Customize Flow Bubble Size and Shrink Behavior on Android

Last updated: June 6, 2026

Available on: Android 13 and later

The Flow Bubble sits on your screen while you dictate. If it feels too prominent between sessions, shrink it to a small dot or have it auto-hide in search fields — so it stays out of your way until you need it.

What it is

Bubble size customization controls how the Flow Bubble behaves when you're not actively dictating. The bubble can shrink to take up less screen space and returns to full size automatically when you activate Flow.

You'll find these options on the Flow Bubble Size screen inside the Wispr Flow app, alongside a size slider with a live preview and a Reset button.

When to use it

Use these settings when you want to:

  • Reduce how much of your screen the bubble covers while you browse or read.

  • Keep the bubble out of the way when typing in search bars.

  • Minimize visual clutter between dictation sessions.

How it works in Flow

Overview

When Shrink the bubble when not in use is on, the bubble automatically reduces in size during idle moments and expands back to full size when you activate Flow to dictate.

Key behaviors

  • Shrink the bubble when not in use: The master toggle. Turns on auto-shrink when the bubble is idle and unlocks the sub-options below.

  • Shrink to a dot: Reduces the bubble to a minimal dot when Flow is idle, making it nearly invisible until you need it.

  • Shrink in search fields: Shrinks the bubble immediately when your cursor is in an in-app search or filter input, so it doesn't overlap with autocomplete or keyboard input.

  • Single-tap restore and record: Tapping a shrunken bubble restores its full size and starts dictation in one gesture — no second tap needed.

  • Always full size during dictation: The bubble expands to full size whenever you activate Flow, regardless of your shrink settings.

  • Landscape positioning: The bubble positions itself correctly when you rotate your device to landscape or reverse-landscape orientation, including on devices with navigation bars or display cutouts, and including when shrunk to a dot.

Best practices

  • Enable Shrink to a dot if you want the least visual distraction between dictation sessions.

  • Enable Shrink in search fields if the full-size bubble overlaps with autocomplete suggestions.

  • Turn on both sub-options together — they apply in different contexts and don't conflict.

How to set it up

  1. Open the Wispr Flow app on your Android device.

  2. Tap the Settings (gear) icon in the top-right, then tap Flow Bubble Size.

  3. Turn on Shrink the bubble when not in use.

  4. Choose your sub-options: Shrink to a dot and/or Shrink in search fields.

  5. Verify by returning to your home screen and waiting a few seconds. The bubble should shrink to a dot (or smaller bubble) on its own. Tap it — it expands back to full size and starts a dictation session, confirming the setting works.

Note: The sub-options only take effect when the master toggle is on. If you turn the master toggle off, the sub-toggles gray out but your choices are preserved — re-enabling the master toggle restores them.

Common issues

Bubble appears active but text stops being inserted into the app

This was caused by some Android devices with aggressive battery-saving or "deep sleep" modes dropping Flow's accessibility connection without notice. Fixed in the latest version — Flow now detects the dropped connection immediately and signals it through the bubble (pulsing spinner while reconnecting, warning triangle if it needs your help). Once the connection is restored, you'll see a "Flow Bubble reconnected." message. To apply the fix:

  1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version from the Play Store.

  2. Restart Flow after updating.

Bugs fixed in recent updates

Several Flow Bubble issues have been resolved in recent releases. If you're seeing any of the symptoms below, update Wispr Flow from the Play Store and restart Flow:

  • Bubble size, opacity, and shrink settings were not saved when signing out and back in, or were shared with a different account on the same device. Fixed in the latest version — these settings are now saved per account. Signing back in to your own account restores your customizations; a different account on the same device starts with defaults.

  • Bubble clipped or cut off in landscape or reverse-landscape orientation on devices with navigation bars or display cutouts, including when shrunk to a dot. Fixed in version 2.0.1.

  • Dictation in Chrome's search box did not work. Fixed in version 2.0.1 — text now inserts correctly when dictating into Chrome and Chromium-based browser search fields.

  • Bubble didn't shrink when focused on a search field, or its position was wrong after rotating to landscape. Fixed in version 1.9.8.

  • Bubble reappeared after being snoozed when the keyboard opened, or the snooze card stayed stuck on screen after force-stopping Flow. Fixed in version 1.9.8 — snooze now persists correctly and the card clears as expected.

  • Shaking the device to unsnooze Flow stopped working. Fixed in version 1.9.8.

  • Repair prompt (warning triangle) didn't appear on app launch when accessibility was already disabled. Fixed in version 1.9.8.

  • Repair prompt could be accidentally dismissed by tapping away, shaking the device, or typing. Fixed in version 1.9.8 — it now stays visible until accessibility is re-granted.

  • Repair prompt appeared while Flow was snoozed. Fixed in version 1.9.8 — the prompt is now suppressed during snooze.

  • Bubble disappeared when microphone permission was revoked at the exact moment Flow was starting up. Fixed in the latest version — the bubble now stays on screen so you can re-grant the permission without relaunching the app.

  • Bubble didn't shrink immediately when tapping into a search field. Fixed in the latest version.

  • Shaking the device with the keyboard open moved the bubble to the wrong position. Fixed in the latest version.

  • Revoking microphone permission caused the app to crash repeatedly on Android 14 and later. Fixed in the latest version — the bubble now continues running in a non-recording state and prompts you to re-grant the permission instead of crashing.

  • Pulsing spinner or warning triangle was delayed after Flow lost its connection. Fixed in the latest version — the bubble now signals connection loss immediately.

  • Bubble didn't appear after enabling accessibility permissions, finishing onboarding, signing back in, or restarting the device. Fixed in the latest version.

  • Bubble flickered or hid unexpectedly when tapping into a text field. Fixed in the latest version.

  • Bubble disappeared in browser URL bars or notification reply boxes (such as WhatsApp inline replies). Fixed in version 1.9.0.

  • Bubble shrank when tapping into a browser URL bar instead of staying full-size. Fixed in the latest version.

  • Bubble briefly shrank then expanded when tapping to start a recording. Fixed in version 1.8.8.

  • Recording bubble looked cut off, with the waveform or buttons clipped, after a fresh install or clearing app data. Fixed in version 1.8.4, with additional hardening in 1.8.8.

  • Flow Bubble showed a blank screen on some devices. Fixed in version 1.8.5.

To apply any of these fixes:

  1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version from the Play Store.

  2. Restart Flow after updating.

FAQs

Will the bubble still expand when I want to dictate?

Yes. The bubble returns to full size as soon as you activate Flow, no matter which shrink options are on.

Can I use both shrink options at the same time?

Yes. Shrink to a dot applies during general idle states, and Shrink in search fields applies when your cursor is in an in-app search or filter input. They work independently.

Are my bubble size and shrink settings saved when I sign out?

Yes — if you sign back in to the same account, your bubble size, opacity, and shrink preferences are fully restored. If a different account signs in on the same device, that account starts with default settings and does not inherit your customizations.

What does the pulsing bubble with a spinner mean?

Flow lost its connection to the accessibility service and is restoring it. Wait a few seconds — it resolves on its own. If reconnection keeps failing, the spinner escalates to a warning triangle (the Repair prompt) — tap the bubble to open the guided repair flow.

What does the warning triangle on the bubble mean?

Flow's accessibility permission is missing or reconnection keeps failing. Tap the bubble to open a guided repair flow — an in-app overlay walks you through re-granting accessibility alongside the system Accessibility Settings screen. The prompt is intentionally persistent and can't be dismissed by tapping away, shaking your device, or typing.

Why is the bubble still showing after I revoked the microphone permission?

So you can re-grant access without relaunching the app. The bubble stays on screen in a non-recording state — tap it and an in-app prompt guides you through restoring the permission. On Android 14 and later, Flow keeps running at reduced capability and resumes full recording automatically once the permission is restored.

Can I snooze Wispr Flow while the warning triangle is showing?

No. Snoozing is not available while the Repair prompt is active. Re-grant accessibility permission first, then snooze will work as normal.

What happens if I tap the Wispr icon when an error is showing?

It depends on the error. If Flow failed to paste your text, tapping dismisses the bubble and keeps your text on the clipboard so you can paste it manually. If Flow failed to transcribe, tapping starts a new dictation session right away. Errors also auto-dismiss on their own after a short period of inactivity.

How do I unsnooze Flow early?

Shake your device to exit snooze mode early and bring the bubble back. This works as long as Flow is not in the Repair state (warning triangle).

Is this available on iPhone or iPad?

No. Bubble size customization is Android only.

Limitations and notes

  • These settings are available on Android 13 and later — not on older Android versions, Mac, Windows, or iOS.

  • The master toggle Shrink the bubble when not in use must be on before the sub-options take effect.

  • The bubble always expands to full size during active dictation, regardless of shrink settings.

  • Error bubbles automatically dismiss on their own after a short period of inactivity. This cannot be disabled.

  • Shrink in search fields does not apply to browser URL bars or notification inline-reply fields (like WhatsApp) — the bubble stays full-size in them.

  • The pulsing spinner and warning triangle (Repair prompt) states override your size and shrink settings temporarily. They are suppressed during active dictation so they don't interrupt a live recording.

  • Snooze persists across keyboard open and close, but does not survive a full force-stop of Flow. If you force-stop the app, the bubble returns to its normal behavior on next launch instead of resuming the snooze countdown.

  • Bubble size, opacity, and shrink preferences are saved per account. Signing back in to the same account restores your settings; a different account signing in on the same device starts with defaults.

Still stuck?

If the bubble still isn't behaving the way you expect, reach out to support. Most bubble issues are resolved in one reply. Include:

  • Your device model, Android version, and Wispr Flow version.

  • Which shrink options you have on, and the app where the issue happens.

  • A short description of what you expected vs. what the bubble actually did.