What is Flow? | Wispr Flow Help Center

Available on: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android (Beta)

Dictate anywhere you can type — 4x faster than typing. Flow transcribes your speech in real time, runs AI commands to edit your text, and adapts to your vocabulary over time.

What it is

Flow is a voice dictation app that works in any text field on your computer or phone. Press a hotkey, speak naturally, and Flow types your words in real time. It learns your vocabulary over time and can run AI commands like "make this more professional" or "summarize this."

When to use it

Use Flow when you want to:

Draft emails, messages, or documents faster than you can type
Edit or reshape text with spoken AI commands (e.g., "make this more concise")
Capture quick notes hands-free on your phone
Dictate technical terms, names, or jargon that other dictation tools mistranscribe

How it works

Overview

Flow runs in the background and activates when you press a hotkey. Speak naturally and your words appear as text wherever your cursor is — in any app, browser, or text field.

Key behaviors

Real-time transcription: Flow converts your speech to text as you speak, with no noticeable delay.
AI commands: Say instructions like "make this more professional" or "summarize this" and Flow edits your text accordingly.
Vocabulary adaptation: Flow learns your words, names, and technical terms over time for more accurate transcription.

Platform-specific features

Desktop (Mac & Windows)

The Hub: Your home base for dictation stats, history, dictionary, snippets, styles, notes, and insights.
Dictation stats: Track words dictated, words per minute, and your streak from a sidebar card on the Hub home page. Word counts are compared to familiar reference points like thank-you notes, news articles, and short film scripts.
Personalized welcome: New users see a get-started message with the dictation shortcut; returning users see a welcome-back message, hero banners, and recent activity.
Voice profile & trial: The sidebar also shows your voice profile status and any trial extension options.

iOS

Notes: Dictate and save notes directly in the Flow app using the built-in microphone button. Each note includes a one-tap AI summary.
Quick access: Open Notes from a lock screen widget, Control Center button, or Siri shortcut. Notes are also searchable via Spotlight.
Control Center widgets: Two widgets are available — one to toggle Flow recording on/off, and one to open Flow Notes.

Android (Beta)

Personalization Styles: Flow adjusts the tone of your dictation based on which app you're typing in. Set a style for Personal, Work, Email, and Other app categories. Personal defaults to Casual; Work, Email, and Other default to Formal. Personal supports Formal, Casual, and Very Casual; Work, Email, and Other support Formal, Casual, and Excited. English only.
Snippets: Create, search, and filter text expansion shortcuts from a dedicated screen. Snippets sync across your devices. Voice-triggered snippet expansion during dictation is coming soon.
Copy to clipboard: After a successful dictation, a copy-to-clipboard button appears next to the Flow Bubble for 5 seconds.
Flow Bubble appearance: Customize size and opacity from Settings. The opacity slider ranges from 20% to 100% with a live preview. Tap Reset to restore the default 80% opacity.

Getting started

Download and install

Mac

Download Flow from wisprflow.ai/downloads, or use a direct link: Mac (Apple Silicon) or Mac (Intel).

System requirements:

Apple Silicon or Intel Mac, macOS 12.0 or newer
500 MB free storage
Built-in or external microphone
Internet connection

Windows

Download Flow from wisprflow.ai/downloads, or use the direct Windows download.

System requirements:

Windows 10 (64-bit) or later
Intel Core i3 / AMD Ryzen 3 or better
4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended)
500 MB free storage
Built-in or external microphone
Internet connection

iPhone

Download Flow from the App Store. You can also scan the QR code in the Wispr Flow Hub or request a download link texted to your phone.

Note: iOS 18.3 or later is required.

Android

Download Flow from the Google Play Store. You can also scan the QR code in the Wispr Flow Hub or request a download link texted to your phone.

Create an account

Enter your email address, full name, and a password (6–72 characters). On Android, the form includes a Confirm Password field, and your password cannot match your full name.
Complete the hCaptcha verification if prompted. hCaptcha is required on iOS during account creation, password reset, and resend verification. Android does not require CAPTCHA.
Click the verification link sent to your inbox from support@wisprflow.ai. Check Spam or Trash if you don't see it. On iOS, the app signs you in automatically once you click the link.
Start using Flow once verified.

Important: If your organization uses SSO, you must sign in through SSO — email/password sign-in is not available. If your organization uses directory sync (SCIM), contact your IT admin to get access; SCIM-managed organizations cannot self-signup.

Note: If you forget your password, reset it via email. If your email is already linked to a Google, Apple, or Microsoft account, Flow prompts you to sign in with that provider. Email aliases with "+" (for example, user+alias@example.com) are not supported.

Examples

Dictating a message in any text field

You do: Place your cursor in a Slack message, press the hotkey, and say "Hey team, the design review is moved to 3pm tomorrow."

Flow types: Hey team, the design review is moved to 3pm tomorrow.

Using an AI command to edit text

You say: "Make this more professional."

Flow rewrites: The selected text is rephrased in a more polished, professional tone.

FAQs

What's the default hotkey to start dictating?

On Mac, press the fn key. On Windows, press Ctrl + Win.

Can I use Flow offline?

No. Flow requires an internet connection for voice transcription.

Is enterprise SSO supported?

Yes. Enter your work email address during sign-in and Flow identifies your organization's identity provider automatically.

Do Personalization Styles and Snippets sync across devices?

Snippets sync to your account automatically. Personalization Styles sync within the same platform (for example, across your Android devices). Desktop uses a separate Writing Styles feature rather than Personalization Styles.

How do I access Notes on iPhone?

Open Notes directly in the Flow app, tap the lock screen or Control Center widget, or use Siri shortcuts like "Create note with Flow" or "Save Flow note." Notes are also searchable from the iOS search screen.

Why doesn't the Flow Bubble appear when I tap a text field on Android?

The Flow Bubble appears only when the on-screen keyboard is visible. If you're using an external keyboard or the software keyboard is collapsed, the bubble doesn't appear. Bring up the on-screen keyboard first to use Flow in those cases.

Can I change how the Flow Bubble looks on Android?

Yes. Adjust size and opacity from the Settings screen. The opacity slider ranges from 20% to 100%, with a live preview. Default size is 85% and default opacity is 80%. Tap Reset to restore the default opacity.

When does my streak reset?

Day streaks reset to 0 after 48 hours without dictating. Week streaks reset to 0 after 14 days without dictating. Resets are computed in UTC.

Where did my dictation stats go in the Hub?

Your stats — words dictated, words per minute, and streak — moved from the header bar to a sidebar card on the Hub home page. They're still visible every time you open the Hub.

Limitations and notes

Mac: Apple Silicon and Intel supported. macOS 12.0 or newer required.
Windows: Windows 10 (64-bit) or later required.
iPhone: iOS 18.3 or later required. Notes, lock screen widget, Control Center widget, Siri shortcuts, and Spotlight search are available.
Android (Beta): Snippets, Dictionary, Personalization Styles, Language Selection, and Flow Bubble appearance customization are available. Personalization Styles apply in English only. Voice-triggered snippet expansion is coming soon. The Flow Bubble appears only when the on-screen keyboard is open, and is suppressed in password fields and numeric/phone inputs. Some features have limited functionality compared to desktop and iOS.
Streaks: Day streaks reset to 0 after 48 hours of inactivity. Week streaks reset to 0 after 14 days of inactivity.
iOS statistics: WPM, days used, and total words require at least 500 total dictated words to unlock.
Transcription history: On iOS, transcripts and audio sync to Wispr servers by default. Enable Privacy Mode (or Auto-delete transcripts) to keep data on-device only. Transcripts do not currently sync between iOS and desktop.
Privacy Mode: When enabled, transcription data stays on your device and is never sent to Wispr servers. For HIPAA-BAA-signed users, Privacy Mode is permanently locked on.
Coming soon: Apple Watch, iPad, and Linux. Want to prioritize your device? Email support@wisprflow.ai and tell us what you're most excited to do with Flow.