Otter.ai account entirely? Log in to Otter.ai, go to "Account Settings," then "General," and you should see an option to "Delete account." Be aware this is permanent and will delete all your conversations.
How to manage Zoom settings to improve meeting privacy? Enable the "Waiting Room," "Only authenticated users can join meetings," and avoid sharing meeting links publicly. For sensitive meetings, consider using a passcode.
How to know if Otter.ai is recording my meeting without my consent? Otter.ai typically announces its presence in the Zoom chat or as a participant named "Otter.ai" or "OtterPilot." If you don't see it there, and you haven't enabled it, it's unlikely to be recording through Zoom's integration. However, someone could be using a separate recording device or software.
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