The internet is a mysterious world with a language of its own. Over the years, many words and acronyms have taken birth on the internet, social media specifically, and become a permanent part of our day-to-day conversations and even dictionaries.
The good thing (or strange thing) about most internet slang and jargon is that they have different connotations in different situations. Most of them do not have one set definition. One such acronym is “OTP.”
If someone says it on FaceTime or anywhere else, you do not have to scratch your head in oblivion. Let us break the meaning of “OTP” for you in different situations.
Whether it is FaceTime, Snapchat, Facebook, or any other place, the meaning of “OTP” will depend on the context. “OTP” can stand for “on the phone,” “one true pairing,” and also “one-time passcode/password,” depending on the context.
Let’s dive in and understand the different context people may use “OTP” in their conversations on the internet.
FaceTime | One of the Most Popular Video Chatting Platforms
FaceTime, a video-chatting platform by Apple, is the second most popular instant messaging/video-chatting platform in the USA after Facebook Messenger.
FaceTime is Apple’s built-in chatting platform for video and audio calls. Users can connect with their friends and family whenever they want through audio or video calls on FaceTime.
You can even have group calls with up to 32 people. You can start group call sessions from the FaceTime app and iMessage — a built-in app for texting on the iOS ecosystem.
It is important to note that FaceTime works on most devices in Apple’s ecosystem. The app is available on iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.
Part of the success of FaceTime lies in the fact that it is easy to use and impeccably integrated across all Apple devices. With the COVID-19 pandemic outburst, video-conferencing platforms became more integral for communication when social distancing was mandatory.
Apple now enables users to join FaceTime call from their Android and Windows devices as well.
FaceTime is particularly popular among young people, especially teenagers.
If you look at the young generations from every period, you would be surprised how fast new words come from social media that instantly become part of major dictionaries.
Words, phrases, and even abbreviations originating from social media and the internet can overwhelmingly become difficult for most people to comprehend. Some of these words are easier to keep tabs on, while some can get frustratingly challenging to understand.
One such acronym is “OTP.”
OTP and Its Possible Meanings
“OTP” is the term that you may find people saying or texting you.
For instance, I once tried calling someone on FaceTime. I got a little confused when I got this message from them; “Can’t talk, OTP.”
Tbh, I thought it was some medical term; they were in a hospital or something (I am an old-fashioned millennial). To my surprise, it did not mean some medical emergency.
So, what does “OTP” in this circumstance mean?
Here, “OTP” means “On The Phone.”
So, when you cannot talk to someone, you are already on a call with someone else. It is courteous to send a little message, like “OTP,” to someone who cannot attend their call.
How polite is it to let other people know that you are unavailable to talk because you are busy and not you are avoiding them?
There is another context where people say “OTP” on FaceTime or while texting.
Sometimes, a fanatic fan of a particular series, movie, or even book ships (romantically connects) two fictional characters with each other. They love this imaginary relationship so much that they may call them “OTP.”
In this context, “OTP” means “One True Pairing.”
Let’s look at these sentences as examples:
- I love Pride & Prejudice so much. Elizabeth and Darcy are my OTP!
- Oh, My God! Klaus and Caroline from Vampire Diaries always melt my heart when they look at each other. My ultimate OTP!
“OTP” can also mean “One-Time Password/Passcode.”
Final Words
Internet slang, acronyms, and jargon are constantly changing. Every generation comes with its own words and vocabulary. Some words have become so common in real life that even dictionaries incorporate them into the official language.
In this article, we discussed one such acronym, “OTP.” “OTP” means different things in different contexts. We explained all these situations to you. So, the next time you see someone using this word, you can reply to them without any confusion.
