What is Flow?

Last updated: September 10, 2026

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

Flow lets you dictate anywhere you can type — about 4x faster than typing. Press your hotkey, speak naturally, and Flow types what you said and learns your vocabulary over time.

When to use it

Use Flow when you want to:

  • Draft emails, messages, or documents faster than you can type

  • Capture quick notes hands-free on your phone

  • Dictate technical terms, names, or jargon that other dictation tools mistranscribe

How it works

Overview

On Mac and Windows, hold the hotkey to dictate and release to stop and paste; double-press for hands-free mode. On iOS, tap the mic button on the Flow keyboard (no hands-free mode). On Android, tap or hold the floating bubble.

If the fn key is unavailable on Mac, Flow falls back to Ctrl+Opt for push-to-talk and Ctrl+Opt+Space for hands-free. Maximum recording length is about 6 minutes on desktop and 5 minutes on iOS. Flow supports 100+ languages; multi-language selection is available on Mac, Windows, and iOS, while Android uses auto-detect only.

Key behaviors

  • Fast transcription: Releasing the hotkey pastes the transcribed text into your active app.

  • Vocabulary adaptation: Flow learns your words, names, and technical terms over time for more accurate transcription.

Platform-specific features

Desktop (Mac & Windows)

  • Dictation stats: A card on the Hub home page tracks words dictated, words per minute, and your streak, comparing word counts to reference points like thank-you notes, news articles, and short film scripts.

  • Setup gate: The Dictation, Insights, Style, Dictionary, and Snippets pages stay locked until you finish initial setup (mic, permissions, shortcut) — tap Get started to complete it.

  • Vibe Coding IDE settings: Code-symbol recognition in VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf; @file tagging in Cursor and Windsurf.

  • Scratchpad: A floating Scratchpad editor (Opt+S on Mac / Win+Alt+S on Windows) and Hub Scratchpad notes with search.

  • Paste Last Transcript: Cmd+Ctrl+V on Mac / Shift+Alt+Z on Windows.

  • Microphone quiz and typing test: Both available on desktop; the typing test includes a leaderboard.

  • Mute Music While Dictating: Default off on Mac, on on Windows.

  • Shortcut customization: Shortcuts must include a modifier key, are capped at 3 keys, support mouse buttons, and cannot use reserved OS shortcuts.

iOS

  • Notes: Dictate and save notes in the Flow app, grouped by day. Swipe a note for Copy, Share, and Delete, or long-press for a Markdown preview. 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 searchable via Spotlight. Siri shortcuts include "Dictate a Flow note," "Quick dictation to clipboard," "Toggle Flow on/off," and "Open Flow notes."

  • Widgets: A Live Activity widget, a Control Center widget that toggles Flow recording, a Notes lock screen widget, and a Notes Control Center widget that opens Flow Notes.

  • Setup prompts: With microphone access off, a "We can't hear you" card replaces the stats carousel; with keyboard Full Access off, Home shows "Almost there!" and a Finish setup button. Both link to the settings you need.

  • Transcript history: Paginated 50 per page with infinite scroll; corrupted or stuck transcriptions are retried automatically.

  • Key settings: Language; "Disable Flow after" background timer (Never / 60 / 15 / 5 min, default 5 min); Low data mode; Interaction sounds; Keyboard feedback haptics; Auto open note; Allow Live Activities; Push Notifications; Action button shortcut (Action Button devices only); Refresh notes from cloud; and HIPAA BAA signing. Opening Settings refreshes preferences, so changes made on Mac or Android appear immediately.

Android (Beta)

  • Bubble interaction: Hold the bubble to dictate (release submits), or tap it for hands-free mode with Cancel/Done controls. After a successful dictation, a copy button appears next to the bubble and dismisses itself.

  • Transcription errors: If transcription fails, a message says "Failed to transcribe. Saved in the app." and the audio is kept for retry. If pasting fails, the bubble offers a paste-from-clipboard fallback.

  • Bubble appearance: Set size (70%, 85%, 100%, 115%; default 85%) and opacity (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%; default 80%) in Settings, or tap Reset to restore defaults; both sliders snap to these steps only. The Bubble Size screen also offers "Shrink the bubble when not in use," "Shrink to a dot," and "Shrink the bubble in search fields" — the last two require the first. With shrinking on, the idle bubble shrinks after 5 seconds (immediately in search fields); tapping a shrunken bubble restores it and starts a new dictation.

  • Bubble movement: Drag the bubble to move it; it snaps to the nearest screen edge.

  • Permissions: The bubble requires "Display over other apps" (overlay) permission plus the Accessibility Service, and does not appear until onboarding is complete for the signed-in account. Switching accounts requires re-onboarding. If Accessibility access is revoked or unresponsive, repair prompts appear that link to permission settings.

  • Snooze: Drag the bubble to the snooze target to hide it for 10 minutes; shake the phone to bring it back. Snooze is unavailable while Accessibility access needs re-granting.

  • Hardware keyboards: With a hardware or external keyboard and no on-screen keyboard, the bubble does not show.

  • Android limitations: Dictionary, Snippets, Writing Styles, language selection, in-app purchase, and a Privacy Mode toggle are not available. Dictation sounds cannot be turned off.

Getting started

Download and install

Mac

Download Flow from wisprflow.ai/downloads.

System requirements:

  • Apple Silicon or Intel Mac, macOS 12.0 (Monterey) or newer

  • 500 MB free storage

  • Built-in or external microphone

  • Internet connection

Windows

Download Flow from wisprflow.ai/downloads.

System requirements:

  • Windows 10 or Windows 11

  • x64 (64-bit) processor — ARM-based Windows devices (Windows on ARM, Snapdragon) are not supported

  • 8 GB RAM or more recommended

  • Approximately 200 MB free storage

  • Built-in or external microphone

  • Internet connection

iPhone

Download Flow from the App Store. Requires iOS 18.3 or later.

Android

Download Flow from the Google Play Store.

Create an account

Sign in with Google, Apple, or Microsoft, with enterprise SSO/SAML, or with an email and password. SSO/SAML works on desktop, iOS, and Android; organizations can enforce SSO and auto-invite by domain. Options vary by platform:

  • Desktop (Mac & Windows): Click Sign in via browser to open the Wispr Flow login page, then choose a provider.

  • iOS: Google and Apple buttons appear by default; tap More Options for Microsoft, SSO, and Email.

  • Android: Google, Apple, Microsoft, SSO, and Email each have their own button. After signing in, tap Open Wispr Flow on the confirmation page to return to the app; if the app is not installed, that page links to the Google Play Store.

To create an email-and-password account on mobile:

  1. Enter your email address, full name, and a password of at least 6 characters. On Android, confirm the password; it must be 6–72 characters and cannot match your full name.

  2. Complete the CAPTCHA verification if prompted (iOS only).

  3. Click the verification link sent to your inbox; check Spam or Trash if you don't see it. On iOS, the app signs you in automatically once you click the link.

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

Note: Reset a forgotten password via email. On iOS and Android, an email already linked to a Google, Apple, or Microsoft account prompts you to sign in with that provider instead.

Examples

Dictating a message in any text field

You do: Place your cursor in a chat message field, 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.

FAQs

What's the default hotkey to start dictating?

On Mac, press fn; on Windows, press Ctrl + Win together. Hold to dictate, release to stop; double-tap the same keys for hands-free mode. All shortcuts are customizable in Settings.

Does Flow show my words on screen while I'm talking?

No. Flow captures audio while you hold the hotkey, then transcribes and pastes the finished text on release. That full-context approach lets Flow clean up filler words, punctuation, and self-corrections.

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.

What do I get when I sign up for the first time?

New desktop sign-ups get a free trial with unlimited words, no credit card required. Trial users can add up to 7 days via the "100 Words a Day Challenge" (dictate 100+ words per day). Referred users get a free month of Pro.

What are the referral terms?

The person you refer gets a free month of Pro on signup. You receive your free month after they dictate 2,000 words (2 months during promotional periods).

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

The bubble appears when the on-screen keyboard is open. With an external keyboard or a collapsed software keyboard, bring up the on-screen keyboard first. See Limitations and notes for the fields where the bubble stays hidden.

When does my streak reset?

On iOS, during your first week, your streak advances when you dictate on any 5 of your first 7 days — days need not be consecutive.

What is Command Mode?

Command Mode is a Pro feature on desktop that lets you control text editing and web search by voice. The shortcut is Fn+Ctrl on Mac and Ctrl+Win+Alt on Windows; enable it in Settings → Experimental. Voice triggers such as "hey flow" and "search Google for" are English-only. Command-mode text editing is not available on iOS.

Limitations and notes

  • Mac: Apple Silicon and Intel supported; macOS 12.0 (Monterey) or newer required. Opening the Flow hub (from the flow bar, tray/dock menus, notifications, or deeplinks) always lands on the desktop Space and will not open inside a full-screen app's Space; meeting-summary notifications are an exception and bring the hub to your current Space. With "Hide app in Dock" enabled, hiding the hub removes the Dock icon.

  • Windows: Windows 10 (64-bit) or later required. After browser sign-in, the Flow window raises to the front, but keyboard focus may remain with the browser.

  • iPhone: iOS 18.3 or later required. WPM, days used, and total words unlock after 500 total dictated words.

  • Android (Beta): Some features have limited functionality compared to desktop and iOS. The Flow Bubble appears only when the on-screen keyboard is open, plus browser URL bars and system notification inline reply boxes; it stays hidden in password fields, numeric/phone inputs, and a range of banking and financial apps.

  • Word limits: Desktop Basic is capped weekly (the cap is shown in Settings → Plans; resets Sunday 12 a.m. PT). iOS Basic has a 1,000-word/week soft limit and a 1,500-word/week hard cap, with upsell modals at each threshold. Pro, Student, Trial, Team, and Enterprise plans have unlimited words. Word limits are enforced only in the app.

  • Dictionary and snippets: Dictionary entries are limited to 30 characters, with at most 200 words synced at a time. Snippet triggers are limited to 60 characters and expansions to 4,000 characters.

  • Desktop usage heatmap: Data starts from 1 March 2025 onward.

  • Flow Bar: The desktop Flow Bar is hidden by default on new installs.

  • Premium status: Premium status can differ between iOS and desktop for past-due or paused subscriptions.

  • Transcription history: Transcripts are stored locally on each device and do not sync across devices on any platform. Desktop keeps a full transcript history on the Hub home page.

  • Privacy Mode and Cloud Sync (iOS): These are separate toggles — Privacy Mode governs AI training and data use; Cloud Sync (on by default) governs server storage and cross-device sync. To keep data on-device only, turn off Cloud Sync; Privacy Mode alone does not stop server sync. Auto-delete transcripts removes older transcripts on each app launch but does not prevent uploads. For HIPAA-BAA-signed users, Privacy Mode is permanently locked on and Cloud Sync locked off; enterprise organizations can also admin-lock Privacy Mode on.