Supported & Unsupported Keyboard Hotkey Shortcuts

Last updated: April 28, 2026

Available on: Mac, Windows

Assign keyboard shortcuts or mouse buttons to control dictation, Command Mode, Transform, and more. This guide covers which combinations work, how to set them, and which shortcuts your system reserves.

How it works in Flow

Overview

All dictation shortcuts are configured from a single settings page. Flow validates each shortcut against system reservations and your other Flow bindings before accepting it, then reflects your choice in every notification and prompt.

Key behaviors

  • Push to talk: Hold a key or mouse button to dictate.

  • Hands-free mode: Double-tap to start and stop dictation without holding.

  • Command Mode: Activate Command Mode with a shortcut. Requires an active paid subscription or trial.

  • Paste last transcript: Paste your last dictated text. Defaults to Cmd+Ctrl+V on Mac and Shift+Alt+Z on Windows.

  • Transform: Apply a Transform to selected or recently dictated text. Defaults to Fn+P on Mac and Ctrl+Win+P on Windows.

  • View Diff: Toggle the diff viewer to review what a Transform or Auto Cleanup changed. Defaults to Fn+D on Mac and Ctrl+Win+D on Windows. Works with Light and Medium Auto Cleanup modes; Transform diffs are preserved even when Auto Cleanup is set to None.

  • Open Scratchpad: Toggle the Scratchpad with a single keypress. Defaults to Opt+S on Mac and Win+Alt+S on Windows. When the Scratchpad is already open, a short tap (under 350ms) closes it, while holding past that threshold starts push-to-talk dictation — dictated text lands in a new tab if the current tab already has content. Double-tap for hands-free dictation into the Scratchpad. Active only when Scratchpad is enabled.

  • Press Enter command: Say "press enter" at the end of dictation to simulate the Enter key. Enable in Settings → Experimental.

  • Cancel: Dismiss dictation and notifications. Defaults to Escape, and works even if other modifier keys are held.

  • Transform Prompts shortcuts: When Transforms (Beta) is enabled, assign shortcuts to up to 8 custom Transform Prompts. Slots 1 and 2 default to Opt+1/Opt+2 on Mac and Win+Alt+1/Win+Alt+2 on Windows; the remaining six slots have no defaults. Configurations sync across your devices.

  • Gusto Voice: Gusto enterprise users get a Gusto Voice writing style prompt with its own assignable shortcut, configured in Transform settings.

  • Multiple shortcuts per binding: Each binding type supports up to 4 shortcuts. The Cancel binding allows only one.

  • Dynamic notifications: Flow notifications reflect your configured shortcuts. For example, if you tap instead of hold your dictation shortcut, the reminder shows your actual shortcut (e.g., "Hold down Ctrl+Space").

Note: While dictation is active, the Escape key is captured by Flow and does not pass through to other applications.

Scratchpad editor shortcuts

While the Scratchpad is open and focused, these shortcuts are active:

  • Save active tab: Cmd+S (Mac), Ctrl+S (Windows)

  • Toggle inline code on selected text: Cmd+Shift+C (Mac), Ctrl+Shift+C (Windows)

  • Wrap selected text as a link: Cmd+V (Mac), Ctrl+V (Windows) over selected text

  • New tab: Cmd+T (Mac), Ctrl+T (Windows)

  • Close current tab: Cmd+W (Mac), Ctrl+W (Windows)

  • Close Scratchpad window: Cmd+Shift+W (Mac), Ctrl+Shift+W (Windows). Saved notes are preserved automatically; unsaved drafts prompt you to confirm before closing.

  • Toggle notes sidebar: Cmd+E (Mac), Ctrl+E (Windows)

Using mouse buttons as triggers

You can bind mouse buttons as dictation triggers. Mouse button bindings work exactly like keyboard shortcuts — hold for push-to-talk, or double-tap for hands-free mode.

  • Supported buttons: Middle Click, Mouse4, and Mouse5 (side buttons found on most mice).

  • Not supported: Left click, right click, and extended buttons beyond Mouse5.

  • Hybrid combinations: Combine keyboard keys with mouse buttons (e.g., Ctrl + Mouse4).

Warning: When a mouse button is bound as a trigger, it is suppressed from reaching other applications. For example, if Mouse4 is bound, it won't trigger browser back navigation while Flow is running.

Keyboard autocorrect

When the Wispr QWERTY keyboard is active, autocorrect fixes misspelled words as you type. Pressing Space, Return, or punctuation after a misspelled word triggers the correction (e.g., "teh" becomes "the"). Acronyms and words containing digits are left unchanged, and single-character words are never corrected.

If autocorrect changes a word and you retype the original, autocorrect stops correcting that word for the rest of the session. Capitalization style is preserved (e.g., ALL CAPS stays ALL CAPS).

Autocorrect is enabled by default. To turn it off, go to Settings → General and toggle Keyboard Autocorrect. This toggle only appears for users who have the Wispr QWERTY keyboard feature enabled.

How to configure shortcuts

  1. Click the Wispr Flow icon in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows).

  2. Open Settings → General, then click Change next to Shortcuts.

  3. Click the binding you want to change and press your new shortcut, or click a mouse button. The field updates to show your new combination.

The shortcuts dialog also includes a Transform view changes option for the diff viewer, a clickable Transform row that links to the Transforms hub, and — when Scratchpad is enabled — an Open Scratchpad row where you can assign or reset your Scratchpad shortcut. To restore all shortcuts to platform defaults, click Reset to default at the bottom of the Keybind shortcuts page.

Shortcut rules

A valid shortcut must meet these requirements:

  • 3 keys or fewer: Combinations with more than 3 keys are not accepted.

  • At least one modifier key: Ctrl, Cmd, Alt, Shift, Fn, or a mouse button.

  • No left/right modifier mix: You cannot combine the left and right versions of the same modifier (e.g., Left Ctrl + Right Ctrl).

  • No duplicates: A shortcut cannot duplicate another Flow binding.

  • No reserved shortcuts: Shortcuts reserved by your system are blocked (listed below).

Mouse buttons count as modifiers, so a single mouse button (e.g., Mouse4 alone) is a valid shortcut without needing a keyboard modifier.

Note: The Cancel binding allows Escape as a standalone key without a modifier. All other bindings require at least one modifier or mouse button. On Windows, standalone Ctrl or Right Ctrl cannot be used as a single-key hotkey because it conflicts with Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Z, and other standard shortcuts. Caps Lock cannot be used in shortcuts on either platform — on Mac, it has no key-release event and is ignored by the system.

Reserved shortcuts

Mac reserved shortcuts

These shortcuts are blocked because macOS or common apps use them:

Common Cmd-based:
Cmd+C, Cmd+V, Cmd+X, Cmd+Z, Cmd+Shift+Z, Cmd+A, Cmd+Q, Cmd+W, Cmd+R, Cmd+T, Cmd+P, Cmd+N, Cmd+O, Cmd+S, Cmd+M, Cmd+H, Cmd+F, Cmd+G, Cmd+Shift+G, Cmd+Comma, Cmd+Tab

Navigation & control:
Cmd+Arrow Keys, Cmd+Shift+Arrow Keys, Cmd+Ctrl+F, Cmd+Space, Cmd+Alt+Space, Cmd+Shift+3/4/5, Cmd+Alt+Esc, Cmd+Alt+D, Cmd+Alt+P, Cmd+Delete, Cmd+Shift+Delete, Cmd+Shift+Q, Cmd+Alt+Left, Cmd+Alt+Right

Browser & editor:
Cmd+B, Cmd+I, Cmd+U, Cmd+Shift+T, Cmd+=, Cmd+-, Cmd+Alt+F, Cmd+Shift+F

Ctrl-based:
Ctrl+Up, Ctrl+Down, Ctrl+Left, Ctrl+Right, Ctrl+A, Ctrl+E, Ctrl+K

Function keys:
Fn+F11, Fn+F12

Delete:
Alt+Backspace, Alt+Delete

Windows reserved shortcuts

These shortcuts are blocked because Windows or common apps use them:

Standalone Ctrl keys:
Ctrl, Right Ctrl (conflict with Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Z, etc. Multi-key Ctrl combinations like Ctrl+Win still work.)

Ctrl-based:
Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y, Ctrl+R, Ctrl+A, Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, Ctrl+U, Ctrl+F, Ctrl+G, Ctrl+O, Ctrl+S, Ctrl+P, Ctrl+N, Ctrl+T, Ctrl+W, Ctrl+K, Ctrl+Home, Ctrl+End, Ctrl+Alt+Del, Ctrl+Shift+Esc, Ctrl+Backspace, Ctrl+Delete, Ctrl+Shift+T, Ctrl+=, Ctrl+-, Ctrl+Shift+Home, Ctrl+Shift+End

Alt-based:
Alt+Tab, Alt+F4, Alt+Left/Right, Alt+Print Screen

Function & navigation:
F5, F11, Home, End, Print Screen, Shift+F3, Shift+Home, Shift+End

Windows key combos:
Win+E, Win+R, Win+L, Win+D, Win+Tab, Win+I, Win+S, Win+X, Win+P, Win+Q, Win+Up/Down

Examples

Recommended shortcuts for Mac

Try one of these:

  • Fn (built-in Mac keyboards)

  • Ctrl+Opt or Opt+Cmd (external keyboards)

  • Cmd-Right or Opt-Right (if left-side shortcuts are not accessible)

  • Mouse4 or Mouse5 (side buttons on a multi-button mouse)

During setup, MacBook users default to Fn. If the device does not have an Apple Fn key (e.g., external keyboards), Flow automatically uses Ctrl+Opt.

Default shortcuts (Mac):

  • Push to talk: Fn

  • Hands-free mode: Fn+Space

  • Command Mode: Fn+Ctrl

  • Cancel: Esc

  • Paste last transcript: Cmd+Ctrl+V

  • Transform: Fn+P

  • View Diff: Fn+D

  • Open Scratchpad: Opt+S (requires Scratchpad enabled)

  • Transform Prompts: Slots 1 and 2 default to Opt+1 and Opt+2; slots 3–8 are unassigned. Requires Transforms (Beta).

  • Gusto Voice: Assignable in Transform settings (Gusto enterprise users only).

Recommended shortcuts for Windows

Try one of these:

  • Ctrl+Win or Ctrl+Alt

  • Ctrl-Right or Alt-Right (if left-side shortcuts are not accessible)

  • An unused key like Pg-Up

  • Mouse4 or Mouse5 (side buttons on a multi-button mouse)

Default shortcuts (Windows):

  • Push to talk: Ctrl+Win

  • Hands-free mode: Ctrl+Win+Space

  • Command Mode: Ctrl+Win+Alt

  • Cancel: Esc

  • Paste last transcript: Shift+Alt+Z

  • Transform: Ctrl+Win+P

  • View Diff: Ctrl+Win+D

  • Open Scratchpad: Win+Alt+S (requires Scratchpad enabled)

  • Transform Prompts: Slots 1 and 2 default to Win+Alt+1 and Win+Alt+2; slots 3–8 are unassigned. Requires Transforms (Beta).

  • Gusto Voice: Assignable in Transform settings (Gusto enterprise users only).

Shortcuts that work

  • Ctrl+Shift+K, Alt+F7, Cmd+Shift+9 (if not reserved)

  • Ctrl+Space, Ctrl+Alt+M, Shift+F9

  • Ctrl+Win (Windows), Ctrl+Alt+F12 (Windows)

  • Mouse4, Mouse5, Middle Click (mouse buttons satisfy the modifier requirement)

  • Ctrl+Mouse4 (hybrid keyboard + mouse combination)

Shortcuts that won't work

  • A+B+C (no modifier key)

  • Cmd+Shift+Alt+K (more than 3 keys)

  • Left Ctrl + Right Ctrl (left/right modifier mix)

  • Left Click or Right Click (reserved for normal mouse operation)

Common issues

Shortcuts not working on Windows with gaming laptops or wireless multi-function keyboards

Some gaming laptops (e.g., Lenovo Legion) and wireless multi-function keyboards (e.g., Dell KB7120WC) include background software or HID drivers that intercept keyboard events before Flow can register them. This can cause shortcuts to fail, show a red rejection circle when setting them, or trigger unrelated actions like volume controls. To resolve:

  1. Check for OEM keyboard software. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and end processes like Lenovo Vantage, Lenovo Hotkeys, Dell Peripheral Manager, or similar OEM utilities, then test your Flow shortcut again.

  2. Disable the keyboard's HID device (wireless keyboards). Open Device Manager, expand "Human Interface Devices," find the entry for your wireless keyboard's extra functions, and disable it. You may lose dedicated media keys (volume, play/pause), but standard keyboard input works normally.

  3. Try a mouse button instead. Assign Mouse4 or Mouse5 as your dictation trigger. Mouse buttons use a different input path and are not affected by keyboard HID conflicts.

Bugs fixed in recent updates

The following issues were resolved in recent versions of Wispr Flow. Update to the latest version and restart Flow to pick up the fixes.

  • Opt+S sometimes did nothing when another app was active on Mac: Pressing Opt+S while another app had focus could silently fail to bring the Scratchpad to the foreground. The Scratchpad now reliably comes to the front whenever you press Opt+S, regardless of which app is currently active, and opens more responsively.

  • Cmd+Shift+W only hid the Scratchpad, and Cmd+S saved all tabs: Pressing Cmd+Shift+W (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+W (Windows) would hide the Scratchpad rather than fully closing it, and Cmd+S / Ctrl+S saved every open tab instead of only the active one. Both shortcuts now behave as expected: the close shortcut fully closes the Scratchpad, and the save shortcut saves only the active tab.

  • Scratchpad shortcut didn't bring the window forward on Mac when behind other windows: On Mac, pressing Opt+S when the Scratchpad was open but hidden behind other windows would close it instead of bringing it to the front. The shortcut is now focus-aware: pressing it once brings the Scratchpad to the front, and pressing it again (when already focused) closes it.

  • Scratchpad sidebar toggle and save shortcuts conflicted with system shortcuts: Cmd+E and Cmd+S previously also triggered on Windows, and Ctrl+E and Ctrl+S previously also triggered on Mac. These shortcuts are now platform-specific.

  • Scratchpad stole focus on Mac: Pressing Opt+S previously surfaced the Wispr Flow hub window and pulled focus from your current app. The Scratchpad now toggles open and closed with a single keypress and is immediately ready for keyboard input without taking focus.

  • Transform shortcuts broke special characters on international keyboards: Transform shortcuts (Opt+1, Opt+2 on Mac; Win+Alt+1, Win+Alt+2 on Windows) were registered in the background even if you never used Transforms, blocking characters like ñ and ö. They now activate only after you intentionally interact with Transforms.

  • Diff viewer showed incorrect or missing content: The diff viewer now correctly shows nothing when Auto Cleanup made no changes, works for both Light and Medium Auto Cleanup modes, and preserves your last Transform diff when Auto Cleanup is set to None.

  • Keyboard shortcuts delayed or dropped during typing: A stall in keyboard event processing could delay or drop shortcuts — including dictation activation, Transform shortcuts, and paste last text. On Mac, stalls could last 30+ seconds. This has been fixed.

  • "Press enter" inserted a stray punctuation character: Saying only "press enter" with no other dictated text previously inserted a stray period before simulating Enter. Flow now simulates Enter cleanly.

  • MacBooks defaulted to Ctrl+Option instead of Fn during onboarding: When Flow launched at login before the screen was unlocked, it incorrectly detected the keyboard as lacking an Fn key. MacBook users now correctly get Fn as their default shortcut. If your shortcut is still set to Ctrl+Opt, go to Settings → General → Shortcuts and reset it to Fn.

FAQs

Why can't I use standalone Ctrl on Windows?

Standalone Ctrl or Right Ctrl would intercept every Ctrl-based shortcut (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Z, etc.), breaking standard copy/paste/undo functions. Multi-key combinations like Ctrl+Win or Ctrl+Alt+F12 work because they don't conflict.

Why is my shortcut rejected even though it's not in the reserved list?

It's likely already assigned to another action in Flow. Each shortcut can only be used for one action. Open Settings → General → Shortcuts to see all current assignments.

Can I use function keys as shortcuts?

Yes, function keys work when combined with modifiers (e.g., Alt+F7, Shift+F9). Some standalone function keys like F5 and F11 are reserved by the system.

Can I change the Escape dismiss shortcut?

Yes. Go to Settings → General → Shortcuts and assign a different combination to the Cancel row. Notifications automatically update to show your new Cancel shortcut.

What does Flow do when I assign a conflicting shortcut?

Conflict warnings appear only when the Hands-free mode shortcut is a subset of the Push-to-talk shortcut (for example, Hands-free set to Fn while Push-to-talk is Fn+Space). Flow shows: "Your Hands-free mode shortcut is a part of a Push-to-talk shortcut. This may lead to conflicts." No other combinations trigger warnings.

Why doesn't my Command Mode shortcut work?

Command Mode requires an active paid subscription or trial. Without one, the shortcut has no effect.

My mouse's side buttons aren't working. What should I do?

If you have a Logitech MX-series mouse, open Logi Options+ and make sure the side buttons are set to their default Mouse 4 / Mouse 5 actions rather than a custom function. Logi Options+ remaps side buttons to trackpad swipe gestures by default, which fire instantly with no button-release event — this breaks push-to-talk because Flow never receives the release.

Autocorrect changed a word I didn't want corrected. How do I stop that?

Turn off autocorrect in Settings → General by toggling off Keyboard Autocorrect. Autocorrect leaves acronyms and words containing digits unchanged — it only corrects common misspellings.

Why aren't my Transform Prompts shortcuts working?

Transform Prompts shortcuts require Transforms (Beta) to be enabled in Settings → Transforms (Beta). They also only become active after you first interact with Transforms — by visiting the Transforms tab, clicking "Try it out," or toggling the feature on. Only slots 1 and 2 have default shortcuts; the rest must be assigned manually. Gusto Voice shortcuts are configured separately in Transform settings and are not affected by the Transforms (Beta) toggle.

Why don't I see the Open Scratchpad row in my Hotkeys settings?

The Open Scratchpad row in Settings → Hotkeys only appears when the Scratchpad feature is enabled. If Scratchpad is disabled, the row is hidden and the shortcut is not active. If you previously configured a custom Scratchpad shortcut and then disabled the feature, your binding is saved and will be restored automatically if you re-enable Scratchpad.

Limitations and notes

  • Custom keybind shortcuts are stored locally on each device and do not sync across devices.

  • Command Mode shortcuts require an active paid subscription or trial.

  • The Keyboard Autocorrect toggle only appears for users with the Wispr QWERTY keyboard feature enabled.

  • Dictation automatically stops after 20 minutes. A warning notification appears at 19 minutes.

  • If your shortcut includes two non-modifier keys (e.g., Ctrl+A+B), other applications' shortcuts that are a subset of yours (e.g., Ctrl+A) may be blocked while Flow is running.

  • Transform Prompts and Gusto Voice shortcuts are configured in Transform settings. Transform Prompt configurations sync across devices; Gusto Voice is available only to Gusto enterprise users.

  • On Mac, the Scratchpad behaves like a normal window and can go behind other application windows. Press Opt+S to bring it to the front whenever it becomes hidden.

  • Scratchpad editor shortcuts (inline code, link wrapping, tab management, sidebar toggle) are only active while the Scratchpad is open and focused — they do not affect other applications. Shortcuts use platform-specific modifier keys: Cmd on Mac and Ctrl on Windows.

Still stuck?

Reach out to support if:

  • Your shortcut is rejected and isn't in the reserved list or assigned to another binding.

  • Shortcuts still fail after trying the steps in Common issues.

  • A mouse button binding works once and then stops responding.

Include your platform (Mac or Windows), keyboard or mouse model, and the exact shortcut you're trying to assign. Most shortcut issues are resolved in one reply.