What to do if the app doesn't start up after signing in and clicking "Open Wispr Flow"

Windows

Uninstall any existing Wispr Flow entry, then download and run the latest installer.

1. Close Flow completely by right-clicking the Flow icon in your system tray and selecting Quit.

2. Open Start → Settings → Apps → Installed apps (Windows 11) or Start → Settings → Apps → Apps & features (Windows 10).

3. Uninstall any existing Wispr Flow entry. Click the ⋯ menu (or right-click the entry), select Uninstall, and confirm.

4. Download the latest Windows installer from wisprflow.ai/downloads, run it, and follow the prompts. Flow appears in your Start menu and system tray when installation completes.

5. Open Flow from the Start menu, click Sign in via browser, complete sign-in in the browser, then click Open Wispr Flow when prompted. If the Flow desktop app launches and shows the main interface, the issue is resolved.

Mac

If Flow won't start on Mac, reinstalling resolves most cases.

1. Quit Flow by right-clicking the Flow icon in your menu bar and selecting Quit.

2. Drag the Wispr Flow app from your Applications folder to the Trash, then empty the Trash.

3. Download the latest installer from wisprflow.ai/downloads.

4. Open the downloaded file and drag Wispr Flow into your Applications folder.

5. Open Wispr Flow from Applications, click Sign in via browser, complete sign-in, then click Open Wispr Flow when prompted. If the Flow desktop app launches and shows the main interface, the issue is resolved.

iOS

Update and force-quit first. If Flow still won't start, reinstall.

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

2. Force-quit Flow by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and swiping the Flow card away.

3. Reopen Flow and complete sign-in. If Flow opens to the main interface, you're done.

4. Reinstall if Flow still won't start: delete the app, reinstall it from the App Store, and sign in again.

Android

Update and force-stop first. If Flow still won't start, reinstall from the Play Store.

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

2. Force-stop Flow from your device's app settings.

3. Reopen Flow and complete sign-in. If Flow opens to the main interface, you're done.

4. Reinstall if Flow still won't start: uninstall the app, reinstall it from the Play Store, and sign in again.

Flow crashed repeatedly on launch after an update or database corruption on Mac or Windows

This was caused by a corrupted local history database — most commonly after a failed app migration, or when the database was stored in a cloud-synced folder (such as iCloud or OneDrive) that made it read-only. Leftover files were replayed on the next launch, leaving Flow stuck in a crash loop. Fixed in the latest version: Flow now detects the corrupted database, fully clears the damaged files, and restarts automatically.

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version from wisprflow.ai/downloads.

2. Restart Flow. If it opens to the main interface without crashing, the issue is resolved.

Flow had trouble reading the custom dictionary on Mac or Windows

If Flow encounters an issue reading your custom dictionary, it now continues running and skips the dictionary lookup so your dictation still completes. If the local database itself is corrupted, you'll see a Local database corruption notification asking you to restart.

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version from wisprflow.ai/downloads.

2. Restart Flow. If it opens and dictation works without crashing, the issue is resolved.

Meetings and notes didn't sync right after launching the app on desktop

This was caused by a startup timing issue on Mac and Windows, which left meetings and notes missing until the next sync or app restart. Fixed in the latest version — sync now waits until the app is fully ready before running.

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version from wisprflow.ai/downloads.

2. Restart Flow. Meetings and notes should now sync correctly on launch.

Wispr Flow icon disappeared from the Mac menu bar and the Fn shortcut stopped working

If Flow was working and then suddenly stopped — the icon is no longer visible and pressing Fn does nothing — it usually means the Wispr Flow app got quit at some point (after a restart, a force-quit, or selecting Quit from the menu bar). Relaunching the app brings everything back.

1. Check the top-right corner of your screen, near the clock. The Wispr Flow icon lives in the menu bar at the top of your screen — not the Dock at the bottom. If you can see the icon there, click it to open the main window and skip the remaining steps.

2. Open Finder → Applications and double-click Wispr Flow. The icon should reappear in the top-right menu bar within a few seconds.

3. Test the Fn shortcut. Click into any text field, hold Fn, speak, then release. If your transcription pastes in, the issue is resolved.

Flow crashed repeatedly on launch after microphone permission was removed on Android 14+

This was caused by Android 14+ revoking microphone permission while Flow was not running, which made Flow crash on every subsequent launch. Fixed in the latest version: Flow now starts in a limited, non-recording state and shows a prompt to restore microphone access.

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

2. Open Flow. If it was previously stuck in a crash loop, it should now launch and display a prompt to restore microphone access.

3. Tap the Flow Bubble, then tap Go to Settings in the bottom sheet. Go to Permissions → Microphone and re-grant access. Flow resumes recording automatically once permission is restored.

Multiple Wispr Flow icons appeared in the Mac Dock, or opening the app seemed to do nothing

This was caused by each auto-update launching an additional copy of Wispr Flow instead of reusing the one already running, which stacked up duplicate Dock icons over time. Fixed in the latest version — only one copy now runs at a time, and the existing window is brought to the front if you open the app while it's already running.

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version from wisprflow.ai/downloads.

2. Restart your Mac, then open Wispr Flow. If only one Dock icon appears and the app opens normally, the issue is resolved.

Keypress detection and app switching stopped working on Windows

This was caused by an issue that prevented part of Flow from starting correctly on Windows, which broke keypress detection and automatic app-change detection. Fixed in the latest version.

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version from wisprflow.ai/downloads.

2. Restart Flow. If keypress detection and app switching work correctly, the issue is resolved.

Flow crashed on launch on iOS

This was caused by a problem loading Flow's local database, which made the app crash immediately on launch. Fixed in the latest version: Flow now recovers automatically, or starts in a limited mode if recovery isn't possible. In limited mode, local notes, dictionary entries, and transcription history are not available until the app can reconnect to cloud sync.

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

2. Reopen Flow. If it launches successfully, the issue is resolved.

Flow froze or didn't respond at startup on Android

This was caused by a startup issue that made Flow freeze or become unresponsive immediately after launch — most often after a device reboot or when memory was low. Fixed in recent versions. App startup is now faster and more reliable.

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

2. Restart Flow. If it opens to the main interface without freezing, the issue is resolved.

Flow closed in the background on Android and the Bubble stopped appearing

On many Android devices, the system battery manager can shut down Flow in the background and silently disable its accessibility permission, which makes the Flow Bubble disappear. Fixed in recent versions: Flow now detects this and sends a Wispr Flow needs attention notification that takes you to the correct settings screen. Flow's onboarding also includes a basic setup screen for autostart and battery-exemption permissions. If accessibility permission has been revoked, Flow shows an in-app recovery screen that walks you through re-granting it.

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

2. Open Flow's settings and follow the device-specific battery and autostart prompts. If a recovery screen appears, follow the on-screen steps to re-grant accessibility permission.

3. Restart Flow. If the Flow Bubble appears and stays visible after locking and unlocking your phone, the issue is resolved.

Flow shows a "trouble loading" or "trouble starting" notification on Windows

This was caused by antivirus or endpoint-protection software, or restricted installation environments, blocking part of Flow needed to run. Fixed in recent versions: Flow now automatically retries in the background and recovers on its own in many cases. If the notification persists, follow the steps below.

You may see one of two notifications:

• Flow is having trouble loading — appears during automatic retry attempts.

• Flow is having trouble starting — appears after multiple retries have failed and automatic recovery has stopped.

Both notifications offer Restart Flow and Contact us buttons.

1. Whitelist Wispr Flow in your antivirus or endpoint-protection software. Open your security app, find the exceptions or exclusions list, and add Wispr Flow (including its application folders, if your security software supports folder-level exclusions).

2. Reinstall Flow from wisprflow.ai/downloads after whitelisting.

3. Restart Flow and check whether the notification appears again.

4. Do a full clean reinstall if Flow still won't start. Follow the Windows steps in Completely removing Wispr Flow from your device to remove all app files, then reinstall from wisprflow.ai/downloads.

Bugs fixed in recent updates

The following startup issues have been fixed in recent versions. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version and restart to resolve any of these:

• Flow Bubble stopped working after signing out and back in on Android: The Flow Bubble could fail to restart after signing back in — including in cases involving display overlay permission, Android 12+ background restrictions, or signing out and back in quickly.

• App crashed or failed to launch on Windows: Some users experienced crashes where the app would fail to launch or quit unexpectedly shortly after opening.

• Clicking "Open Wispr Flow" appeared to do nothing: Certain links did not have a specific destination in the app, so Flow would open but not navigate anywhere visible. Flow now navigates to the appropriate screen.

• Dictation history could be wiped after updating: If your Flow data folder had been moved during a previous app migration, the local database file could end up marked as read-only. Flow now attempts to automatically repair read-only database files.

• "Launch app at login" didn't work on Windows: Even when enabled in settings, Flow did not automatically launch at Windows startup. The setting now works correctly and persists after app updates.

• Subscription status appeared inactive or missing: Subscription status was sometimes not detected correctly at startup, leaving it unset for the entire session.

• Crash when opening a window during startup: The app attempted to display windows before initialization completed. The app now waits until fully initialized before displaying windows.

Why doesn't the desktop app log in after I sign in via browser?

Keep the Flow desktop app open and in the foreground while completing sign-in. If it still doesn't respond, close and reopen the app, click Sign in via browser again, and make sure you're on the latest version.

If your organization restricts Wispr to approved networks, you may see a Your network isn't allowed screen instead of the normal login page. Switch networks (or contact your admin) and click Retry.

Why does Flow show a blank white screen on startup?

If Flow appears stuck on a blank screen, it automatically escalates to a recovery screen. If updating doesn't help and the recovery screen doesn't appear, follow the reinstallation steps for your platform above.

Can I sign in with Google, Apple, Microsoft, or SSO on the desktop app?

Yes. When you click Sign in via browser, the browser opens the Wispr Flow login page where you can sign in with Google, Apple, Microsoft, SSO, or email.

What does the "Flow hit a snag" error screen mean?

This screen appears when Flow encounters an unexpected crash. Your data is safe. Click Restart Flow to recover. If the crash keeps happening, update to the latest version and contact support using the button on the error screen.