Starting Your First Dictation on Android

Last updated: May 14, 2026

Available on: Android 13 and later

Tap into any text field, tap the Flow Bubble, and speak — your words appear as text in any app. This guide walks you through your first dictation in about 30 seconds, plus the device-specific setup some Android phones need.

Quick checks

  • Is the on-screen keyboard open? The Flow Bubble only appears when the soft keyboard is visible. Tap into a text field to bring it up.

  • Is Flow up to date? Several bubble visibility and text insertion bugs were fixed in recent versions.

  • Are you on a Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo, Realme, Huawei, Honor, or Motorola device? If yes, jump to Device-specific setup below — these manufacturers need extra permissions. If you're on a Pixel or other stock Android device and the bubble still doesn't appear after tapping into a text field, the problem is likely permissions — open Settings → Accessibility → Wispr Flow and confirm it's enabled.

How to start your first dictation

  1. Tap into any text field — Messages, WhatsApp, Gmail, Notes, or anywhere you want to type. The on-screen keyboard opens.

  2. Look for the Flow Bubble along the left or right edge of your screen. It appears once the keyboard is fully visible. If you don't see it, see Device-specific setup below.

  3. Tap the Flow Bubble to start recording. You'll hear a short sound and see a live waveform — that means Flow is listening.

  4. Speak your message at a natural pace. Flow transcribes in real time, adds punctuation automatically, and applies any custom dictionary entries or snippets you've set up.

  5. Tap the checkmark to insert your text. When your words appear in the text field, you're done — your transcript is also saved as a card in the Wispr Flow app.

Note: If the Flow Bubble shows a pulsing spinner, Flow is reconnecting automatically — no action needed. If it shows a warning triangle, tap it to go directly to the accessibility permission screen and re-enable Flow. Once reconnected, the bubble returns to normal and you'll see a brief "Flow Bubble reconnected" message.

Tip: If text insertion fails, Flow retries up to 5 times, then copies your text to the clipboard and shows a notification with a copy button so you can paste it anywhere.

Where the Flow Bubble appears

The Flow Bubble works in most text fields across Android, including some you might not expect:

  • In-app text fields: Messages, WhatsApp, Gmail, Notes, and the vast majority of apps where you can type.

  • Notification reply boxes: Inline reply fields in the notification shade — for example, replying to a WhatsApp message directly from a notification. Any text you've already typed is preserved, and your dictated text is inserted at the cursor position.

  • Browser address bars: The URL and search bar in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Samsung Internet, and other supported browsers, so you can dictate URLs or searches without tapping into a separate field.

Note: The Flow Bubble does not appear in password fields, PIN fields, or numeric-only inputs, and is automatically disabled in 130+ banking and financial apps for security. It also won't appear if you're using an external keyboard or the soft keyboard is collapsed.

Device-specific setup

Some Android manufacturers restrict background apps aggressively, which can stop the Flow Bubble from appearing. After completing the steps for your device, the Flow Bubble appears whenever the on-screen keyboard opens.

On most non-Samsung devices, Wispr Flow asks during setup for permission to run without battery restrictions. Tap Allow when prompted — Flow opens the correct battery settings page automatically. Grant the exemption and onboarding continues. Some devices need a few extra steps on top of that, listed below.

Note: On OnePlus, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Samsung devices, the system may silently revoke Flow's accessibility permission in the background. When that happens, the Flow Bubble shows a warning triangle and you'll receive a high-priority notification. Tap either to go directly to accessibility settings and re-enable Flow.

Samsung

Follow these steps to keep Flow running in the background:

  1. Open Settings → Battery → Background usage limits.

  2. Add Wispr Flow to "Never sleeping apps."

  3. Open Settings → Apps → Wispr Flow → Battery and set it to Unrestricted.

  4. Disable "Put unused apps to sleep" in Battery settings.

  5. Open any text field. If the Flow Bubble appears at the edge of your screen, you're done.

Xiaomi / Redmi / POCO

Follow the on-screen accessibility setup, including any extra MIUI confirmation prompts. Then complete these protection steps:

  1. Enable autostart for Wispr Flow.

  2. Add Wispr Flow to the battery saver exemption list (set to No restrictions).

  3. Lock Wispr Flow in recent apps.

  4. Open any text field. If the Flow Bubble appears, setup is complete.

Vivo / Transsion

Grant the battery exemption when Flow prompts you during setup. On Vivo devices, also enable autostart and lock Flow in recent apps:

  1. Open Settings → More Settings → Applications → Autostart.

  2. Enable Wispr Flow.

  3. Lock Wispr Flow in recent apps (swipe down on the app card).

  4. Open any text field. The Flow Bubble appears at the edge of your screen.

Motorola / Lenovo

Disable battery optimization for Flow:

  1. Open Settings → Apps → Special app access → Battery optimization.

  2. Set Wispr Flow to Don't optimize.

  3. Lock Wispr Flow in recent apps (swipe down on the app card).

  4. Open any text field. The Flow Bubble appears at the edge of your screen.

OPPO

Complete all of the following:

  1. Enable Auto-Launch for Wispr Flow.

  2. Allow Background Activity for Wispr Flow.

  3. Add Wispr Flow to the power saving exception list.

  4. Open any text field. The Flow Bubble appears at the edge of your screen.

Realme

Complete all of the following:

  1. Set battery optimization for Wispr Flow to Not optimized.

  2. Enable Auto Launch for Wispr Flow.

  3. Allow background activity for Wispr Flow.

  4. Open any text field. The Flow Bubble appears at the edge of your screen.

OnePlus

Complete all of the following:

  1. Disable battery optimization for Wispr Flow.

  2. Enable App Auto-Launch for Wispr Flow.

  3. Lock Wispr Flow in recent apps.

  4. Open any text field. The Flow Bubble appears at the edge of your screen.

Huawei / Honor

Honor devices follow the same steps as Huawei:

  1. Open Settings → Apps → App launch → Wispr Flow.

  2. Set Wispr Flow to Manage manually and enable all three toggles.

  3. Open Settings → Apps → Special access → Battery optimization.

  4. Set Wispr Flow to Don't allow.

  5. Open any text field. The Flow Bubble appears at the edge of your screen.

Common issues

Bugs fixed in recent updates

The following issues have been resolved. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version and restart the app.

  • Flow Bubble showing no visual feedback when the accessibility connection is lost: On some devices — particularly Samsung One UI 6 and phones with aggressive battery or deep-sleep modes — Flow's accessibility connection could be dropped silently. The bubble would still appear on screen but typing would stop working, with no indication of the problem. The bubble now shows a pulsing spinner while reconnecting automatically, or a warning triangle if the permission has been revoked or reconnection takes too long. Tapping the warning triangle takes you directly to the accessibility permission screen. A "Flow Bubble reconnected" message confirms when the connection is restored.

  • Flow Bubble not appearing after granting accessibility permission: Users could grant the accessibility permission during setup but the bubble would never appear. The bubble now reliably appears as soon as the permission is granted, and reappears after a device reboot.

  • Flow Bubble flickering or unexpectedly hiding when tapping into text fields: The bubble could briefly flicker or auto-hide when moving between text fields. Both are now smooth and consistent.

  • Error messages on the Flow Bubble not dismissing automatically: Error messages shown on the Flow Bubble would stay on screen until manually dismissed. They now disappear automatically after 8 seconds. Fixed in version 1.9.0.

  • Re-granting permissions from a home screen warning card not returning you to the app: Tapping a home screen error card to re-grant overlay or accessibility permissions would leave you in system settings instead of returning you to Wispr Flow. You're now brought back to the app automatically after granting the permission. Fixed in version 1.9.0.

  • Flow Bubble not appearing in notification reply boxes and browser address bars: The bubble was missing when replying to notifications (such as WhatsApp inline replies from the notification shade) and when tapping into browser address bars in Chrome and other browsers. Text insertion in notification reply fields could also fail on Pixel, Samsung One UI, Xiaomi, OPPO/OnePlus/Realme, and Vivo devices. Both surfaces are now fully supported, and any text already typed in a reply box is preserved. Fixed in version 1.9.0.

  • Text not inserting after Flow loses its connection to the active text field: Flow could lose its link to the text field mid-dictation and fail to insert text. Flow now detects this automatically and retries the insertion. Fixed in version 1.8.8.

  • Feedback reports showing incorrect or merged transcript versions: When submitting feedback, the raw transcript, formatted text, and pasted text could be merged together instead of kept as separate versions. Each version is now correctly preserved. Fixed in version 1.8.8.

  • Flow Bubble rendering incorrectly on first dictation after a fresh install or app data clear: The Done (checkmark) button could be missing or cut off, the waveform could appear squashed, and on some devices (including Pixel 8a and OnePlus) the bubble could be clipped on both edges. The bubble now consistently shows at full width with all controls visible. Fixed in version 1.8.8.

  • Flow Bubble shrink-then-expand animation when starting recording: The bubble could briefly shrink and snap back to full size when tapped, and the waveform could take about a second to start moving. Both are now smooth from the first frame. Fixed in version 1.8.8.

  • Flow Bubble appearing at the wrong width while recording: The recording bubble could display misaligned or at an incorrect width. Fixed in version 1.8.8.

  • Flow Bubble stopping on Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO devices: Flow could be stopped in the background by the system on MIUI-based devices. Setup now guides you through autostart and the battery exemption list. Fixed in version 1.8.5.

  • Blank screen in Picture-in-Picture on OnePlus devices: The Picture-in-Picture window could appear blank. Fixed in version 1.8.5.

  • Editing a snippet or dictionary word created a duplicate: Renaming a snippet trigger or dictionary word could cause the original entry to reappear after syncing or relaunching. Fixed in version 1.8.5.

  • Onboarding buttons misaligned on tablets and foldables: Primary and secondary buttons on onboarding screens could appear at different widths on larger displays. Fixed in version 1.8.5.

  • Spark Mail not recognized as an email app: Flow could fail to detect Spark Mail and apply the Email writing style. Fixed in version 1.8.5.

  • Flow Bubble resizing incorrectly when anchored to the right edge: The bubble could glitch when resizing while docked on the right side of the screen. Fixed in version 1.8.2.

  • Cancel and Done buttons not responding immediately: The Cancel and Done buttons in the dictation bubble had a brief delay before becoming tappable. They now respond immediately.

  • Flow Bubble flashing off-screen from the right edge: The bubble could jump off-screen briefly when switching to recording.

  • Writing style not applying correctly across many Android apps: Flow was not correctly detecting which app you were dictating into across messaging, work, and email apps, so the wrong style could be applied.

  • Writing style not applying right after changing it: Starting a dictation immediately after picking a new style could use the previous style.

  • Selected writing style reverting after restart: A style like "Very Casual" could reset to the default after a restart. Fixed in version 1.7.5.

  • Back button behavior on the dashboard: The back button now dismisses the keyboard first before returning to the Home tab. Fixed in version 1.7.5.

  • App crashing on the "How did you hear about us?" onboarding screen: Fixed in version 1.7.2.

  • Flow Bubble unresponsive after signing out and back in: The background service powering the bubble could fail to restart. Fixed in version 1.7.2.

  • Dictated text appearing in the wrong app after switching apps: Flow could lose track of the active app. Fixed in version 1.6.7.

  • Flow Bubble not reappearing after switching back to a text field: Fixed in version 1.6.2.

  • Flow Bubble not appearing while the keyboard is opening: The bubble could stay hidden while the keyboard was animating. Fixed in version 1.5.2.

  • Flow Bubble stuck on "Ready" after dismissing the keyboard: Fixed in version 1.5.2.

  • Dictated text inserted multiple times in Google Docs or Gmail: Text could be inserted up to five times in slower apps. Fixed in version 1.5.2.

  • Flow crashing in TikTok, WeChat, or Xiaohongshu: Flow could crash in apps with complex layouts. Fixed in version 1.5.1.

  • Dictated text not inserting in Gmail on Samsung devices: In apps using an embedded web browser for text fields, dictated text could fail to appear. Fixed in version 1.5.0.

  • Audio recording missing after simultaneous dictations: A race condition could cause one recording to be lost. Fixed in version 1.3.3.

  • Text not inserted in WhatsApp, Telegram, or other slower apps: Fixed in version 1.3.3.

  • Dictated text inserted twice in messaging apps: Fixed in version 1.3.2.

  • Text not inserted after back-to-back dictations: A timing issue when starting a second dictation immediately after the first. Fixed in version 1.3.1.

  • Paste or Retry buttons unresponsive after a transcription error: Tapping these buttons incorrectly started a new recording. Fixed in version 1.3.1.

FAQs

What's the difference between Tap Mode and Hold Mode?

Tap Mode: Tap the bubble once to start recording, then tap the checkmark when done. Best for longer dictations.

Hold Mode (Push-to-Talk): Press and hold the bubble to record, then release to insert the text. Best for quick messages.

The bubble appears but nothing happens when I tap it

Open Settings → Accessibility → Wispr Flow and make sure Use Wispr Flow is on and the Wispr Flow shortcut is off. Restart your phone if the bubble still doesn't respond.

The bubble doesn't appear in a specific app

Update the app to its latest version. The bubble won't appear in password fields or numeric-only inputs by design, and is automatically disabled in banking apps for security.

I just finished onboarding but I don't see the Flow Bubble

The bubble doesn't appear immediately after onboarding. Tap into a text field so the on-screen keyboard opens — the bubble appears at the edge of the screen.

Can I move or snooze the Flow Bubble?

Yes. Drag the bubble anywhere on screen — it snaps to the nearest edge with a small margin. In Hold Mode, you can drag it while actively dictating. While in a text field (with the bubble in its Ready state), drag the bubble toward the snooze target that appears near the bottom of the screen to snooze it for 10 minutes. Snooze is only available when a text field is focused. To wake it, shake your phone, tap the "End snooze now" card on the home screen, or wait for it to reappear.

How do I change the Flow Bubble size?

Open the side navigation drawer → Settings → Flow Bubble Size. Use the slider to choose from four preset sizes. You can also enable Shrink the bubble when not in use to minimize the bubble after 5 seconds of inactivity — tap it to restore it and immediately start recording. Two related sub-options, Shrink to a dot and Shrink the bubble in search fields, only become available when Shrink the bubble when not in use is enabled. Shrink the bubble in search fields takes effect immediately (no 5-second delay). All three settings are off by default.

My dictated text isn't being inserted

Make sure the target text field is still active and Wispr Flow has accessibility permissions (Settings → Accessibility → Wispr Flow). If insertion still fails after retries, Flow copies your text to the clipboard and shows a Paste button on the bubble — tap it (or long-press the field and tap Paste) to insert manually.

Will my screen stay on while I'm dictating?

Yes. Your screen stays on while you're actively dictating. Once you finish, your device's normal screen timeout resumes.

Can I use Flow offline?

No. An internet connection is required for transcription. Without connectivity, dictation will fail and your audio is saved in the app.

My transcription failed — what happened?

If transcription fails, you'll see a "Failed to transcribe. Saved in the app." message, and a Retry button appears on the bubble. You can also open the Wispr Flow app, find the recording in your transcript history, and retry it from there.

I see a warning card about permissions on the home screen

Cards like "We can't hear you," "Enable Flow bubble on screen," "Flow can't insert text," and "Keep Wispr Flow running" indicate missing permissions. Tap the card to be guided through granting the permission. The "Enable Flow bubble on screen" (overlay) card actively brings you back to the app once the permission is granted. Other cards rely on normal back navigation — the home screen re-checks permission state when you return, and the warning clears automatically.

How do I change my dictation language?

Open Settings → Languages. Changes are held as a draft — tap Save to apply them, or go back to discard. To remove a language, tap it in the list.

Can the same word be both a dictionary entry and a snippet?

No. A word can only be used as a dictionary entry or a snippet trigger — not both. If you try to save a duplicate, Flow shows a validation error explaining the conflict. Remove the existing entry from one list before adding it to the other.

Limitations and notes

  • Wispr Flow requires Android 13 or later.

  • An internet connection is required for transcription.

  • Writing styles currently apply in English only.

  • Sound effects play at the system sonification volume level.

  • Transcript history is stored locally on your device and does not sync across devices.

  • Privacy mode is available in Settings → Data & Privacy. When enabled, data is stored only on your device.

  • Shaking your device only un-snoozes the Flow Bubble when it is already snoozed. It does not reveal the bubble outside of a text field.

  • A separate Flow Bubble Opacity setting (Settings → Flow Bubble Opacity) lets you adjust transparency in 5 steps from 20% to 100%.

Warning: Deleted transcripts cannot be recovered. Make sure you've copied anything important before deleting a card.

Still stuck?

Reach out to our support team if:

  • The Flow Bubble doesn't appear after following the device-specific setup steps.

  • Dictation consistently fails to transcribe despite a stable internet connection.

  • You see an error message not covered in this guide.

Include your device model, Android version, and the steps you've already tried. Most issues are resolved in one reply.