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

Mac

Reinstalling Flow resolves most startup problems on Mac.

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

2. Drag the Wispr Flow app from Finder → Applications to the Trash, then empty the Trash.

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

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

5. Open Wispr Flow from Applications and click Sign in via browser.

6. Complete sign-in in the browser, then click Open Wispr Flow when prompted. If the desktop app launches and shows the main interface, the issue is resolved.

Windows

Remove any existing Wispr Flow install, then run the latest installer.

1. Close Flow 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 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 and click Sign in via browser.

6. Complete sign-in in the browser, then click Open Wispr Flow when prompted. If the 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 it.

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version from the App Store. Recent versions fix sign-in issues that could leave you on a blank or splash screen.

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

Android

Update and force-stop first. If Flow still won't start, reinstall it 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 (Settings → Apps → Wispr Flow → Force stop).

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

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

Sign-in showed a blank or opaque splash screen on iOS during onboarding

This was caused by a privacy screen — meant to hide app content when Flow is in the background — appearing during sign-in, for example when an Apple, Google, or SSO sign-in sheet opened. Fixed in a recent version: the privacy screen now appears only after you have fully signed in and completed setup.

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

2. Force-quit Flow, then reopen it and sign in again. If the sign-in screen stays visible throughout, the issue is resolved.

Sign-in failed silently on iOS with no error message

This was caused by failed Apple, Google, Microsoft, or SSO sign-ins on iOS completing without showing an error. Fixed in a recent version: if sign-in fails — because of a network error, a cancellation, a blocked network, or missing credentials — Flow now shows an alert you can dismiss before retrying. Email sign-in failures are handled separately.

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

2. Reopen Flow and sign in again. If a problem occurs, an error message appears; dismiss it and tap your sign-in method again to retry.

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

This was caused by a corrupted local history database — most often after a failed app migration, or when the database was stored in a cloud-synced folder that made it read-only. Fixed in the latest version: Flow now detects the corrupted database, 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.

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 that 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. If your meetings and notes appear right after launch, the issue is resolved.

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. Fixed in the latest version: only one copy runs at a time, and the existing window comes 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.

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 unavailable until the app reconnects to cloud sync.

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

2. Reopen Flow. If it launches to the main interface, the issue is resolved.

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

This was caused by recent versions of Android revoking microphone permission while Flow was not running, which made Flow crash on every launch afterward. Fixed in the latest version: Flow now starts in a limited, non-recording state and prompts you to restore microphone access.

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

2. Open Flow. It now launches and shows a prompt to restore microphone access.

3. Tap the Flow Bubble, then tap Go to Settings in the bottom sheet.

4. Re-grant access on the app info screen under Permissions → Microphone.

5. Tap the Flow Bubble to start a new dictation. If your speech transcribes, 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 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

This was caused by the system battery manager on many Android devices shutting down Flow in the background and silently disabling its accessibility permission, which made the Flow Bubble disappear. Fixed in recent versions: Flow now detects this and sends a notification that opens the correct settings screen. Onboarding also includes a setup screen for autostart and battery-exemption permissions, and Flow shows an in-app recovery screen if accessibility permission has been revoked.

You may see one of two notifications:

• Wispr Flow needs attention: Accessibility permission has been revoked. Tap the notification to open the in-app recovery screen.

• Flow isn't responding — Tap to restart Wispr Flow: Permission is still granted but the service has stopped responding. Tap the notification to open the app and restart 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 you lock and unlock your phone, the issue is resolved.

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

This happens when the Wispr Flow app was quit — 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. Flow lives in the menu bar, not the Dock. If you see the icon, click it to open the main window and skip the remaining steps.

2. Open Finder → Applications and double-click Wispr Flow. The icon reappears in the menu bar shortly after.

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

Bugs fixed in recent updates

The following startup issues are 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 Bubble could fail to restart after signing back in, including in cases involving display overlay permission, background restrictions on newer Android versions, or signing out and back in quickly.

• App crashed or failed to launch on Windows: The app could fail to launch or quit unexpectedly shortly after opening.

• Clicking "Open Wispr Flow" appeared to do nothing: Certain links had no destination in the app, so Flow opened without navigating anywhere visible. Flow now opens the appropriate screen.

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

• "Launch app at login" didn't work on Windows: Flow did not launch at Windows startup even when the setting was enabled. The setting now works and persists after app updates.

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

• Crash when opening a window during startup: The app tried to display windows before it finished starting up. Flow now waits until it is fully ready 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 you complete sign-in. If it still doesn't respond, close and reopen the app, click Sign in via browser again, and confirm you're on the latest version.

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

Why does Flow show a blank white screen on startup?

If Flow is stuck on a blank screen, it escalates to a recovery screen after a brief delay, so wait a few seconds. If the recovery screen doesn't appear, follow the reinstallation steps for your platform above. On iOS, see the splash-screen entry in Common issues.

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 hits an unexpected crash, with the subtitle "Your data is safe and we're looking into the issue. Try again, or restart Flow if the issue persists." Click Restart Flow to recover. If the crash keeps happening, update to the latest version and click Contact us on the error screen to open a pre-filled email to support@wisprflow.ai.

Why does the iOS intro screen show a video before sign-in?

Some new iOS installs get a first-launch experience with a short demo video before the sign-in screen. This is a normal part of onboarding, not a bug. If the video is slow to load or unavailable, tap Get Started to continue — it never gets stuck waiting on the video.