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Otter.ai’s new Chrome extension can transcribe Google Meet calls in real time

Otter.ai’s new Chrome extension can transcribe Google Meet calls in real time

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It works with free and paid Otter accounts

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A render showing how Otter.ai’s Chrome extension works in Google Meet.
A render showing how Otter.ai’s Chrome extension works in Google Meet.
Image: Otter.ai

You can now use automated transcription service Otter.ai to transcribe and provide closed captions for Google Meet calls with the help of a new Chrome extension. Meetings will be transcribed in real time, and transcripts will be saved right to your Otter account so you can access and share them later.

Otter.ai says the extension works with all of its plans, meaning even free users will be able to take advantage of the tool.

To set it up, first download the Otter.ai Chrome extension here. Once you’ve installed it, head over to meet.google.com and then click on the Otter extension. (You might need to click the puzzle piece icon to open the extensions menu to find it.) Then, you may be prompted to log in to use the extension, though I was already logged in when I tested it. From there, log into your meeting, tap the “record” button from the Otter extension, and you should see the transcription start to fill out in real time.

You can also activate closed captions by clicking the button with “cc” surrounded by a box in the Otter window. But Google Meet already offers a closed captions feature, which you can turn on by clicking a similar icon in the menu at the bottom of a Meet window, so picking which to use will be a matter of personal preference.

Otter.ai doesn’t just do live transcriptions of Google Meet calls; the service also integrates directly with Zoom. But to use Otter’s integrated live transcriptions in Zoom, you’ll need to be on a paid Otter and Zoom plan, unlike with Google Meet.