Hello there! Ever found yourself in a Zoom meeting, realizing Otter.ai has joined uninvited and started transcribing? It can be a bit jarring, especially when privacy is a concern or you simply don't need a written record of every word. Don't worry, you're not alone! Many users want to know how to manage or completely disable Otter.ai's presence in their Zoom calls. This comprehensive guide will walk you through multiple methods to achieve just that, ensuring you have full control over your meeting experience.
Let's dive in and take back control of your Zoom meetings!
How to Turn Off Otter.ai in Zoom: A Step-by-Step Guide
Whether Otter.ai is joining automatically, or you need to remove it from a live meeting, we've got you covered. It's important to understand that the process might differ slightly depending on whether you're the meeting host or a participant, and whether Otter.ai is set to auto-join your meetings.
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| How To Turn Off Otter Ai In Zoom |
Step 1: Identify How Otter.ai is Joining Your Meeting
Before we get into the "how-to," let's quickly understand why Otter.ai might be in your Zoom meeting in the first place. This helps us tackle the root cause.
OtterPilot Auto-Join: If you've connected your calendar to Otter.ai, it might be set to automatically join all your scheduled meetings. This is a common culprit for uninvited guests.
Manual Addition: Someone in the meeting (including yourself, or another participant) might have manually added Otter.ai to the call.
Shared Integration: In some organizational settings, an Otter.ai integration might be enabled at an account or group level, causing it to join meetings hosted within that environment.
Knowing this will help us choose the most effective "off" switch!
Step 2: Stopping Otter.ai from Auto-Joining Future Meetings (Most Common Scenario)
This is usually the primary reason Otter.ai appears in your meetings without you actively inviting it each time. OtterPilot is designed for convenience, but sometimes you just don't want it.
Sub-heading 2.1: Through Your Otter.ai Account Settings
This is the most direct and effective way to stop Otter.ai from automatically joining your scheduled Zoom meetings.
Tip: Pause if your attention drifts.
Log in to your Otter.ai account: Open your web browser and go to
otter.ai Access Account Settings: Once logged in, click on your profile icon or your name in the top-left corner of the Otter.ai interface. A dropdown menu will appear.
Navigate to Meetings: From the dropdown, select "Account Settings." On the left-hand navigation panel within Account Settings, look for and click on the "Meetings" tab.
Disable OtterPilot Auto-join: Scroll down to the "OtterPilot" section. You'll likely see an option like "Auto-join all meetings." This toggle will probably be set to ON. Click on it to toggle it OFF.
Pro Tip: You might also see an option to "Select specific meetings" or "Meetings I manually select." Choosing this option gives you more granular control if you still want Otter.ai for some meetings but not all.
Save Changes (if prompted): While Otter.ai often saves changes automatically, it's always a good idea to ensure your settings are applied. Look for a "Save" button if one appears.
By doing this, Otter.ai will no longer automatically join any future Zoom meetings linked to your synced calendar.
Sub-heading 2.2: Reviewing Calendar Integrations
Sometimes, even after disabling auto-join, it's worth a quick check of your calendar integrations within Otter.ai to ensure everything is aligned with your preferences.
In Otter.ai Account Settings, go to "Connected Apps" or "Integrations": Similar to the steps above, navigate to your Otter.ai Account Settings.
Review Connected Calendars: Check which calendars (e.g., Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar) are connected. While disabling auto-join is paramount, ensuring you only have necessary calendars linked can prevent unexpected behavior. You can disconnect calendars here if they are no longer needed.
Step 3: Removing Otter.ai from a Live Zoom Meeting
What if Otter.ai has already joined your active Zoom call and you want it gone now? This is where your role as a host or participant matters.
Sub-heading 3.1: As the Zoom Meeting Host or Co-Host
If you are the host or co-host of the Zoom meeting, you have the power to remove any participant, including Otter.ai's bot.
Open the Participants Panel in Zoom: During the live Zoom meeting, click on the "Participants" button at the bottom of your Zoom window. This will open a sidebar showing all attendees.
Locate Otter.ai Notetaker: In the participants list, you will typically see a participant named "Otter.ai Notetaker" or similar (e.g., "OtterPilot").
Remove the Participant: Hover over the "Otter.ai Notetaker" entry. You should see a "More" button or three dots (
...). Click on this, and then select "Remove."Confirm Removal: Zoom will usually ask you to confirm if you want to remove the participant. Click "Remove" to proceed.
Once removed, Otter.ai will immediately leave the meeting and stop transcribing.
Sub-heading 3.2: As a Zoom Meeting Participant (Limited Control)
As a participant, your options are more limited as you don't have the direct ability to remove other participants. However, you can:
Inform the Host: The most straightforward approach is to politely ask the meeting host or co-host to remove "Otter.ai Notetaker" from the meeting. You can do this via the Zoom chat or by unmuting and speaking up.
Adjust Your Own Privacy Settings (Less Direct): While not directly turning off Otter.ai, if you're concerned about your own audio being transcribed, you could temporarily mute yourself or turn off your video if the conversation involves sensitive information. This doesn't remove Otter.ai, but it limits what it can capture from you.
Step 4: Disabling Otter.ai Chat Messages (Optional)
Tip: Don’t just scroll to the end — the middle counts too.
Otter.ai Notetaker can sometimes send chat messages during a meeting, providing links to the live summary or transcript. If you find these distracting, you can disable them.
Sign in to your Otter.ai account: (Refer to Step 2.1).
Navigate to Account Settings > Meetings: (Refer to Step 2.1).
Manage Notetaker Chat Messages: Look for a section related to "Notetaker chat messages." Here, you'll likely find options to toggle off things like "Send live transcript and summary" or "Send Otter Chat Q&A."
Toggle OFF these options.
Step 5: Checking for Browser Extensions or Zoom Marketplace Apps
While less common for automatic joining, sometimes Otter.ai functionality can be tied to a browser extension or a Zoom Marketplace app that was installed.
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Sub-heading 5.1: Review Browser Extensions
For Chrome: Type
chrome://extensionsin your address bar and press Enter.For Firefox: Type
about:addonsin your address bar and press Enter.For Edge: Type
edge://extensionsin your address bar and press Enter.Disable or Remove Otter.ai Extensions: Look for any extensions related to Otter.ai. If found, you can toggle them off or click the "Remove" button to uninstall them.
Sub-heading 5.2: Review Zoom Marketplace Apps
If you're an admin or have permissions, you can check connected apps within Zoom itself.
Log in to your Zoom web portal: Go to
zoom.us Navigate to Integrations or Apps: Look for sections like "Admin" -> "Advanced" -> "App Marketplace" or "Integrations."
Manage Installed Apps: Search for Otter.ai and if it's installed, you may have the option to disable or uninstall it from your Zoom account.
Step 6: Advanced Measures for Zoom Admins (Preventing All AI Bots)
For organizations or IT administrators who want to prevent any unauthorized AI bots, including Otter.ai, from joining Zoom meetings, there are more robust settings within the Zoom admin portal.
Enable Waiting Room: This is a highly effective way. By enabling the Waiting Room for all your meetings, participants (including AI bots) will need to be manually admitted by the host. You can then simply not admit any unknown "Otter.ai Notetaker" or similar bot.
Path: Zoom web portal > Settings > Meetings > Security > Waiting Room.
Only Allow Authenticated Users: This setting restricts meetings to users who are signed into Zoom with a specific domain. While it might not block all Otter.ai instances (as some users might have legitimate Otter accounts), it adds a layer of security.
Path: Zoom web portal > Settings > Meetings > Security > Only authenticated meeting participants can join.
Block Specific Domains (Limited Effectiveness): You can attempt to block domains associated with AI bots, like
otter.ai. However, AI bot providers can use various or changing domains, so this might not be foolproof.Path: Zoom web portal > Settings > Meetings > Security > Block users in specific domains from joining meetings.
Lock Your Session: Once all expected participants have joined, the host can lock the meeting. This prevents anyone else from joining, including latecomers or any uninvited bots.
During a live meeting: Click on "Security" in the Zoom meeting controls, then click "Lock Meeting."
FAQs: How to Turn Off Otter.ai in Zoom
Tip: Reread key phrases to strengthen memory.
Here are 10 common questions and quick answers related to managing Otter.ai in Zoom:
How to remove Otter.ai from a live Zoom meeting?
As the host or co-host, open the Participants panel, find "Otter.ai Notetaker," click "More," and select "Remove."
How to stop Otter.ai from automatically joining all my Zoom meetings?
Log into your Otter.ai account, go to "Account Settings" > "Meetings," and toggle off "Auto-join all meetings" under the "OtterPilot" section.
How to prevent Otter.ai from sending chat messages during Zoom meetings?
In your Otter.ai account settings, navigate to "Meetings" and find the "Notetaker chat messages" section. Toggle off options like "Send live transcript and summary."
How to disconnect my Zoom account from Otter.ai?
In your Otter.ai account, go to "Account Settings" > "Connected Apps" or "Integrations" and disconnect the Zoom integration.
QuickTip: Repeat difficult lines until they’re clear.
How to know if Otter.ai is in my Zoom meeting?
Otter.ai will appear as a participant in the Zoom participants list, typically named "Otter.ai Notetaker" or "OtterPilot."
How to prevent unauthorized AI bots (like Otter.ai) from joining my Zoom meetings as a host?
Enable the Waiting Room feature in your Zoom meeting settings, or only allow authenticated users to join. You can also lock the meeting once all intended participants have joined.
How to remove an Otter.ai browser extension?
For Chrome, go to chrome://extensions. For Firefox, about:addons. For Edge, edge://extensions. Find the Otter.ai extension and remove or disable it.
How to tell participants that Otter.ai is recording the meeting?
If you are using Otter.ai, it's good practice to inform participants at the beginning of the meeting. Otter.ai also usually displays a notification indicating its presence.
How to manage Otter.ai privacy settings for recorded conversations?
In your Otter.ai account, for each conversation, you can adjust sharing permissions to control who has access to the transcript and audio.
How to disable Otter.ai for specific Zoom meetings only?
Instead of completely turning off "Auto-join all meetings" in Otter.ai settings, choose the option to "Select specific meetings" or "Meetings I manually select," allowing you to control it on a per-meeting basis.
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