Reset and restart the Wispr Flow app

Mac / Windows

A reset clears Flow's local data. Your dictionary, stats, and settings stay saved to your account and re-sync when Flow restarts.

1. Open the Wispr Flow desktop app.

2. Go to Settings → System (in the General section of the sidebar), then scroll to the Data section.

3. Click Reset & restart in the Reset app row, then click Reset & restart again in the confirmation dialog.

4. Quit Flow completely, then reopen it from your Applications folder or Dock (Mac), or your Start menu or desktop shortcut (Windows).

5. Dictate a short phrase. If text appears correctly, the reset worked.

iOS

Reset & restart is only available in the desktop app. On iOS, restart or reinstall instead.

1. Force close Wispr Flow from the app switcher.

2. Reopen the app and dictate a test phrase. If text appears, you're done.

3. Delete and reinstall Wispr Flow from the App Store if the issue continues, then sign in to sync your data.

Android

Reset & restart is only available in the desktop app. On Android, restart or reinstall instead.

1. Open Settings → Apps, find Wispr Flow, and tap Force stop.

2. Reopen the app and dictate a test phrase. If text appears, you're done.

3. Set Wispr Flow to "Unrestricted" or "No restrictions" in your device's battery settings if problems continue, using the manufacturer-specific path below:

   1. Samsung: Settings → Apps → Battery → Unrestricted, add Flow to "Never sleeping apps," and disable "Put unused apps to sleep."

   2. Xiaomi (also applies to Redmi and POCO): Settings → Apps → Battery saver → No restrictions. Also enable Autostart (Settings → Apps → Manage apps → Wispr Flow → Autostart) and lock Wispr Flow in Recent Apps.

   3. Huawei (also applies to Honor): App launch → Manage manually, and enable all three toggles. Also set Settings → Apps → Special access → Battery optimization to "Don't allow."

   4. Google Pixel: No extra setup needed — Pixel devices follow standard Android behavior.

4. Uninstall and reinstall Wispr Flow from the Play Store if problems still continue, then sign in to sync your data.

Bugs fixed in recent Mac and Windows updates

The following issues were fixed in recent desktop updates. Update Flow (on Mac, via the Wispr Flow menu bar; on Windows, via the tray icon), then restart Flow.

• App stuck in a broken state after local data corruption: When Flow detects corrupt local data, it now shows a Local database corruption notification with a Restart Flow button. Clicking Restart Flow clears the corrupt data and lets Flow recover on relaunch.

• Custom dictionary stopped working after a data problem: Flow could crash or lose dictionary words on startup if its local data was in a broken state. Flow now continues working and shows a database notification with Restart Flow and Contact us buttons. Restarting Flow (or using Reset & restart if the notification persists) fully restores your dictionary.

• App crashed at startup when local history was in a broken state (Windows): Flow could crash instead of launching if local history was inconsistent. Flow now handles this gracefully and remains stable.

• Multiple Wispr Flow icons stacking in the Dock after auto-updates (Mac): Frequent auto-updates could cause several Flow icons to accumulate in the Dock. Flow now ensures only one instance runs at a time — reopening or relaunching focuses the existing window instead of starting a duplicate.

• Old versions of Flow continued running after an update (Mac): A previous version could get stuck during shutdown and keep running in the background, sometimes interfering with the new version. Flow now exits reliably during updates.

• Dictation history stopped saving after an internal error: After certain data errors, subsequent dictations could silently fail to save until the app was restarted. Flow now continues saving history normally after such errors.

• Dictation stopped working until the app was restarted (Windows): In some situations — such as after restarting onboarding or after a mid-session audio reload — pressing the dictation hotkey would silently fail. Flow now recovers automatically.

• Dictations silently lost after a data error: If Flow encountered a data error (such as disk full or storage corruption), it could silently stop saving dictations. Flow now keeps running and shows a notification with Restart Flow and Contact us buttons.

• App crashed after deleting your account: Deleting an account from within the app could cause it to crash immediately afterward. The app now handles account deletion cleanly.

• In-progress dictation audio lost when quitting or restarting: Manually quitting or restarting Flow during a dictation no longer discards the recorded audio. Flow now attempts to save the audio during shutdown. Audio is not saved if the app crashes or is force-killed.

• App crashed after repeated graphics rendering failures: Some users experienced crashes caused by repeated graphics rendering failures. Flow now handles rendering differently, eliminating these crashes without a noticeable performance impact.

• Dictation history silently wiped after updating (Mac and Windows): If your Flow data was marked read-only — commonly caused by a cloud service syncing the folder Flow stores data in, or by a previous app migration — your dictation history could be silently deleted when updating. Flow now detects and repairs this on startup. If repair fails, Flow resets and restarts.

Bugs fixed in recent iOS updates

The following issues were fixed in recent updates. Update Wispr Flow from the App Store, then reopen the app to confirm it runs normally.

• Mic button on the Flow Keyboard became unresponsive after canceling a dictation: If the main Wispr Flow app had been closed in the background (more common in Low Power Mode), the mic button in the Flow Keyboard could get stuck after you canceled a dictation. After canceling, tapping the mic button now starts a new dictation directly — no extra recovery tap needed.

• App crashed on launch due to a storage loading failure: The app could crash at startup if it failed to load its local data. It now recovers automatically and, if all recovery attempts fail, falls back to a limited launch mode so you can still open the app. In limited mode, nothing is saved between launches, and any notes saved offline but not yet synced could be lost.

• App hangs or launches slowly: A bug in a recent version caused the app to freeze frequently and launch significantly more slowly. Fixed in the latest version.

• Live Activity widget showing placeholder text: Some Live Activity strings were displaying internal labels instead of properly translated text. If you still see raw label text instead of your language, please report it.

• Settings section headers showing internal labels: The Settings screen displayed raw labels instead of the correct translated headings. These now display properly.

• Crash when opening notes, paywall, or subscription screens: A bug could crash the app when navigating to certain screens.

• Black screen on keyboard after switching apps, or crash on launch: Two related issues caused display and startup failures.

Bugs fixed in recent Android updates

The following issues were fixed in recent updates. Update Wispr Flow from the Play Store, then reopen the app to confirm it runs normally.

• Crash during onboarding: An onboarding screen could crash the app if a list on that screen contained duplicate entries. Now fixed.

• Flow Bubble didn't reappear after a reboot or app update: On some devices — particularly Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo — the Flow Bubble could fail to reappear after a device restart or app update. If accessibility is still enabled, Flow now auto-recovers and restores the bubble shortly after. If the accessibility permission was reset by the system or update, a recovery notification appears and you must re-grant it before the bubble returns.

• Dictated text sent to the wrong app when switching: If you switched apps while the keyboard stayed open, Flow could attribute your dictated text to the previous app. Fixed.

• Incorrect context used during dictation: Context awareness could use outdated information when switching between tasks. This is now fixed.

• App didn't recover after being restarted by Android: If Android shut down Flow during an app switch and then restarted it, Flow could fail to resume. Recovery is now more reliable.

• Accessibility permission revoked without explanation: When the accessibility permission was turned off, Flow always assumed you had done it manually — even when the system or an app switch was responsible. Flow now identifies the cause more accurately and prompts you correctly.

• Dictated text not inserted, or insertion couldn't be confirmed: If Flow can't place dictated text into the target field or can't verify it landed, the text is now automatically copied to your clipboard, with a notification and copy button — so your dictation is never lost.

• Crashes or slowdowns on lower-end devices: Flow now reduces background work on devices where context awareness is not enabled, improving performance and reducing crashes (including cases where the Flow Bubble would unexpectedly disappear).

• "App keeps crashing" dialog after background restart: Recovery was improved to prevent rapid restart loops that could trigger Android's crash protection.

• Crash when viewing Dictionary or Snippets: Dictionary and Snippets no longer allow the same word to be both a dictionary entry and a snippet trigger, which previously could cause a crash when both lists rendered together.

• Crash when scrolling through history or phrases: List views could crash when data was being synced at the same time.

• Flow Bubble disappeared after switching apps: The OS shut Flow down in the background, or the bubble failed to reappear. Focus tracking has been corrected.

• Dictation unavailable after system closed the app: Flow didn't recover on its own after being shut down by the OS.

• Crash while navigating (sign-in, deep links, switching screens): A navigation bug could crash the app in various scenarios.

Where is the Reset & restart option?

Reset & restart is only available in the desktop app. Open the desktop app and go to Settings → System → Data, then click Reset & restart in the Reset app row. This is different from the separate Data & Privacy page in the Account section of Settings, which does not contain this button.

Flow still feels slow after a reset

Fully quit and relaunch the app once more, then restart your computer to clear any system-level issues. If the problem continues, uninstall and reinstall Flow.

I was signed out after resetting

In rare cases, you may be signed out for reasons unrelated to the reset (such as an expired session). Sign back in with your usual account — your dictionary, settings, and stats re-sync automatically.

Features or shortcuts are still broken after reset

Confirm you're on the latest version of Wispr Flow. If the issue started right after an update, mention that when you contact support.

Will restarting Flow lose my in-progress dictation?

When you quit or restart Flow manually on desktop, Flow attempts to save the recorded audio during its short shutdown window. If you force-quit or the app crashes, the shutdown cleanup does not run and any in-progress audio is lost.

What does the "Audio system failed to load" error mean?

Flow was unable to load the audio system. Click Restart Flow in the error notification to restart the app. If the error persists, click Contact us in the same notification to reach support.

What does the "Local database corruption" notification mean?

This notification appears on Mac and Windows when Flow detects that its local data is corrupted (for example, after a disk issue or a cloud service syncing Flow's data folder). It has both Restart Flow and Contact us buttons. Clicking Restart Flow clears the corrupt data and lets Flow recover on relaunch. If the notification keeps appearing, use Reset & restart (Settings → System → Data) or contact support.

What does the "There was an error" notification mean?

This is a generic database error notification that can appear on Mac and Windows at startup when Flow can't load its local storage cleanly — for example, if the dictionary can't be loaded. Flow stays running so you can finish what you're doing, but your custom dictionary words may not be applied and history may not save correctly until you restart. The notification has both Restart Flow and Contact us buttons. If it keeps appearing, use Reset & restart (Settings → System → Data) or contact support.

What does the "Storage Full" notification mean?

On desktop, this notification appears when your computer is running low on disk space. Free up space and click Restart Flow, or click Contact us if the problem persists. On Android, a storage full message may appear and recording stops — free up space and reopen Flow to resume.

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 restart, or Contact support to email the support team. The Contact support button opens a pre-addressed email to support@wisprflow.ai. On Android, tap Restart Flow or reopen the app manually.

What does the persistent "Restart Flow" notification mean?

If Flow fails to start repeatedly, you'll see a notification titled "Flow is having trouble starting" with Restart Flow and Contact us buttons. Click Restart Flow to recover immediately. If the notification keeps appearing, click Contact us.

What does the "Flow is having trouble loading" notification mean?

This is a briefer notification for temporary loading issues, with Restart Flow and Contact us buttons. Click Restart Flow to resolve it, or Contact us if the issue continues.

Why do I see repeated update failure notifications?

Flow automatically retries failed updates a few times before pausing auto-updates for 24 hours and retrying later. Updates are also delayed if you are actively dictating, recording a meeting, or have recently used Flow. If updates continue to fail, re-download Flow from wisprflow.ai to get the latest version.

Flow restarted on its own after a crash — is that normal?

Yes. If Flow detects a problem with its local storage after a crash, it automatically restarts to recover. This is intentional behavior on both Mac and Windows — no manual reset is needed unless the problem persists.

Flow was stuck in a broken state and wouldn't recover — what should I do?

This was a known issue that has been fixed. Make sure you're on the latest version, then restart the app. If the problem persists, use Reset & restart (Settings → System → Data) or contact support.

Why do I see a notification while Flow is running on Android?

Android requires a persistent notification while Flow runs in the background. This is a standard Android requirement and the notification goes away when you close the app.

I see "No internet. Try again later." when tapping the bubble (Android)

Flow requires an internet connection to transcribe. This message appears as a brief on-screen alert when you tap the bubble while offline — the bubble itself greys out to indicate offline state. Connect to the internet and try again. If connectivity issues continue, close and reopen Flow.

Dictated text couldn't be pasted (Android)

If Flow can't insert your dictated text directly, it copies the text to your clipboard and shows an error state on the Flow Bubble with a Paste button — tap Paste to insert it, or paste manually anywhere.

"No audio" error screen (iOS)

If recording fails during dictation, an error screen appears with Dismiss and Retry buttons. Tap Retry to attempt recording again. If the issue persists, force close and reopen the app.