Why isn’t Flow recording my voice?

Last updated: April 25, 2026

Available on: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android

If Flow shows "Audio is silent," produces garbled text, or doesn't respond when you speak — this guide walks you through fixing it. Most issues resolve in under 2 minutes.

Quick checks

  • Is your mic muted? Check for a hardware mute key on your keyboard or headset.

  • Is Flow up to date? Several mic bugs were fixed in recent versions. Open Flow and check for updates.

  • Are you near the session limit? Desktop sessions are capped at 20 minutes (warning at 19); Android sessions are capped at 5 minutes (warning at 4, then auto-submit).

  • Does your mic work in other apps? Record a short clip in Voice Memos (Mac/iOS) or Sound Recorder (Windows). If it's silent there, the problem is system-level — not Flow.

How to fix this

Desktop (Mac & Windows)

Work through these steps in order. After each one, dictate a short phrase — if text appears, you're done.

  1. Check microphone permissions. On Mac: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, and confirm Wispr Flow is toggled on. On Windows: Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, and confirm Microphone access is on and Wispr Flow is allowed. Restart Flow if you made changes.

  2. Verify the correct input device. On Mac: System Settings → Sound → Input. On Windows: Settings → System → Sound → Input. Select your microphone and speak — the input level meter should bounce. If it doesn't, try a different mic or port. Also confirm the input volume slider isn't at zero, since another app can silently set it there.

  3. Restart Flow. Quit Flow from the menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows), then reopen it from Applications, Spotlight, or the Start menu.

  4. Reset & restart (last resort). Open Flow Settings → System → Reset & Restart, then dictate to test.

Warning: Reset & Restart deletes local data (dictation history, AI edit history, notes, notifications, meeting data, and local backups). Your dictionary, stats, and settings re-sync from the cloud on restart. Only use this step if support advises it, or after the first three steps fail.

Note: Windows typically grants microphone access automatically. If Flow needs permission, it opens the Windows privacy page directly — there is no separate permission dialog like on Mac.

Mac only: silence indicators during dictation

If your microphone stops delivering audio mid-dictation on Mac, Flow tells you:

  • After 5 seconds of silence: The waveform in the status bubble goes flat.

  • After 15 seconds of silence: A "Microphone is not working" notification appears with a Select microphone button. Use it to switch input devices.

  • If audio recovers on its own: The waveform resumes, but the notification stays visible until you stop and restart dictation.

  • If your mic disconnects entirely: A "Microphone disconnected" notification appears with an Insert button — click it to paste any text captured before the disconnect.

Note: Real-time audio monitoring (silence detection, mute detection, and automatic recovery) is currently Mac-only. Windows uses the standard audio capture path without these indicators.

iOS

After each step, dictate a short phrase to confirm the fix.

  1. Check microphone permissions. Open the Settings app → Wispr Flow and confirm Microphone is toggled on.

  2. Restart Flow. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or double-tap the Home button) to open the app switcher, swipe Wispr Flow away, then reopen it.

Note: If you've never been prompted for mic access, open the Wispr Flow keyboard and tap the mic button — the prompt appears. After granting permission in Settings, switch back to Flow; it detects the change automatically. A mic picker is not available on iOS — Flow uses the system default microphone.

Android

After each step, dictate a short phrase to confirm the fix.

  1. Check microphone permissions. Open the Settings app → Apps → Wispr Flow → Permissions and confirm Microphone is set to "Allow" or "Allow only while using the app."

  2. Restart Flow. Open your recent apps view, swipe Wispr Flow away, then reopen it.

Common issues

Mac/Windows: Dictation stopped working in certain desktop builds

A bug caused dictation to fail silently in some desktop builds — the microphone would not activate even when permissions were correctly granted. This is fixed in the latest version of Flow.

  1. Open Wispr Flow and check for updates.

  2. Install any available update.

  3. Restart Flow after updating.

Mac/Windows: Dictation showed "Listening" but failed with a generic error after a long wait

When Flow couldn't access your microphone at the start of a session, it would incorrectly show a "Listening" bubble, wait up to 24 seconds, then display a generic "Transcript failed to load" error. This is fixed in the latest version of Flow. Flow now immediately dismisses the session and shows a specific notification:

  • No microphone detected: Shown when no mic is connected. Flow opens your system microphone settings.

  • Selected microphone is unavailable: Shown when a mic you previously pinned in Flow is no longer connected. Flow opens the mic chooser so you can pick a different one.

  • Microphone unavailable: Shown when another app is using the mic or the audio driver is unresponsive. Includes a Troubleshoot link. Only appears if the problem repeats within 2 minutes, since most cases recover on the first retry.

  • Microphone error: A general fallback for other mic access problems, also shown on repeated failure with a Troubleshoot link.

To get the fix:

  1. Open Wispr Flow and check for updates.

  2. Install any available update.

  3. Restart Flow after updating.

iOS: Revoking microphone permission caused dictation to fail silently with no error

If you revoked microphone permission in iOS Settings after setting up Flow, tapping "Start Flow" or the mic button would silently attempt dictation without recording or showing an error. This is fixed in the latest version of Flow — you now immediately see a "We can't hear you" prompt, so you know to re-enable mic access in Settings.

  1. Open Wispr Flow and check for updates.

  2. Install any available update.

  3. Open the Settings app → Wispr Flow and toggle Microphone back on.

Mac/Windows: Microphone took a long time to activate after canceling and retrying dictation

A desktop bug caused rapidly canceling and retrying dictation to delay mic activation. Each successive retry would take progressively longer to start, and the mic indicator light could remain on after canceling. This is fixed in the latest version of Flow.

  1. Open Wispr Flow and check for updates.

  2. Install any available update.

  3. Restart Flow after updating.

Windows: Microphone access blocked or blank mic picker after upgrading to v1.4.894

Flow's permission check could fall out of sync with the actual OS state, resulting in a blank mic picker or a false "microphone privacy disabled" error. Flow now tests mic access directly. This is fixed in versions after v1.4.894.

  1. Open Wispr Flow and check for updates.

  2. Install any available update.

  3. Restart Flow after updating.

FAQs

Flow was working before but suddenly stopped — what happened?

This usually happens after a system update resets microphone permissions, or when a new audio device (like Bluetooth headphones) changes your default input. Run through the quick checks above to narrow it down.

Can I choose which microphone Flow uses?

On Mac and Windows, Flow uses the system default input device — change it in your system sound settings. On iOS and Android, Flow automatically uses the device microphone or connected headset.

Flow picks up audio but the text is wrong — is that a mic issue?

No. If text appears but is inaccurate, the microphone is working. The issue is usually background noise or mic placement — move to a quieter area or speak closer to the mic.

My microphone changed mid-recording on Android — what does that mean?

On Android 16, Flow detects when your audio input switches during a recording — for example, if a hearing aid mic disconnects and your phone's built-in mic takes over. Flow notifies you when this happens. If the transcription looks off, try recording again with a single, stable mic source.

Still need help?

Reach out to our support team if:

  • The issue persists after completing all the steps above.

  • Your mic works in other apps but not in Flow.

  • You see an error message not covered in this guide.

Include your platform (Mac, Windows, iOS, or Android), your device model, and which steps you already tried. Most mic issues are resolved in one reply.