Supported & Unsupported Keyboard Hotkey Shortcuts

Last updated: July 30, 2026

Available on: Mac, Windows

Set a push-to-talk key, bind shortcuts to your favorite keys, or pick a shortcut that works on both your MacBook and an external keyboard. This guide covers which combinations are valid, how to assign them, how to clear or free up ones you don't use, and which shortcuts your system reserves. Most setups take under 2 minutes.

How it works in Flow

Overview

Wispr Flow lets you bind keyboard shortcuts (and select mouse buttons) to every major action: push-to-talk dictation, hands-free mode, Command Mode, paste/copy last transcript, opening the Scratchpad, and cancelling. Shortcuts are configured from a single settings page, and Flow validates each one against system reservations and your existing bindings before accepting it.

Key behaviors

Push to talk: Hold a key to dictate.
Hands-free mode: Double-tap your dictation shortcut, or press the hands-free shortcut, to start and stop dictation without holding.
Command Mode: Activate Command Mode with a shortcut. Requires an active paid subscription or trial, and must be enabled in Settings → Experimental.
Paste last transcript: Paste your last dictated text. Defaults to Cmd+Ctrl+V on Mac and Shift+Alt+Z on Windows.
Copy last transcript: When you dictate without a focused text field, Flow shows a notification with a Copy button. Click the Copy button (or press the copy shortcut) to place the transcript on your clipboard — the label flips to "Copied!" and the notification dismisses. Defaults to Cmd+Ctrl+C on Mac and Shift+Alt+X on Windows.
Open Scratchpad: Tap to open or close the Scratchpad. Hold to start push-to-talk dictation into it. Double-tap for hands-free dictation (only when the Scratchpad is already visible). The first time you visit the Scratchpad tab, Flow suggests a default shortcut (Opt+S on Mac, Win+Alt+S on Windows) which you can accept, change, or disable from the Notes page or Settings → General → Shortcuts.
Press Enter command: Say "press enter" at the end of dictation to simulate the Enter key. Enable in Settings → Experimental. The first time Flow detects "press enter," it shows a confirmation notification and does not press Enter on that first detection. If you turn Press Enter off in Settings after already seeing the first-time prompt, the phrase "press enter" will no longer be stripped — it will appear in your dictated text. Press Enter is disabled automatically in Command Mode.
Cancel: Dismiss dictation and notifications. Defaults to Escape and works even when other modifier keys are held.
Multiple shortcuts per binding: Each action supports up to 4 shortcuts. Only one Cancel shortcut can be assigned through the UI.
Mouse button shortcuts: Middle click and Mouse 4–10 can be used as standalone triggers or combined with keyboard modifiers (e.g., Ctrl+Mouse4). Left and right click cannot be used. When bound, the mouse button is reserved for Flow while Flow is running.
Dynamic notifications and tooltips: Notifications that reference the paste-last-text shortcut automatically reflect your configured binding. Hovering the Flow Bar bubble also displays your current push-to-talk shortcut.

How to configure shortcuts

Click the Wispr Flow icon in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows), then click Settings.
Open the General tab, then click Change next to Shortcuts to open the Keybind shortcuts page.
Click the binding you want to change and press your new shortcut. The field updates to show your new combination and a Shortcut saved toast appears.
Add another shortcut by clicking the + (Add another) button next to an existing shortcut — a Click to add a shortcut placeholder appears. Click that placeholder to start recording, then press your desired key combination.
Reset all shortcuts to platform defaults by clicking Reset to default at the bottom of the Keybind shortcuts page. A Reset to default success toast confirms the action.

Warning: Reset to default replaces every custom shortcut you've assigned with the platform defaults. There is no undo.

Note: Reset to default and Add another do nothing while a shortcut is being recorded — clicking either shows the toast "Please finish recording first."

Shortcut rules

A valid shortcut must meet these requirements:

3 keys or fewer: Combinations with more than 3 keys are not accepted. Error: "Shortcut must contain 3 or fewer keys."
At least one modifier key or valid mouse button: Ctrl, Cmd (Mac), Alt/Opt, Shift, Fn (Mac), or Win (Windows). Left and right variants of each modifier are recognized separately. Mouse buttons (middle click, Mouse 4–10) also satisfy this requirement and can be used standalone. Error: "Shortcut must include a modifier key or a valid 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). Error: "Shortcut cannot contain both left and right version of the same key."
No duplicates: A shortcut cannot duplicate another Flow binding. Error: "This shortcut is already in use."
No reserved shortcuts: Shortcuts reserved by your system are blocked (listed below). Error: "This shortcut is not allowed: [key name]."
Cancel exception: The Cancel binding allows Escape as a standalone key. All other bindings require at least one modifier or a valid mouse button.
Caps Lock: Caps Lock cannot be used in shortcuts.

Validation order: Reserved-key check → duplicate-binding check → modifier check → key-count check → left/right-modifier check. A reserved shortcut will always show "not allowed" even if it is already assigned elsewhere.

Reserved shortcuts

The following are common examples of reserved shortcuts. The exact list may vary by version.

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:

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

Clearing vs. rebinding a shortcut

If you want a key combination back for another app, either remove Flow's shortcut or rebind it to a combination you will never press. Which option is available depends on the row.

Which shortcuts can be emptied

Core dictation actions always keep at least one shortcut: Push to talk, Hands-free mode, Command Mode, Paste last transcript, Copy last transcript, and Cancel cannot be left with no key assigned, so you always have a way to start dictating.
Optional rows can be emptied completely: Open Scratchpad is one example. If a row can display a Click to add a shortcut placeholder when it has no key, that row can be left empty.
Extra shortcuts can always be removed: If an action has more than one shortcut assigned, you can delete the extras from any row, including core actions. Only the final remaining shortcut is protected.

Remove a shortcut

Use this when the row is optional, or when you are deleting an extra shortcut from an action that has more than one.

Open Settings → General → Shortcuts.
Click the shortcut you want to remove. The field border turns purple and shows Press a key or mouse button.
Click the X icon at the right edge of that field. The field empties, which confirms the shortcut is removed.

Note: The X icon appears only after you click into a field, and only on shortcuts that are allowed to be removed. If you see no X, that shortcut is the last one for a core action. Rebind it instead.

Free up a key you cannot remove

For core actions you do not use, rebind the row to a combination you will never press. The original key is then free for your other apps.

Open Settings → General → Shortcuts.
Click the shortcut for the action you do not use.
Press a deliberately awkward combination. Mac: Ctrl+Opt+9 / Windows: Ctrl+Alt+9. It needs at least one modifier key to be accepted.
Confirm the Shortcut saved message appears. Your original key combination is now available to other apps.

Note: Every binding must be unique, so give each row its own throwaway combination — Ctrl+Opt+7, Ctrl+Opt+8, Ctrl+Opt+9 and so on. Reusing one you have already assigned is rejected with "This shortcut is already in use."

A field stays on "Press a key or mouse button"

A field waiting for input stays open until it receives a combination it can accept. Escape will not close it, because Escape is a bindable key in this dialog (it is the default for the Cancel action) rather than a way to back out. Clicking elsewhere in the dialog will not dismiss it either, and the + and Reset to default buttons show Please finish recording first while a field is open.

Close the Shortcuts dialog, then reopen it from Settings → General → Shortcuts. The row returns to its previous shortcut, which confirms the waiting state is cleared.
Press any valid combination instead if you would rather set a new shortcut while the field is still open, for example Ctrl+Opt+9.

Common issues

The Open Scratchpad shortcut pill wasn't visible, or the shortcut didn't open the Scratchpad

Previously, the Scratchpad shortcut pill on the Notes page could be hidden when no key was bound, and pressing the shortcut could silently fail. Both issues are fixed in the latest version — the pill now always appears (including when unbound), and the Open Scratchpad row is always shown in Settings → General → Shortcuts.

Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.
Restart Flow after updating.

Pressing the copy shortcut after dictation didn't update the Copy button

Previously, pressing the copy-last-text shortcut copied the text but left the notification button stuck on "Copy." Fixed in the latest version — pressing the shortcut now updates the button to "Copied!" and dismisses the notification automatically, matching the behavior of clicking the button.

Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.
Restart Flow after updating.

Bugs fixed in recent updates

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

Adding a new shortcut required two clicks: Previously, clicking an empty shortcut slot opened a selector but didn't start recording. Clicking an empty slot now starts recording immediately.
Keyboard shortcuts delayed or dropped during typing: A delay in keyboard event handling could drop shortcuts, including dictation activation and paste last text. Now resolved.
"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.
MacBook Fn key detection on first run: If your MacBook had an external (non-Apple) keyboard connected at first run, Flow could fail to detect the Apple Fn key and switched the default push-to-talk to Ctrl+Opt, Hands-free to Ctrl+Opt+Space, and Command Mode to Cmd+Ctrl+Opt. To restore Fn, open the Shortcuts dialog and rebind push-to-talk to Fn.

Examples

Recommended shortcuts for Mac

Try one of these:

Fn (built-in Mac keyboards only — the Apple Fn key is not present on most third-party keyboards)
Ctrl+Opt or Opt+Cmd (works on every Mac-compatible keyboard, including external)
Mouse4, Mouse5, or Middle Click (compatible third-party mice only)

Default shortcuts (Mac):

Push to talk: Fn (or Ctrl+Opt if no Apple Fn key is detected at first run)
Hands-free mode: Fn+Space
Command Mode: Fn+Ctrl
Cancel: Esc
Paste last transcript: Cmd+Ctrl+V
Copy last transcript: Cmd+Ctrl+C
Open Scratchpad: Opt+S — auto-suggested on your first visit to the Scratchpad tab. Change or disable from Settings → General → Shortcuts.

Recommended shortcuts for Windows

Try one of these:

Ctrl+Win or Ctrl+Alt
An unused key like Pg-Up
Mouse4, Mouse5, or Middle Click (compatible mice only)

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
Copy last transcript: Shift+Alt+X
Open Scratchpad: Win+Alt+S — auto-suggested on your first visit to the Scratchpad tab. Change or disable from Settings → General → Shortcuts.

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, Middle Click, Ctrl+Mouse4

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 or right mouse click (intentionally excluded)

Troubleshooting

My keyboard shortcuts stopped working on Mac, but hold-to-talk still works

If your Mac shortcuts stop working while hold-to-talk still works, another app has enabled macOS Secure Keyboard Entry, which blocks Flow's keyboard shortcuts system-wide. Common culprits: Slack, Terminal, or any app with a focused password field. Hold-to-talk continues to work during this time.

Quit the likely culprit app, or switch away from the focused password field.
Test your shortcut again. Dictate a short phrase — text should appear in your focused field.
Sign out and back in to your Mac if shortcuts still don't recover after quitting all likely culprits. Secure Keyboard Entry can occasionally get stuck until you log out.

My Fn shortcut works on my MacBook but not on my external keyboard

The Apple Fn key is a hardware-level signal unique to Apple-built keyboards. Most third-party external keyboards don't expose a true Apple Fn key, so the Fn shortcut only fires from the built-in MacBook keyboard. Switch your push-to-talk shortcut to one that exists on both keyboards:

Open Settings → General → Shortcuts.
Click the Push to talk binding and press Ctrl+Opt (or Opt+Cmd).
Test from both your built-in and external keyboards. Dictate a short phrase — text should appear in your focused field.

My shortcuts don't work on a gaming laptop or wireless multi-function keyboard

Some gaming laptops (e.g., Lenovo Legion) and wireless multi-function keyboards (e.g., Dell KB7120WC) include manufacturer software that intercepts keyboard events before Flow can register them. To fix this:

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and end manufacturer keyboard processes such as Lenovo Vantage, Lenovo Hotkeys, or Dell Peripheral Manager. Then test your Flow shortcut.
Disable the keyboard's extended-function device if the issue persists. In 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, but standard input continues to work.

FAQs

What's the best hotkey for a MacBook used with an external keyboard?

Ctrl+Opt is the recommended cross-keyboard shortcut and is what Flow auto-assigns when it detects you're not on an Apple-built keyboard. Opt+Cmd is a solid alternative. You can also bind up to 4 shortcuts per action — keep Fn for built-in use and add Ctrl+Opt as a second shortcut for when you're docked.

Why can't I clear my Push to talk shortcut?

Core dictation actions keep at least one shortcut so you always have a way to start dictating. Rebind the row to an unused combination instead — see Clearing vs. rebinding a shortcut above.

How do I know whether a row can be left empty?

Click into the field. If an X icon appears at the right edge, that shortcut can be removed. If it does not, the row requires a shortcut.

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 use mouse buttons as dictation triggers?

Yes. Middle click and Mouse 4 through Mouse 10 can be assigned as standalone triggers or combined with keyboard modifiers (e.g., Ctrl+Mouse4). Left and right click are intentionally excluded. When a mouse button is bound, Flow reserves it while running. See Limitations and notes for compatible device types.

How do I set up a keyboard shortcut for the Scratchpad?

Open Settings → General → Shortcuts and find the Open Scratchpad row — it's always visible even before a key is bound. On your first visit to the Scratchpad tab, Flow auto-suggests a default (Opt+S on Mac, Win+Alt+S on Windows), which you can accept, change, or disable. To bind manually, click the Click to add a shortcut pill, then press your desired key combination. You can also open the Scratchpad without a shortcut by clicking the notebook icon on the Flow status indicator. Once bound, the shortcut appears in the Flow Bar Scratchpad button tooltip on hover.

You can disable the Open Scratchpad shortcut entirely from Settings → General → Shortcuts (or the Notes page). If you later re-open the rebind modal, Flow automatically restores your previously-used shortcut so you don't have to start over.

Can I change the Escape dismiss shortcut?

Yes. Go to Settings → General → Shortcuts and assign a different combination to the Cancel row.

What does Flow do when I assign a conflicting shortcut?

Flow shows a warning toast when your Hands-free mode shortcut is a subset of your push-to-talk shortcut (for example, Hands-free set to Fn while push-to-talk is Fn+Space). The check is one-way — the reverse case (PTT is a subset of Hands-free) does not trigger a warning.

Why doesn't my Command Mode shortcut work?

Command Mode requires an active paid subscription or trial. Also make sure Command Mode is toggled on in Settings → Experimental — the shortcut shows a "Command mode is toggled off" notification if the toggle is off.

Why do my shortcuts stop working in Slack, Terminal, or a password field on Mac?

These apps can enable a macOS feature called Secure Keyboard Entry, which blocks all keyboard shortcuts from other apps, including Flow. Hold-to-talk still works. See the Troubleshooting section above for the full fix.

Limitations and notes

Custom keybind shortcuts are stored per-device in your local preferences.
Core dictation actions (Push to talk, Hands-free mode, Command Mode, Paste last transcript, Copy last transcript, and Cancel) always keep at least one shortcut and cannot be left unassigned.
Command Mode shortcuts require an active paid subscription or trial.
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.
Mouse shortcuts are desktop only. Ineligible devices include: Apple Magic Mouse (gesture-based), built-in trackpads/touchpads, mice with 3 or fewer buttons, and external mice where Flow cannot determine the button count. Eligible mice have a confirmed 4+ buttons, or are known Logitech MX-series models. Logitech MX Master side buttons (Mouse 4/5) do not work with push-to-talk when Logi Options+ maps them to trackpad swipe gestures.
On Mac, if another app has Secure Keyboard Entry active, Flow's keyboard shortcuts are blocked system-wide until that app releases it. Hold-to-talk continues to work.

Still stuck?

Reach out to support if:

Your shortcut is rejected and isn't in the reserved list or assigned to another binding.
A shortcut field is still waiting for input after closing and reopening the Shortcuts dialog.
Shortcuts still fail after trying the steps in Common issues and Troubleshooting.

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

Visit wisprflow.ai/support to get in touch with our team.