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, recording without a Notetaker bot, wearing headphones during a meeting, and an easy pause or end recording indicator. Choose the option that best fits your workflow, or use both for seamless access anywhere.
Otter macOS Desktop app installation
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Download the Otter macOS Desktop app.
- Double-click the DMG file to open it.
- Drag the Otter.app to the Applications folder.
- 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.
- Sign in to or create your Otter account.
- 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.
- Microphone - Allows Otter to transcribe the audio input from your microphone.
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Screen & 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).
- You are now logged in to Otter and can use all of the features available on the desktop app.
Enable microphone permissions on Mac
- Navigate to System Settings > Microphone.
- Toggle ON Otter.
- Select Later (if you need to enable the other settings) or Quit & Reopen.
- Open Otter.
Enable screen & system audio permissions on Mac
- Navigate to System Settings > Screen & System Audio Recording.
- Toggle ON Otter.
- Select Later (if you need to enable the other settings) or Quit & Reopen.
- Open Otter.
Otter Windows Desktop app installation
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Download the Otter Windows Desktop app.
- Run otter_latest.exe to begin the installation process.
- 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.
- After signing in, you may need to enable access for permissions. Review your microphone permissions settings if you are experiencing any issues recording.
- You are now logged in to Otter and can use all of the features available on the desktop app.
Recording permissions
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:
- Microphone - 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.
- Screen & 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.).
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.
⚙️ Launch App on startup
Toggle this setting to automatically launch the Otter desktop app when you log in to your computer.
⚙️ Meeting detection notifications
Choose if you want reminders when Otter detects you are joining a meeting. Otter supports,
- Zoom
- Browsers (e.g., Google Meet)
- Microsoft Teams
- Slack Huddles
- Dialers
- Messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp)
Example of a meeting detection:
⚙️ Calendar events notifications
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.
Example notification of calendar event:
Example of Notetaker not being able to join your meeting:
⚙️ Recording indicators
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.
Example of the recording indicator:
⚙️ End recording notifications
Choose if you want reminders to end recordings in case you forget to do so.
Example of recording ending automatically after leaving a meeting:
⚙️ End recordings automatically
Choose if you want Otter to end recordings automatically in case you forget to do so.
⚙️ General settings
Manage all other preferences and account options. You can manage these settings in Account Settings > Meetings.
Learn more about managing your account and meeting settings.
Desktop app features
The Otter Desktop app includes all of the features available on the web version.
- Record a conversation
- Use Otter AI Chat
- Edit your conversations
- Manage your Notetaker settings
- Browse and learn more about the features available for Otter
🖥️ Additionally, the desktop app includes a few features available only in the Otter Desktop app.
- Record without an AI bot joining your meeting
- Recording indicator
- Notification reminders
- Huddle and meeting notifications
- Error notifications
🖥️ Record without an AI bot joining your meeting
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).
✅ Notetaker does not need to join the meeting.
✅ Wear headphones during a meeting.
✅ Otter can automatically detect, start, and stop a recording for a meeting.
Click Record in the upper-right corner of the Otter desktop app to start a recording.
🖥️ Recording indicator
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.
You can drag and move the Otter controls anywhere on the screen.
Easily manage your live recording using the provided controls.
- Finish Recording - End the Otter live recording and return to the conversation in the Otter desktop app.
- Pause - Pause the recording.
- Resume Recording - If paused, you can resume the recording at any time.
- Open Otter - Open the live Otter transcription during the recording.
🖥️ Notification reminders
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.
🖥️ Huddle and meeting notifications
Otter can automatically send you a notification to record when a live meeting is detected. Learn more about managing your meeting settings notifications.
- Slack huddles
- Zoom meeting
- Browser meetings (e.g., Google Meet)
- Microsoft Teams meeting
- Dialers
- Messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp)
When you see the notification, click Start recording. Otter will immediately start transcribing the meeting.
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.
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.
🖥️ Error notifications
The Otter desktop app can alert you to issues that may arise during a recording.
- Slow network connection: Check your network connection. Keep the Otter desktop app open. Otter will automatically start uploading and transcribing the file once a connection is detected.
- No network connection: Check your network connection. Keep the Otter desktop app open. Otter will automatically start uploading and transcribing the file once a connection is detected.
- Otter couldn't join your meeting: Check our Notetaker troubleshooting guide. Ensure that the host has allowed Notetaker to join the meeting and that the Otter has permissions to record.
- No conversation detected in the past 10 minutes: Otter will stop recording in 15 seconds. Click keep recording to continue.
FAQs
Can I record a Slack huddle?
- Yes.
- You can record a Slack huddle while wearing headphones. Otter can record audio from Slack during a huddle.
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Otter can automatically detect a Slack huddle and prompt you to record through a notification.
- You can also start a manual recording at any time.
Are my account settings reflected across web, desktop, and mobile?
- Yes.
- Any changes you make to account settings will reflect across the web, desktop, and mobile versions of Otter.
How do I check for new updates?
- Click the Otter drop-down menu in the upper left corner of your device.
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If there is an update, you can click Install Latest Version.
Note: A restart of the application may be required. Save any work before updating. - Click Check for updates.
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You'll be alerted if you are on the latest version.
- You can always install the newest update by downloading the desktop app again from our downloads page. Make sure to completely quit Otter before replacing it with the latest version in your Applications folder.
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