Customize keyboard and mouse shortcuts

Assign keys for push-to-talk, hands-free dictation, and other Flow actions. Flow checks each combination against reserved shortcuts and your existing bindings.

Change or add a shortcut

1. Open the Wispr Flow menu-bar icon on Mac or system-tray icon on Windows, then Settings → General → Shortcuts.
2. Click the binding and press your new combination. Look for Shortcut saved.
3. To keep the existing shortcut too, click + or Add another, then record another combination.

Each action supports up to four shortcuts; Cancel supports one. Finish recording before adding another or resetting. Reset to default replaces every custom shortcut on the page with platform defaults and has no undo.

Defaults and common actions

Action	Mac	Windows
Push to talk: hold to dictate	Fn; Ctrl+Opt if no Apple Fn key is detected at first run	Ctrl+Win
Hands-free: start/stop without holding	Fn+Space	Ctrl+Win+Space
Command Mode	Fn+Ctrl	Ctrl+Win+Alt
Paste last transcript	Cmd+Ctrl+V	Shift+Alt+Z
Copy last transcript	Cmd+Ctrl+C	Shift+Alt+X
Cancel	Escape	Escape
Suggested Scratchpad shortcut	Opt+S	Win+Alt+S

Double-tapping your dictation shortcut also enables hands-free mode. Command Mode requires an active paid subscription or trial and its Settings → Experimental toggle.

Scratchpad opens/closes on a tap, accepts push-to-talk on a hold, and supports double-tap hands-free while visible. See Using the Scratchpad. Configure the separate Notetaker shortcut in Settings → Notetaker; its Mac default is Option+M.

Additional rows can include Enter rebind, Note, Focus Mode, and Join meeting / start Notetaker, depending on features available to your account. The Transform entry opens Transforms settings. During onboarding, only push-to-talk and hands-free controls appear.

Mac labels use ⌃ Ctrl, ⌘ Cmd, ⌥ Option, and ⇧ Shift; Windows uses names such as Ctrl, Win, Alt, and Shift. An arrow beside a modifier identifies its right-hand version. Check the binding displayed in your app if an initial setup chose a different default.

Choose an accepted combination

• Use three keys or fewer, including a modifier: Ctrl, Cmd, Alt/Opt, Shift, Fn on Mac, or Win on Windows.
• Middle click, Mouse 4–10, or a supported Aux Button can satisfy the modifier requirement and work alone or with modifiers. Left/right click and Caps Lock cannot be assigned.
• Do not combine left and right versions of the same modifier.
• Each binding must be unique across Flow and cannot be reserved. Escape alone is allowed for Cancel.

Examples include Ctrl+Shift+K, Alt+F7, Ctrl+Space, and Ctrl+Mouse4, if available. For a MacBook and external keyboard, keep Fn and add Ctrl+Opt or Opt+Cmd; many external keyboards lack Apple's Fn key.

Remove a binding or free up keys

Click a binding, then its X to remove it. Optional actions such as Scratchpad can stay empty. Some actions protect their final shortcut; use the available X control rather than assuming every action can be left empty. Hands-free dictation also works by double-tapping push-to-talk.

If there is no X, rebind the unused action to an unused combination such as Ctrl+Opt+9 on Mac or Ctrl+Alt+9 on Windows. Give each action a different combination. If a row is already empty, click Click to add a shortcut to restore it.

A field showing Press a key or mouse button stays open until it receives an accepted shortcut. Escape is bindable and does not cancel. To keep the previous binding, close and reopen the Shortcuts dialog.

If a shortcut does not work

• Rejected combination: check reservations, duplicates, key count, and modifiers. A hands-free shortcut contained within your push-to-talk combination can also trigger a conflict warning.
• Mac shortcuts stop working: another app may hold Secure Keyboard Entry. Quit that app or leave its password field; if needed, sign out of your Mac and back in. See Secure Keyboard Entry troubleshooting.
• Windows keyboard utilities intercept keys: temporarily end the manufacturer's keyboard process in Task Manager and test. Disabling an extended-function keyboard device can remove media-key features.
• Mouse buttons: an eligible mouse is required; Apple Magic Mouse, built-in trackpads, and mice with three or fewer buttons are excluded. Assigned clicks are suppressed in other apps, including a bare button used in a modifier combination. Release one mouse shortcut before pressing another. Keyboard shortcuts can still reach other apps. Release a mouse button before changing or removing its binding. Some Logitech auxiliary buttons are exceptions; see Logi Options+ troubleshooting.

Ctrl+Win suppresses the Windows Start/Search action during that combination; Win alone still works. Combinations containing two non-modifier keys can interfere with shorter shortcuts. If Flow quits while you hold a mouse shortcut, releasing it may trigger the foreground app's action.

Turning the Open Scratchpad shortcut off stores its custom binding for restoration when re-enabled. If your organization disables Scratchpad, its shortcut is removed. It returns when Scratchpad is re-enabled unless the keys were reassigned.

Still stuck? Contact support with your platform, keyboard or mouse model, exact shortcut, and error message.