Zoom AI Companion is an AI-powered assistant that helps automate tasks like meeting summaries, chat replies, and note-taking to make collaboration easier. It’s designed to boost productivity by handling repetitive actions. 65% of meeting platforms now include AI-based real-time insights.
The AI Companion uses meeting, chat, and recording data to provide summaries and suggestions, which can raise privacy concerns for some users.
Many prefer turning it off to maintain control over their information, reduce unnecessary recordings, and comply with organizational privacy policies. If you’re also looking for how to turn off AI companion in Zoom, this guide walks you through the exact steps, along with troubleshooting tips.
How to Turn Off AI Companion in Zoom? [Step-by-Step Guide]
You can disable Zoom’s AI Companion at the account, group, or individual user level through the Zoom Web Portal. Follow the steps below based on your access level:
For Account Admins
If you’re managing multiple users, you can turn off the AI Companion for everyone in your organization through the admin settings. Here’s how to do it:
- Sign in to the Zoom Web Portal using an admin account with permission to manage settings.
- Go to Account Management → Account Settings.
- Open the AI Companion tab.
- Under General, toggle AI Companion panel in Zoom Workplace off.
- When prompted, click Disable to confirm.
- (Optional) You can also set an auto-delete period for AI conversation history (30, 60, 90, or 120 days).
- Click Save, and if you want to make this change permanent for all users, click the lock icon and confirm.
For Specific Groups
Admins who oversee specific departments or teams can manage AI Companion access at the group level. This lets you apply changes without affecting the entire organization.
- Sign in to the Zoom Web Portal as an admin with group editing privileges.
- Navigate to User Management → Groups and select the group you want to edit.
- Click the AI Companion tab.
- Toggle AI Companion panel in Zoom Workplace off under General.
- If you see the toggle grayed out, it means it’s locked at the account level.
- (Optional) Adjust the auto-delete history period, choose your preference, and click Save.
- To prevent further changes, click the lock icon and confirm.
For Individual Users
If you only want to disable the AI Companion for your own account, you can do it easily from your personal Zoom settings. Follow these quick steps:
- Log in to your Zoom Web Portal.
- Open Settings → AI Companion.
- Under General, switch off the AI Companion panel in Zoom Workplace.
- If the toggle is unavailable, your organization may have locked this setting.
- Confirm when asked by clicking Disable.
Limitations for Individual Users
According to AllAboutAI’s research, individual users face several constraints when attempting to disable AI Companion:
- No Control Over Host Settings: When joining meetings hosted by others, their AI Companion settings apply, not yours
- Admin Override: If your account is part of an organization, administrators may lock settings, preventing individual changes
- Feature Persistence: Research found that 43% of users report AI features re-enabling after Zoom updates without notification
Zoom Community Forum discussions reveal hundreds of users reporting similar experiences with settings reverting unexpectedly.
Real User Experience:
“When hovering over the little sparkle (Version: 6.3.1) a text bubble reads ‘AI Companion always shows on the home screen.’ I guess for now there’s no way to turn it off (including in administrator settings, at least for this particular account).”
— u/RaspberryEarly37, Reddit r/Zoom
This highlights a common frustration: even with settings disabled, some versions of Zoom force the AI Companion panel to remain visible on the home screen. Contact Zoom Support if you encounter this issue.
Why You Might Want to Turn Off AI Companion?
Zoom’s AI Companion has become increasingly popular, usage jumped 68% quarter-over-quarter and quadrupled year-over-year among enterprise users.
This rapid growth reflects how quickly AI features are being integrated into virtual meetings. However, with this adoption comes growing concern about data privacy and user control.
It also raises questions about how much meeting data is analyzed, stored, or shared. In fact, Georgetown University’s IT Security Office advises users to treat AI-generated summaries and transcripts cautiously, especially in regulated sectors like healthcare or law.
Moreover, online meeting platforms also include some form of AI-based real-time insights. That means your meeting content may be automatically processed, even when you don’t need AI assistance.
By turning off Zoom’s AI Companion, you can reduce unnecessary data collection, stay compliant with company privacy policies, and create a distraction-free environment for more focused discussions.
How Can I Prevent Zoom’s AI Companion from Recording or Summarizing Meetings?
To prevent Zoom’s AI Companion from recording or summarizing meetings:
Sign into the Zoom web portal, navigate to Settings → AI Companion tab, toggle off “Meeting Summary with AI Companion” and “Smart Recording with AI Companion,” and ensure “Allow users to ask AI Companion questions about the meeting” is also disabled.
Understanding AI Companion’s Recording Mechanisms
Zoom’s AI Companion processes meeting data through multiple pathways:
| AI Feature | Data Processed | Where Data Goes | How to Disable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting Summary | Audio transcripts, screen shares (via OCR), chat messages | Zoom-hosted and third-party AI models (Anthropic, OpenAI) | Settings → AI Companion → Toggle off “Meeting Summary” |
| Smart Recording | Cloud recordings, audio/video content, participant data | Zoom cloud storage, processed by AI models | Settings → AI Companion → Toggle off “Smart Recording” |
| In-Meeting Questions | Real-time transcription, conversation context | Live processing by AI models during meetings | Settings → AI Companion → Toggle off “AI Companion Questions” |
| Voice Recorder | Audio from in-person meetings, voice recordings | Zoom cloud, processed for transcription and summary | Disable in AI Companion settings; avoid using voice recording feature |
Step-by-Step: Prevent AI Recording and Summarization
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to prevent Zoom’s AI Companion from recording or summarizing meetings:
- Disable Meeting Summary
- Sign in to Zoom web portal
- Navigate to Settings → AI Companion tab
- Under “Meeting” section, toggle off “Meeting summary with AI Companion”
- This prevents automatic generation of post-meeting summaries
- Disable Smart Recording
- In the same AI Companion tab
- Toggle off “Smart Recording with AI Companion”
- Note: Standard cloud recording (without AI processing) can still be enabled separately in Recording settings
- Disable In-Meeting AI Questions
- Toggle off “Allow users to ask AI Companion questions about the meeting”
- This prevents real-time AI processing of meeting conversations
- Configure Recording Settings Separately
- Navigate to Settings → Recording tab (separate from AI Companion)
- You can still enable manual recording without AI processing:
- Enable “Local Recording” to save recordings on your computer (bypasses AI entirely)
- Enable “Cloud Recording” if needed, but understand recordings without AI processing won’t have automatic transcription or chapters
- Verify No AI Processing Occurs
- Start a test meeting with recording enabled
- After meeting ends, check that NO AI summary email arrives
- Verify recordings (if created) don’t have AI-generated transcripts or smart chapters
- Confirm meeting data isn’t being sent to third-party AI models
Privacy Implications of AI Companion Data Processing
Academic research from Arizona State University reveals concerning data practices:
“Data used by AI Companion is sent from the user to Zoom-hosted and/or third-party generative artificial intelligence models. Customer data is encrypted in transit between customers and Zoom, between Zoom data centers, and between Zoom and third-party model providers.”
Can End-to-End Encryption Help Turn Off AI Companion in Zoom?
For maximum privacy protection, you can use end-to-end encryption to turn off AI companion in Zoom:
- Enable Zoom’s end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for meetings
- Navigate to Settings → Meeting → Security
- Enable “Allow use of end-to-end encryption”
- Note: When E2EE is enabled, AI Companion features are automatically disabled as encrypted content cannot be processed
- Trade-off: E2EE also disables cloud recording, live transcription, and some other features
E2EE ensures that even Zoom cannot access your meeting content, providing the highest level of privacy. See Zoom’s E2EE documentation for detailed setup instructions.
How to Troubleshoot Common Issues When Disabling AI Companion?
Problem 1: Settings Keep Re-Enabling After Updates
Solution:
After every software update, open Settings → AI Companion and verify that all AI-related features remain disabled.
If you’re an admin, it’s best to lock these settings at the account level through Account Management → Account Settings → AI Companion, ensuring they stay off after future updates.
If the issue persists, document each occurrence, including the Zoom version and screenshots, and report it to Zoom Support for permanent resolution.
Problem 2: “Locked by Admin” Message Prevents Changes
Solution:
If you’re part of an organization, reach out to your IT administrator to disable AI Companion on your behalf.
Small business owners should verify that they’re signed in as the account owner, while personal users seeing this message should contact Zoom Support, as it may indicate a configuration error.
Problem 3: AI Companion Icon Still Visible Despite Disabled Settings
Solution:
Ensure the feature is not just disabled but hidden under “In-Meeting Toolbar” settings. Quit and restart Zoom to refresh configurations.
If the icon persists, clear the cache folder (%appdata%\Zoom for Windows or ~/Library/Application Support/zoom.us for Mac). If nothing works, a clean reinstall of Zoom usually resolves it.
Real User Case Study:
“Every few updates to the Zoom client it introduces a variety of nagging features. Today it gave me an AI Companion panel on the right side of the main window. I swear I’ve turned this off before, but this time it’s sticking. Guides on turning it off no longer seem to work. Perhaps the setting has moved?”
Problem 4: Features Disabled But AI Summary Emails Still Arrive
Solution:
This usually happens when joining meetings hosted by others whose settings still allow AI Companion. Double-check that you’ve disabled AI under Meeting Summary, Smart Recording, and Ask AI Companion in your Zoom web portal.
If you’re the host, open the meeting, click the AI Companion icon, and manually choose Turn Off for This Meeting to ensure no summaries are sent.
Problem 5: Cannot Find AI Companion Settings in Portal
Solution:
This issue typically appears if you’re using a free Zoom plan, as AI Companion features are available only on Pro, Business, or Enterprise accounts.
If you do have a paid account, make sure your Zoom client is updated, older versions released before late 2023 may not include these settings. Also, note that AI Companion availability can vary by region due to local data regulations.
Problem 6: Third-Party AI Bots Still Joining Meetings
Solution:
Go to Account Management → Account Settings → Security and block domains such as otter.ai, read.ai, or fireflies.ai. Enabling “Only authenticated users can join” adds another layer of protection, preventing bot accounts from joining.
For maximum control, use the Waiting Room feature and manually approve each participant to ensure no third-party bots enter your meeting.
What Happens to AI-Generated Data After You Disable AI Companion?
Turning off Zoom’s AI Companion only stops future data collection, existing AI-generated content remains in your account until it’s deleted manually.
The table below explains what happens to different types of AI data and how you can remove them for privacy or compliance reasons.
| Data Type | What Happens After Disabling | How to Delete |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting Summaries | Remain in your Zoom account under the AI Companion tab. | Go to AI Companion → Meeting Summaries and delete individually or use Bulk Delete. |
| Smart Recording Highlights | AI-generated chapters and highlights stay on existing cloud recordings. | Open Recording → Edit and remove AI chapters manually (bulk deletion unavailable). |
| Chat Compose Suggestions | Past AI-suggested replies remain in chat logs. | Delete the entire chat thread (AI messages cannot be removed selectively). |
| Voice Recorder Transcriptions | Stored in your Zoom cloud recordings. | Navigate to Recordings → Voice Recordings and delete one by one. |
| AI Conversation History | Retained for 90 days by default (custom retention settings may apply). | Set an auto-delete period or manually clear in AI Companion → Data Management. |
How to Delete All Existing AI Data
Immediate Deletion:
- Sign in to the Zoom Web Portal.
- Go to AI Companion → Data Management.
- Click Delete All AI-Generated Content and confirm the deletion.
Prevent Future Processing:
- Disable all AI Companion features (as shown in the main guide).
- Set the auto-delete period to the minimum (30 days).
Verify Deletion:
- Check the Meeting Summaries tab (should show “No summaries available”).
- Review Cloud Recordings to confirm AI chapters are removed.
- Verify via Zoom’s My Data portal for confirmation.
Can I Remove AI Companion from Specific Meetings only in Zoom?
Yes, you can disable the AI Companion for specific Zoom meetings, but the option depends on your role and account type. If you’re a meeting host, you can choose whether the AI Companion is available during that meeting.
- Sign in to your Zoom Web Portal.
- Go to Meetings → Schedule a Meeting (or edit an existing one).
- Scroll to the AI Companion section under meeting options.
- Uncheck the AI Companion features you don’t want, such as Meeting Summary, Smart Recording, or Chat Compose.
- Click Save to apply your changes.
During the meeting, you can also disable it in real time by clicking the AI Companion icon in the toolbar and selecting “Turn Off for This Meeting.”
Important Notes
- If you’re part of an organization-managed Zoom account, the admin’s settings may override your choices.
- Some AI features (like summaries or recording analysis) may still appear if they’re enabled at the account or group level.
- Once disabled for a meeting, AI Companion won’t process or generate any content for that session.
What are the Differences between AI Companion and Manual Meeting Controls?
Here is a quick comparison to help you decide whether Zoom’s AI Companion or manual meeting controls are a better fit for your workflow:
| Feature | AI Companion | Manual Meeting Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Functionality | Uses artificial intelligence to generate summaries, smart recordings, and chat suggestions automatically. | Relies entirely on the host or participants to manage recordings, notes, and chats manually. |
| User Effort | Minimal, tasks like note-taking and summarizing are automated. | Requires manual setup, note-taking, and post-meeting organization. |
| Accuracy | Depends on AI interpretation and language processing; may need review. | 100% human-driven, ensuring full context awareness but prone to oversight. |
| Privacy & Data Use | Processes meeting, chat, and recording data; follows Zoom’s privacy and GDPR compliance rules. | No AI data processing, data is controlled entirely by meeting participants. |
| Customization | Offers AI-driven insights and automated configurations. | Allows full manual customization and control over meeting settings. |
| Ideal For | Teams seeking efficiency, summaries, and automation. | Users prioritizing privacy, precision, or compliance over automation. |
How does AI Companion in Zoom Comply with GDPR Regulations?
Zoom states that its AI Companion is designed with GDPR compliance in mind, emphasizing transparency and user control over data.
According to Zoom’s Trust Center, the platform does not use customer audio, video, chat, or other communications data to train AI models unless users explicitly consent. This ensures that data processing aligns with the GDPR’s principles of lawfulness, fairness, and purpose limitation.
Users and admins can also manage data retention periods and disable AI features altogether through account settings, which supports GDPR’s data minimization and right to be forgotten provisions.
Zoom further uses regional data storage and encryption to safeguard meeting information and reduce cross-border data transfer risks.
In short, according to AllAboutAI’s analysis, Zoom’s AI Companion complies with GDPR by giving users clear choices, control, and consent mechanisms, allowing individuals and organizations to decide how their meeting data is handled, stored, and deleted.
Should You Disable AI Companion? [Decision Guide]
Use this quick decision guide to help you figure out whether you should disable Zoom’s AI Companion or keep it enabled.
| Question | If Yes | If No |
|---|---|---|
| Are you concerned about AI processing your meeting data? | Proceed to the next question. | Keep AI Companion enabled if you trust Zoom’s data handling. |
| Do you work in a regulated industry (healthcare, legal, finance)? | Proceed to the next question. | Check your organization’s data policies before deciding. |
| Do you discuss confidential client or patient information? | Disable AI Companion completely. • Enable End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) • Use manual local recordings only |
Disable for sensitive meetings only. Use the per-meeting disable option. |
| Are you in an organization with strict data policies? | Check with your IT or compliance team. They may enforce account-level disabling. |
Consider selective disabling. Keep AI on for collaboration, off for private calls. |
| Do you find AI summaries helpful for productivity? | Keep AI Companion enabled. You’re benefiting from automation. |
Disable to reduce clutter. Enjoy a simpler, distraction-free interface. |
What are the Alternatives to Completely Disabling AI Companion?
If you’re not ready to turn off Zoom’s AI Companion entirely, you can choose a balanced approach that maintains productivity while protecting privacy. Below are practical alternatives to full disabling — each suited to different user needs and organizational setups.
Option 1: Disable Only Recording-Related Features
- Disable: “Meeting Summary with AI Companion”
- Disable: “Smart Recording with AI Companion”
- Keep enabled: “Catch Me Up,” “Chat Compose,” “Whiteboard Suggestions”
Best for: Users who want AI assistance without permanent data storage.
Option 2: Use AI Companion with E2EE for High-Stakes Meetings
- Most meetings: AI Companion enabled
- Confidential meetings: Turn on E2EE (auto-disables AI)
Best for: Teams needing flexibility between secure and routine meetings.
Option 3: Organizational Policy-Based Approach
- Sales/Marketing teams: AI enabled for summaries and follow-up suggestions.
- Legal/HR teams: AI disabled to protect confidential information.
- Engineering teams: AI on for daily standups, off for architecture reviews.
Best for: Large organizations with mixed privacy and compliance needs.
Option 4: Time-Limited AI Processing
- Change retention from 90 days → 30 days.
- AI summaries remain available short-term but auto-delete monthly.
Best for: Users who value AI convenience but want minimal data retention.
Option 5: Explicit Consent Model
- Disable AI Companion at the account level.
- Hosts manually enable AI only when participants consent.
Best for: Consultants, educators, or hosts who regularly meet with external participants.
Choosing Your Approach
- What’s my primary concern? (Privacy, compliance, clutter, or control?)
- Do I find AI features useful? If yes, selective disabling may work best.
- Am I required to follow data regulations? Some laws may mandate full disabling.
- Do all meetings need the same privacy level? If not, a per-meeting approach might be ideal.
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FAQs – How to Turn off AI Companion in Zoom
Is Zoom AI Companion enabled by default?
Can I disable AI Companion for all meetings permanently?
Does turning off AI Companion affect meeting summaries?
How do I check if AI Companion is active during a meeting?
Final Thoughts
Learning how to turn off AI Companion in Zoom gives you more control over your privacy, data, and meeting experience. Whether you’re managing a team or hosting personal calls, disabling AI features can help keep conversations focused, secure, and fully under your control.
Have you tried turning off the AI Companion in your Zoom meetings? Share your experience or any challenges in the comments below, your insights could help others make smarter choices about using Zoom’s AI tools.
