Supported devices and system requirements

Check your operating system, hardware, and permissions before installing Wispr Flow. Memory recommendations and approximate storage needs are listed separately from required operating systems and processors.

Device requirements at a glance

Platform	Operating system and device	Memory and free storage
Mac	macOS 12 Monterey or later; Apple Silicon or Intel Mac.	8 GB RAM recommended; approximately 500 MB available.
Windows dictation	Windows 10 or 11; x64 processor. Windows on ARM and Snapdragon devices are unsupported.	8 GB RAM recommended; approximately 200 MB available.
Windows Notetaker	Windows 10 or 11 on a supported Windows PC.	16 GB RAM and 2 GB free storage required.
iPhone	iOS 18.3 or later; iPhone only.	4 GB RAM recommended; approximately 500 MB available.
Android	Android 13–16; supported smartphone with an accelerometer.	6 GB RAM recommended; approximately 500 MB available.

A Windows PC that runs dictation may not meet Notetaker’s higher requirements. A working microphone is required on every platform.

iPad, Linux, Chromebooks, virtual machines, and remote desktop environments are not supported. Android tablets and foldables may work but are not officially optimized. Devices without an accelerometer cannot install Flow from Google Play. See Android system requirements for Android-specific compatibility details.

Mac setup requirements

Download the installer matching your processor. The Intel app on an Apple Silicon Mac shows a message and quits; download the Apple Silicon version before trying again.

Flow requests Microphone and Accessibility access during setup. Accessibility lets Flow type dictated text. Screen Recording permission is optional and is not requested during setup; macOS may request it when you use a feature that reads the screen.

Use an external microphone with the Mac’s lid closed: the built-in microphone is unavailable in clamshell mode. For installation, follow Install Wispr Flow on Mac.

Windows setup requirements

Flow requires x64 architecture; the app cannot run on Windows ARM devices. If microphone access is disabled, open Windows Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and allow access. Flow’s microphone warning also includes an Open Settings button.

Per-user and machine-wide installers are available. Use Installing Wispr Flow on Windows for standard installation.

iPhone setup requirements

Allow microphone access and enable the Flow Keyboard’s Full Access in Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Flow → Allow Full Access. If you previously denied microphone access, enable it in iOS Settings; iOS will not repeat the prompt. Flow rechecks permissions when you return to the app.

App Tracking Transparency permission is optional and used for analytics. iOS chooses the microphone; Flow has no in-app input picker. See Set up the Flow keyboard on iPhone for the keyboard walkthrough.

Android setup requirements

Allow Microphone, the main Flow Accessibility service, and Display over other apps. Android’s notification permission allows Flow’s own status notifications; it is different from Notification Access, which reads other apps’ notifications.

Disabling battery optimization is recommended and can be skipped during setup. Accessibility and display-over-other-apps permissions are needed for Flow to function. Some manufacturers impose extra background restrictions. Use Android permission and battery setup for exact device-specific steps.

Android selects the microphone automatically, without an in-app microphone picker. The bubble is intentionally unavailable in known banking apps and in password, phone-number, and numeric fields.

Managed devices and microphone compatibility

On a managed device, your administrator may need to allow installation or permissions. Mac MDM can pre-grant Accessibility, but cannot pre-grant Microphone access; users must approve it. For managed installers and update policies, see Deploy Wispr Flow via MDM.

Desktop Flow lets you choose an input in its settings. For virtual or loopback inputs, use Show other devices in the desktop microphone picker. These inputs are excluded from Auto-detect. See Connect and set up external audio devices.

If Flow still will not install or detect your microphone, confirm that the mic works in another app and check permissions. Contact support with your platform, operating system version, device model, and the exact error.