Starting Your First Dictation on Android

Last updated: April 30, 2026

Available on: Android

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.

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 should open.

  2. Look for the Flow Bubble near the edge of your screen. It appears as soon as the keyboard opens. 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: The Flow Bubble appears only when the on-screen keyboard is open. If you're using an external keyboard or the soft keyboard is collapsed, the bubble won't appear.

Tip: If text insertion fails, Flow retries up to 3 times, then copies your text to the clipboard and shows a notification with a copy button so you can paste it anywhere.

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 will continue. Some devices need a few extra steps on top of that, listed below.

Note: On OnePlus, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Samsung devices, if the system silently removes Flow's accessibility permission in the background, Flow sends you a high-priority notification. Tap it to go directly to the 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.

Xiaomi / Redmi / POCO

During accessibility setup, MIUI shows an extra confirmation dialog. Tap OK to allow Flow to insert text into fields. Flow then guides you through enabling autostart and adding it to the battery saver exemption list to keep the service running reliably.

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).

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).

Realme / Oppo / OnePlus

Grant the battery exemption when Flow prompts you during setup. No additional steps are required.

Huawei

Grant the battery exemption when Flow prompts you during setup. No additional steps are required.

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 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.

  • 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.

  • Tapping the minimized bubble not registering: Taps could land on an invisible area above the small icon rather than the icon itself.

  • 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. To snooze it for 10 minutes, drag it to the bottom of the screen. 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 → 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 toggles, Shrink to a dot and Shrink the bubble in search fields, give you finer control. 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, Flow falls back to copying your text to the clipboard — long-press the text field and tap Paste.

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, 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. 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 it.

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.

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

  • 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.

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.