Why isn’t Flow recording my voice?

Last updated: September 1, 2026

Available on: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android

If Flow shows "Audio is silent," produces garbled text, or doesn't respond when you speak, the fixes below resolve most cases 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? Open Flow and check for updates.

  • 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

Pick your platform and work through the steps in order. After each step, dictate a short phrase — if text appears, you're done.

Desktop (Mac & Windows)

  1. Check microphone permissions. Mac: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone. Windows: Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone. Confirm microphone access is on and Wispr Flow is allowed, then restart Flow if you changed anything.

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

  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 Flow's local data on this device — dictation history, notes, notifications, and meeting data. Your cloud-synced dictionary, stats, and settings re-sync on restart. Use it only after the first three steps fail, or if support advises it.

Note: Bluetooth headsets such as AirPods add connection delay and hurt accuracy; use a wired headset or your built-in mic. Closing your MacBook lid disables the built-in mic, and Flow tells you when this happens.

Note: On Windows, if privacy settings block mic access, Flow's "Microphone access is disabled" notification has an Open Settings button that opens the Windows privacy microphone page. Flow re-checks the mic when you return.

iOS

  1. Grant microphone permission when prompted. iOS shows the prompt during onboarding — tap Allow. If you tapped Don't Allow, your next recording attempt shows a "Microphone access denied" modal with a Go to Settings button.

  2. Check microphone permissions manually. Open Settings app → Wispr Flow and confirm Microphone is on.

  3. Confirm the Flow keyboard has Full Access. Without it the keyboard can't record or transcribe. If Flow shows "To use Flow → allow Full Access in your Keyboard Settings," tap Finish setup and enable Full Access under Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Flow.

  4. End any active phone or FaceTime call if the keyboard is stuck on "Starting…" — another app holding the audio session wedges the keyboard. Tap the mic again once the call ends.

  5. Clear an "Audio engine failed to start, Please try again!" error. This appears when capture couldn't start, such as right after a fresh app launch or when another app holds the mic. Tap Retry, or dismiss and tap the mic to start a fresh dictation. If it keeps happening, quit and reopen Wispr Flow.

  6. Clear other error modals: for "Microphone Error — Please check if the microphone is being used by another application," close the other app holding the mic, then tap Retry; for "Network Error — Please check your network connection and try again," tap Retry after restoring connectivity; for "Transcription Error — Something went wrong with Transcription, Please try again!" and "Processing Error — Unknown error. Please try again," tap Retry.

  7. Restart Flow. Open the app switcher (swipe up from the bottom, or double-tap the Home button), swipe Wispr Flow away, then reopen it.

Note: Only onboarding triggers the iOS system permission prompt; starting a recording later does not re-prompt. If Wispr Flow doesn't appear under Settings → Wispr Flow → Microphone, re-run onboarding to trigger the request.

Note: Connecting or disconnecting Bluetooth headphones or AirPods mid-recording interrupts dictation — restart dictation after the audio route changes.

Note: An interrupted dictation is saved, with the notification "Your dictation was interrupted — Tap to view your transcript". A failed dictation gives "Your <duration> dictation is saved — Tap to retry", which opens history and auto-retries. Both require notification permission. On the Free/Basic plan, reaching the weekly word cap shows a word-limit modal with a link to the plan page — a usage limit, not a time limit.

Android

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

  2. Re-grant revoked permission. Without mic permission, Flow runs in a limited state: bubble and overlay visible, recording disabled. Tap the Flow Bubble to start a dictation and choose Allow. If you previously chose "Don't ask again" and no dialog appears, enable Microphone in Settings app → Apps → Wispr Flow → Permissions; a full app restart may be needed to resume recording. Granting permission in system Settings during onboarding returns Flow to the foreground.

  3. Restore accessibility access if the Flow Bubble shows a Repair prompt. Tap the bubble to open Flow's accessibility repair screen, which links to the system Settings page or restarts the service in-app if it's unresponsive. A pulsing loader means Flow is reconnecting and resolves on its own; a "Flow Bubble reconnected." toast confirms recovery, and re-granting accessibility is detected without returning to the app. Flow also posts a notification — "Wispr Flow needs attention — Re-enable accessibility for Wispr Flow to keep working" for revoked permission, or "Flow isn't responding — Tap to restart Wispr Flow" for an unresponsive service — or an equivalent toast if notifications are denied.

  4. Restart Flow. Open recent apps, swipe Wispr Flow away, then reopen it.

Note: The Repair prompt appears only while a text field is focused. You can't snooze the Flow Bubble until accessibility access is restored.

FAQs

Flow was working before but suddenly stopped — what happened?

A system update can reset microphone permissions, or a new audio device such as Bluetooth headphones can change your default input. Run the quick checks above to narrow it down.

Can I choose which microphone Flow uses?

On Mac and Windows, Flow has its own picker (Settings → General → Microphone, the tray menu, the Flow Bar menu, and a "Change microphone" button on the mic test page) in addition to following the system default. The microphone dialog also lets you drag-reorder a ranked device list ("Edit Ranking"/"Hide") and forget disconnected devices, which sets Flow's fallback mic when devices connect or disconnect. On iOS, Flow uses the built-in iPhone microphone with no in-app picker. On Android, Flow uses the device microphone or connected headset automatically.

What happens when I plug in a new microphone mid-session?

On desktop, Flow shows a "New microphone detected — Would you like to use this mic for Flow?" notification with Switch and Don't Switch buttons.

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

No — if text appears at all, the microphone is working. The cause is usually background noise or mic placement, so move somewhere quieter or speak closer to the mic.

What do the silence and disconnect notifications mean on desktop?

If your mic stops delivering audio mid-dictation, Flow shows "Is your microphone muted?" with Select microphone and Troubleshoot buttons. Continued silence escalates to "Microphone is not working" with Select microphone and Contact us. If your mic disconnects entirely, "Microphone disconnected" appears with an Insert button to paste text captured before the disconnect.

On iOS, the keyboard just reset to the mic icon after I dictated — did it hear me?

The keyboard resets to the mic icon whether or not speech was captured. If nothing was typed, tap the mic again and speak clearly; if it keeps happening, confirm Microphone is enabled in Settings → Wispr Flow.

Does Flow help me find the best microphone setup? (Mac and Windows)

Yes. Flow's Microphone Quiz recommends a better mic setup based on your work environment and gear, and can email you the results. Open it from the microphone quiz link in Settings → Microphone, or from the banner on the Flow home screen.

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.