{"article":{"id":35973988280215,"url":"https://otterai.zendesk.com/api/v2/help_center/en-us/articles/35973988280215.json","html_url":"https://help.otter.ai/hc/en-us/articles/35973988280215-Otter-Desktop-App-Mac-Windows","author_id":1902597107005,"comments_disabled":true,"draft":false,"promoted":false,"position":0,"vote_sum":9,"vote_count":23,"upvote_count":16,"downvote_count":7,"section_id":360008279353,"created_at":"2025-10-29T21:47:09Z","updated_at":"2026-10-15T06:41:14Z","name":"Otter Desktop App (Mac & Windows)","title":"Otter Desktop App (Mac & Windows)","source_locale":"en-us","locale":"en-us","outdated":false,"outdated_locales":[],"edited_at":"2026-10-01T19:43:17Z","user_segment_id":null,"permission_group_id":3069674,"content_tag_ids":["01K8SAGJ317GWHS0VDJYQJXYNS"],"label_names":["desktop app","windows app","windows os","otter desktop app","mac app","macos","desktop otter","download desktop","install desktop application"],"body":"

Otter is available on both the web browser and desktop app (Mac & Windows), giving you flexibility in how you work. While the Otter Desktop app has all the features of the web app, it offers additional features such as meeting reminders, botless recording for meetings, automatic recording, wearing headphones during a meeting, automatically ending a recording, and an easy pause-or-end recording indicator. Choose the recording option that best fits your workflow.

Install the Otter desktop app

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\n\"\" Mac Installation Install Otter Desktop on macOS 12.3 or higher \n

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\nRequirements: Otter macOS Desktop is available for macOS 12.3 or higher.
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  1. \nDownload the Otter macOS Desktop app. 
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  2. Double-click the DMG file to open it.
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  3. Drag the Otter.app to the Applications folder. 
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  4. Once the Otter has been fully moved to your Applications folder, you can open the Otter macOS Desktop app. We recommend pinning to the dock for easy access. 
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  5. Sign in to or create your Otter account. 
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  6. When you first open the Otter desktop app, you will need to enable access for permissions. Follow the prompts on the screen to enable access. Restart the app after enabling permission settings. For more detailed information, view our permissions section. 
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    • \nMicrophone - Allows Otter to transcribe the audio input from your microphone.
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    • \nScreen & audio recording - Allows Otter to capture what's on screen and what meeting participants say (this setting allows you to wear headphones during a meeting while transcribing meeting audio).
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  7. You are now logged in to Otter and can use all of the features available on the desktop app. 
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Enable microphone permissions on Mac

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  1. Navigate to System Settings → Microphone.\n
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  2. Toggle ON Otter.
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  3. Select Later (if you need to enable the other settings) or Quit & Reopen.
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  4. Open Otter. 
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Enable screen & system audio permissions on Mac

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  1. Navigate to System Settings → Screen & System Audio Recording.\n
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  2. Toggle ON Otter.
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  3. Select Later (if you need to enable the other settings) or Quit & Reopen.
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  4. Open Otter. 
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\n\"\" Windows Installation Install Otter Desktop on Windows\n

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\nRequirements: Otter Windows Desktop is available for Windows 10 or higher.
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  1. \nDownload the Otter Windows Desktop app. 
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  2. Run otter_latest.exe to begin the installation process.
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  3. Once the installation has completed, open the Otter Desktop app (if not already open). We recommend pinning the application to the dock for easy access. Sign in to Otter.
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  4. After signing in, you may need to enable access for permissions. Review your microphone permissions settings if you are experiencing any issues recording.
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  5. You are now logged in to Otter and can use all of the features available on the desktop app.
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Recording permissions

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\nNote: Before recording, we recommend that you always ask other participants for permission when using Otter.
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Navigate to system settings. Permission locations may vary depending on your Mac or Windows device. Otter will need the following permissions depending on your device: 

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  • \nMicrophone - Allows Otter to transcribe the audio input from your microphone. This includes headphones, external microphones, Bluetooth headsets, etc. Whichever microphone device your audio input is set to, Otter can record from it. 
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  • \nScreen & audio recording - Allows Otter to capture what's on screen and what meeting participants say. This will allow you to wear headphones during the recording, and Otter will still be able to record what's on your screen, such as a YouTube video playing in the background, or speakers during an online meeting (e.g., Slack, Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.).
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Manage your Otter desktop settings

Manage your Otter desktop settings by clicking on your profile menu and selecting Desktop App Settings or through the Otter drop-down menu.

\nNote: Manage all other account settings in Account Settings → Meetings.\n
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\n⚙️ Launch App on startup   Automatically launch Otter on startup\n

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Toggle this setting to automatically launch the Otter desktop app when you log in to your computer.

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\n⚙️ Meeting detection notifications Get recording reminders for your meeting platforms (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, etc.)\n

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Choose if you want reminders or have Otter automatically record when it detects a meeting. Otter supports, 

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Example of a meeting detection:

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\n⚙️ Calendar event notifications Get reminders for your calendar events and error notifications\n

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Get reminders when a calendar event begins and when Notetaker is not able to record the meeting for you. Through these reminders, you can start a recording through the Otter desktop app.

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Example notification of calendar event:

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Example of Notetaker not being able to join your meeting:

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\n⚙️ Recording indicators Enable a floating indicator for Otter recordings and automatically post a notification to Teams meeting chat\n

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Control your device's recording indicator. The recording indicator will overlay any open application. Any time you navigate away from the Otter desktop app during a live recording, you can easily control the recording through the indicator.

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Example of the recording indicator:

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Post automatic recording message in Microsoft Teams

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For Teams meetings, Otter can automatically post a custom message to notify participants you are recording. 

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By default, the recording message is “I am using Otter to record this meeting.” To customize the message, click the text field, enter your preferred message, and press Enter to save. The updated message will be posted automatically in the meeting chat when recording starts. 

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If you customize the recording message, ensure it complies with your organization’s policies and any applicable meeting notification or recording requirements.

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\nNote: Custom recording messages are limited to 128 characters.
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\n⚙️ End recording notifications Enable reminders to end recordings\n

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Choose if you want reminders to end recordings in case you forget to do so.

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Example of recording ending automatically after leaving a meeting:

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\n⚙️ End recordings automatically Otter can automatically end recordings for you incase you forget\n

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Choose if you want Otter to end recordings automatically in case you forget to do so.

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\n⚙️ General settings Manage your Otter account settings\n

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Manage all other preferences and account options. You can manage these settings in Account Settings → Meetings. 

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Learn more about managing your account and meeting settings.

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Desktop app features

The Otter Desktop app includes all of the features available on the web version.

Additionally, the desktop app includes features available only in the Otter Desktop app.

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🖥️ Botless Recording for your meetings

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In the Otter desktop app, whenever you start a new recording, you can record audio from a meeting without needing Notetaker to join. You can wear headphones and record the audio from your device (e.g., the sound that would come out of your speaker, such as people speaking during an online meeting or a YouTube video playing in the background). 

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The Otter desktop app supports botless recording for supported meetings without Notetaker joining as a meeting participant. This provides a more seamless meeting experience while still capturing transcripts, summaries, and other Otter features.

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âś… Notetaker does not need to join the meeting.

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âś… Wear headphones during a meeting.

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âś… Otter can automatically detect, start, and stop a recording for a meeting.

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Click Record in the upper-right corner of the Otter desktop app to start a recording.

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\nNote: To ensure Otter can record your meeting audio while wearing headphones, enable the correct permission settings on your device.
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\n🖥️ Recording indicator A small recording indicator will appear overlaid above your applications\n

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When you record a conversation in the desktop app, you can continue using your computer as usual. When you navigate away from the Otter desktop app, a small recording indicator will appear overlaid above your applications. Learn more about managing the Otter recording indicator.

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You can drag and move the Otter controls anywhere on the screen. 

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Easily manage your live recording using the provided controls.

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\n🖥️ Notification reminders Real-time notifications for meeting reminders, recording prompts, and errors\n

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The Otter desktop app provides real-time notifications for meeting reminders and recording prompts, and alerts you to any errors. The notification will pop up in the upper-right corner and automatically disappear. Learn more about managing your notification settings.

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\n🖥️ Huddle and meeting notifications Get notified to record when a live meeting is detected\n

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Otter can automatically send you a notification to record when a live meeting is detected. Learn more about managing your meeting settings notifications.

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When you see the notification, click Start recording. Otter will immediately start transcribing the meeting.

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\nTip: If you miss the recording prompt, you can always start a recording directly in the Otter desktop app!
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Otter can automatically detect when a meeting ends and stop the recording. If you wish to continue recording after a meeting has finished, click Keep recording when you see the notification. 

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When using Notetaker, if Otter detects that it was not able to join the meeting, it'll prompt you to manually record the meeting. Click Record manually to start.

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\nTip: You can wear headphones when recording manually on the Otter desktop app! Just make sure the right permission settings are enabled on your device.
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\n🖥️ Error notifications Get alerted for any issues that may arise during a recording\n

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The Otter desktop app can alert you to issues that may arise during a recording. 

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\nNote: The list of errors below is non-exhaustive. We will continue to add more error notifications and alerts to the Otter desktop app. Stay tuned!
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FAQs

Can I deploy the Otter desktop app using MDM?

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Yes. Otter supports deployment through Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions, allowing IT administrators to install and manage the Otter desktop app across their organization at scale.

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\nRelated article: Check out our Deploy the Otter desktop app through MDM article.
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Can I record a Slack huddle with Otter? 

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Yes. Otter can record Slack huddles, including while you’re wearing headphones.

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Otter can automatically detect a Slack huddle and prompt you to start recording.

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You can also start a manual recording at any time.

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Are my account settings reflected across web, desktop, and mobile? 

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Yes. Changes you make to your account settings are automatically synced across the web, desktop, and mobile versions of Otter when you’re signed in to the same account.

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How do I check for new updates?

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You can check for and install updates directly from the desktop app.

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  1. Click the Otter menu in the upper-left corner of your screen.
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    Select Check for Updates.

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Click the Otter drop-down menu in the upper left corner of your device. If there is an update, you can click Install Latest Version. 

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\nNote: Restarting the application may be required. Save any work before installing the update.
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You'll be alerted if you are on the latest version. 

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If you can’t update from within the app, download the latest version from our Downloads page and replace the existing application in your Applications folder after completely quitting Otter.

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Can I record meetings without an AI bot? 

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Yes. With the Otter desktop app, you can use botless recording to capture supported meetings without an AI bot joining as a meeting participant, while still generating transcripts and other Otter AI features.

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\nNote: Before using botless recording, ensure you comply with all applicable laws and your organization’s policies regarding recording conversations. You’re responsible for notifying participants and obtaining any required consent before recording.
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Does the Otter desktop app support botless recording?

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Yes. The Otter desktop app supports botless recording for supported meeting platforms, allowing you to capture meetings without an AI bot joining.

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\nNote: Before using Botless Recording, ensure you comply with all applicable laws and your organization’s policies regarding recording conversations. You’re responsible for notifying participants and obtaining any required consent before recording.
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What is botless recording?

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Botless recording allows you to record and transcribe supported meetings without an AI bot joining as a meeting participant. You can use the Otter desktop app to record without a bot or Notetaker joining your meeting. 

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\nNote: Before using Botless Recording, ensure you comply with all applicable laws and your organization’s policies regarding recording conversations. You’re responsible for notifying participants and obtaining any required consent before recording.
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