Available on: Android
Tap the Flow Bubble, speak, and your words appear as text — in any app. This guide walks you through your first dictation on Android in about 30 seconds.
Tap into any text field — Messages, WhatsApp, Gmail, Notes, or anywhere you want to type.
Look for the Flow Bubble near the edge of your screen. It appears as soon as the on-screen keyboard opens.
Tap the Flow Bubble to start recording. You'll hear a sound effect.
Speak your message at a natural pace. Flow transcribes in real time with automatic punctuation.
Tap the checkmark to insert your text. Your spoken words appear in the text field.
Note: The Flow Bubble appears when the on-screen keyboard is open and hides when the keyboard is dismissed. If you're using an external keyboard or have the soft keyboard collapsed, the bubble won't appear automatically.
Tip: After a dictation, a copy-to-clipboard button appears next to the Flow Bubble for a few seconds. If Flow can't insert text into a field, the text is automatically copied to your clipboard so you can paste manually.
Wispr Flow supports two dictation modes:
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.
Tip: Drag the bubble to the bottom of the screen to snooze it for 10 minutes. Shake your phone to bring it back, tap the "End snooze now" card on the home screen, or wait for it to reappear automatically.
Styles control how Flow formats your transcribed text — adjusting punctuation and capitalization to match the context you're writing in. Set and change your style preferences from the Styles page at any time.
Style cards: Show a preview of how each style affects your text, with highlights that illustrate punctuation and capitalization differences.
App categories: Personal, Work, Email, and Other help you see which style applies in apps like WhatsApp, Slack, or Gmail. Switch between categories using the tab picker at the top.
Available styles: Personal offers Formal, Casual, and Very Casual. Work, Email, and Other offer Formal, Casual, and Excited. Each category has a default: Casual for Personal, Formal for all others.
Selecting a style: Opens a bottom sheet where you can review your choice and tap Save to apply it, or Cancel to go back.
Make Flow Sound Like You: Look for this card on the home screen or the Styles page to learn how to personalize your style further.
Note: Styles currently apply in English only.
After each dictation, your transcript appears as a card in the app:
Copy to clipboard: Tap the Copy button on a transcript card to copy the text. You can also tap the transcript text itself to copy.
Report a transcript: Tap the Report button to flag an incorrect transcription. Describe what you expected instead and tap Send. You'll see a confirmation when the report is submitted.
Retry transcription: Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Retry if transcription failed.
Delete a transcript: Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Delete. A confirmation dialog appears.
Warning: Deleted transcripts cannot be recovered.
Note: Failed transcription cards show only the error message and timestamp with a three-dot menu (no Copy or Report buttons).
Some Android manufacturers require extra steps to allow Wispr Flow's accessibility service to run reliably.
Samsung
Open Settings → Battery → Background usage limits.
Add Wispr Flow to "Never sleeping apps."
Open Settings → Apps → Wispr Flow → Battery → set to Unrestricted.
Disable "Put unused apps to sleep" in Battery settings.
The Flow Bubble should now appear reliably when the on-screen keyboard opens.
Vivo
Open Settings → More Settings → Applications → Autostart.
Enable Wispr Flow.
Lock Wispr Flow in recent apps (swipe down on the app card).
The Flow Bubble should now appear reliably when the on-screen keyboard opens.
Motorola / Lenovo
Open Settings → Apps → Special app access → Battery optimization.
Set Wispr Flow to Don't optimize.
Lock Wispr Flow in recent apps (swipe down on the app card).
The Flow Bubble should now appear reliably when the on-screen keyboard opens.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi users may see an additional confirmation dialog during accessibility setup — tap OK to allow Flow to insert text into fields.
Bugs fixed in recent updates
The following issues have been resolved in recent versions. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version and restart the app.
Dictation stopping unexpectedly or text not inserting in certain apps on Android 16: Apps using newer Android 16 interface features could cause dictation sessions to end early or text to fail to insert. Fixed in a recent update.
Wispr Flow crashing while dictating on Android 16: Flow could crash in certain situations on Android 16. Fixed in a recent update.
Wispr Flow crashing in TikTok, WeChat, or Xiaohongshu: Flow could crash when used in certain apps with complex layouts. Fixed in version 1.5.1.
Dictated text not inserting correctly in Gmail or other apps on Samsung devices: In some apps that use an embedded web browser for their text fields (such as Gmail), dictated text could fail to appear correctly, particularly on Samsung devices. Fixed in version 1.5.0.
Copy button briefly flashing after a successful dictation: After dictation, a copy button would momentarily appear next to the Flow Bubble before disappearing, even when text had been inserted successfully. The copy button now appears after every successful dictation for 5 seconds. Fixed in version 1.5.0.
Dictated text silently failing to appear in certain apps: In some apps where text insertion consistently failed, dictated text could appear to be lost. Flow now automatically falls back to pasting via the clipboard after repeated failures. Fixed in a recent update.
Dictated text inserted twice or falling back to clipboard paste when server processing took longer: Text could be duplicated or fail to insert directly into the text field. Fixed in a recent update.
Flow Bubble not reappearing after switching away from a text field: The bubble could fail to show up when you navigated back to a text field after switching to another app or screen. 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 into view. Fixed in version 1.5.2.
Flow Bubble staying on screen after dismissing the keyboard: The bubble could get stuck on screen after the keyboard was closed while a text field still had focus. Fixed in a recent update.
Flow Bubble disappearing right after tapping it to start dictating: The bubble could hide during dictation startup. Fixed in a recent update.
Flow Bubble stuck showing "Ready" after dismissing the keyboard: The bubble could remain in a waiting state even after the keyboard was dismissed. 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 some slower apps. Fixed in version 1.5.2.
Flow Bubble not appearing when tapping quickly into a text field: The bubble could stay hidden when quickly tapping a text field or in apps that take a moment to register the text field. Fixed in a recent update.
Dictated text silently failing to appear in WhatsApp or Telegram after switching chats: When these apps recycled their message input field, text could silently fail to insert. Flow now automatically detects this and reconnects to the input field. Fixed in a recent update.
Audio recording missing from a history entry after dictating at the same time as another session: 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: Text insertion could fail in apps that take longer to respond. Fixed in version 1.3.3.
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 instead. Fixed in version 1.3.1.
Dictated text inserted twice in WhatsApp or other messaging apps: A text insertion bug caused duplicate entries. Fixed in version 1.3.2.
The bubble appears but nothing happens when I tap it
Go to Settings → Accessibility → Wispr Flow and make sure "Use Wispr Flow" is ON and the Wispr Flow shortcut is OFF. Restart your phone if needed.
The bubble doesn't appear in a specific app
Try updating the affected app to its latest version. The bubble won't appear in password fields or numeric-only inputs by design. It's also automatically disabled in banking apps for security.
I just finished onboarding but I don't see the Flow Bubble
The Flow Bubble doesn't appear immediately after onboarding. It shows up automatically when you tap into a text field and the on-screen keyboard opens.
Can I move the Flow Bubble to a different position?
Yes. Drag the bubble anywhere on screen. When released near an edge, it snaps back with a small margin. In Hold Mode, you can drag the bubble while actively dictating.
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.
My dictated text isn't being inserted into the text field
Make sure the target text field is still active and that Wispr Flow has accessibility permissions. If insertion fails repeatedly, Flow automatically pastes the text using your clipboard — long-press the text field to paste manually if needed.
Will my screen stay on while I'm dictating?
Yes. Your screen stays on automatically while you're actively dictating. Once you finish, your device's normal screen timeout behavior resumes.
Can I use Flow offline?
No. Internet is required for transcription. If you try to start a dictation without connectivity, you'll see a "No internet. Try again later." message.
My transcription failed — what happened?
If transcription fails, you'll see a "Failed to transcribe. Saved in the app." message. You can find the recording in your transcript history and retry it from there.
I see a warning card on the home screen about permissions — what should I do?
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 required permission.
I use a hearing aid — will Flow work with it?
Yes. On Android 16, Flow notifies you if the microphone switches between your hearing aid and your phone's built-in mic during a recording, so you always know which device is being used.
What is the Dictionary?
The Dictionary tab lets you add custom words and names to improve recognition accuracy. You can add, edit, delete, search, and filter words. Team dictionary words appear if you're on a Business plan.
What are the tutorial cards on the home screen?
Short tutorial cards covering key features like how to start dictating, resize the Flow Bubble, and snooze it. Swipe through them and dismiss each one when you're done.
What is the small floating window during setup?
That's a setup guide that appears when Wispr Flow sends you to Android's accessibility settings. It shows you exactly where to find and enable the Wispr Flow accessibility service. Once you turn it on, the floating window closes automatically.
Dictionary and Snippets are available on Android.
Internet connection is required for transcription.
Sound effects play at the system sonification volume level.
Transcript history is stored locally on your device and does not sync across devices.
Writing styles currently apply in English only on Android.
Privacy mode is available in Settings under Data & Privacy. When enabled, data is stored only on your device.
In rare cases where text insertion fails repeatedly, Flow automatically pastes your text using the system clipboard. Your dictated text is temporarily stored in the clipboard when this occurs.
Android 16 users benefit from improved dictation reliability and microphone switching detection for hearing aid users.
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.