Setup Guide

Mac

1. Download and install

1. Download Flow from wisprflow.ai.

2. Open the downloaded file and drag Wispr Flow into your Applications folder, following the orange arrow.

3. Launch Wispr Flow from Applications. The app icon appears in your menu bar when it's running.

2. Sign in or create an account

1. Click Sign in via browser. Flow opens your default browser to the login page, where you can sign in with Google, Apple, Microsoft, SSO, or email/password.

2. Return to the desktop app. Your session transfers back automatically. If you wait too long, the attempt times out and you'll need to start again.

3. Grant permissions

The permissions screen looks different depending on how you use Flow:

• Dictation: Click Allow on the microphone permission card, then click Allow on the macOS dialog. Then click Allow on the accessibility permission card. Flow uses accessibility access to insert spoken words into other apps. If you previously dismissed a permission, clicking Allow opens System Settings to the right page.

• Note-taking: You'll see a meeting-focused permissions screen with cards for microphone, accessibility, and system audio. Each card appears in sequence as the previous permission is granted. Click Allow on each card — the system audio card opens System Settings directly when clicked. All permissions are required to continue except system audio, which is advisory on older versions of macOS (system audio capture requires a recent version of macOS, but you can still proceed without it). The completion header appears once all permissions are resolved.

If you denied or skipped a permission, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone (or Accessibility) and turn on Wispr Flow.

4. Complete the tutorial

1. Click Continue through the intro screens.

2. Answer the "Tell us about yourself" questions, including "What do you do for work?" if you're setting up Flow for note-taking. If you select Other (or Something else), a text field appears — enter a description to continue.

3. Review the Privacy notice.

4. Test your microphone. Speak aloud — the audio bars should stay low when you're silent and rise when you speak. Click Change microphone to select a different one. If there's a problem, an on-screen message explains what's wrong and clears once you fix it. Error panels include additional buttons depending on the issue: No microphone found includes an Open Sound Settings button; In use by another app offers Open Sound Settings and Restart Flow. Flow auto-retries the mic check, so once the issue resolves the error clears automatically.

5. Set your keyboard shortcut by pressing the keys you want to use. On Macs with the Apple fn key, the fn key is the default. On Macs without it (for example, non-Apple external keyboards), Flow uses Ctrl+Opt by default. Other Mac defaults include Cmd+Ctrl+V for Paste Last Transcript and Fn+Space for Hands-free. Use Edit shortcut to change it. You can also assign mouse buttons — only middle click and Mouse 4–10 can be assigned (left and right mouse clicks cannot be used) — and configure up to 4 different shortcuts for the same action. Each shortcut is limited to a maximum of 3 keys, and mouse buttons can be combined with keyboard modifiers.

6. Select the languages you speak, or leave it on auto-detect.

7. Follow the "Try It Yourself" demos. The gesture — hold or double-tap — is shown on screen. Use your shortcut, say something, then release. Text appears in the demo window when it works.

5. Finish setup

1. Configure your privacy preferences. Setup is complete when the Flow Hub appears, showing a welcome message, recent activity, and stats. New users see their dictation shortcut in the welcome header — after you've been dictating for a while, this is replaced with a personalized "Welcome back, [Your name]" greeting.

Hold down your shortcut key in any app to start dictating — or double-tap it if onboarding instructed you to use that gesture.

Windows

1. Download and install

1. Download Flow from wisprflow.ai.

2. Open the installer and follow the on-screen steps.

3. Launch Wispr Flow from the Start menu. The app icon appears in your system tray when it's running.

2. Sign in or create an account

1. Click Sign in via browser. Flow opens your default browser to the login page, where you can sign in with Google, Apple, Microsoft, SSO, or email/password.

2. Return to the desktop app. Your session transfers back automatically. If you wait too long, the attempt times out and you'll need to start again.

3. Grant permissions

1. Allow microphone access if Windows prompts you. If access is already granted system-wide, Flow skips this step automatically.

2. If you skipped the prompt, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and turn on access for Wispr Flow.

4. Complete the tutorial

1. Click Continue through the intro screens.

2. Answer the "Tell us about yourself" questions, including "What do you do for work?" if you're setting up Flow for note-taking. If you select Other (or Something else), a text field appears — enter a description to continue.

3. Review the Privacy notice.

4. Test your microphone. Speak aloud — the audio bars should stay low when you're silent and rise when you speak. Click Change microphone to select a different one. If there's a problem, an on-screen message explains what's wrong and clears once you fix it. Error panels include additional buttons depending on the issue: No microphone found includes an Open Sound Settings button; In use by another app offers Open Sound Settings and Restart Flow. Flow auto-retries the mic check, so once the issue resolves the error clears automatically.

5. Set your keyboard shortcut by pressing the keys you want to use. Use Edit shortcut to change it. You can also assign mouse buttons — only middle click and Mouse 4–10 can be assigned (left and right mouse clicks cannot be used) — and configure up to 4 different shortcuts for the same action. Each shortcut is limited to a maximum of 3 keys, and mouse buttons can be combined with keyboard modifiers.

6. Select the languages you speak, or leave it on auto-detect.

7. Follow the "Try It Yourself" demos. The gesture — hold or double-tap — is shown on screen. Use your shortcut, say something, then release. Text appears in the demo window when it works.

5. Finish setup

1. Configure your privacy preferences. Setup is complete when the Flow Hub appears, showing a welcome message, recent activity, and stats. New users see their dictation shortcut in the welcome header — after you've been dictating for a while, this is replaced with a personalized "Welcome back, [Your name]" greeting.

Hold down your shortcut key in any app to start dictating — or double-tap it if onboarding instructed you to use that gesture.

iOS

1. Download and install

1. Open the App Store and search for Wispr Flow.

2. Tap Get to install the app.

3. Tap the Wispr Flow icon on your Home Screen to open it.

2. Sign in or create an account

1. Sign in with Google, Apple, or tap More Options to use Microsoft, SSO, or email/password.

2. Create an account if you're new — enter your email, a password (at least 6 characters), and your full name.

3. Complete the CAPTCHA and verify your email before continuing. CAPTCHA is also required for Forgot Password and Resend Verification flows on iOS — not just account creation. Once you click the email verification link, iOS automatically signs you in (no need to return to the app manually).

3. Enable the Flow Keyboard

1. Watch the on-screen walkthrough, then tap Go to Settings to open your keyboard settings.

2. Enable Wispr Flow and turn on Allow Full Access. The Flow Keyboard appears in your list of keyboards when it's added correctly.

4. Complete the tutorial

1. Tap through the keyboard walkthrough cards (Flow in Apps, Tap to Speak, Check to Complete) using Next.

2. Practice dictating. Grant microphone access when prompted, then tap the mic on the Flow Keyboard and speak, then tap the checkmark (√) to complete. The on-screen instruction reads "Say anything, then tap √ to complete." You'll see a "Congrats! You've experienced the magic of Flow" message after your first successful dictation.

3. Answer the "Which of these do you resonate with?" multi-select question. If you select Other (or Something else), a text field appears — enter a description to continue.

4. Configure your privacy preferences.

5. Select the languages you speak. If you've already chosen languages on another device, this step is skipped and those languages are applied automatically.

6. Allow or skip push notifications when prompted. Setup is complete when you return to the main screen.

Flow is ready to use. Switch to the Flow Keyboard in any app and tap the microphone to dictate.

Android

1. Download and install

1. Open the Google Play Store and search for Wispr Flow.

2. Tap Install to download the app.

3. Tap the Wispr Flow icon on your Home Screen to open it.

2. Sign in or create an account

1. Sign in with Google, Apple, Microsoft, SSO, or email/password.

2. Create an account if you're new — enter your email, a password (6–72 characters, can't match your name), and your full name. The sign-up form also requires a Confirm password field, and the password cannot match your name (case-insensitive).

3. Verify your email before continuing. The verification screen includes a Resend verification email button if you didn't receive it.

3. Grant permissions

1. Allow Wispr Flow to appear over other apps when prompted (overlay access).

2. Tap Agree on the legal consent screen, then tap Open settings to enable Wispr Flow in System Settings.

3. Allow Flow to keep running in the background when prompted. This step can be skipped.

4. Complete the tutorial

1. Tap Give it a try! to begin onboarding.

2. View the intro screens about how Flow works.

3. Select the languages you speak.

4. Practice dictating by tapping the Flow Bubble and speaking when you see the "Say something!" prompt.

5. Practice press-and-hold dictation in the push-to-talk tutorial.

6. Configure your privacy preferences.

7. Allow or skip push notifications when prompted. Setup is complete when you return to the main screen.

Flow is ready to use. The Flow Bubble appears when you tap into any text field.

Get Flow on your phone

Already using Flow on desktop? Download the mobile app by scanning the QR code or texting yourself the download link from Help → Try mobile app in the desktop app.

Referred by a friend

If someone referred you, you'll see a 1-Month Free Trial badge on the Flow Pro onboarding page, plus a message like "{Name} gifted you a month of unlimited access to Flow. No strings attached. No credit card required." The referrer's name appears in the description, not next to the badge.

Promotional offers

If you signed up through a promotional offer (for example, from a partner or publication), you'll see a Promotional Offer badge and a personalized message like "You've unlocked Flow Pro!" If a personalized source message is associated with your promo, it will appear — otherwise you'll see the generic "You have a promotional offer."

Your extended trial begins when you upgrade.

Pressing Enter on the permissions screen triggered the action twice during dictation onboarding

On the permissions screen during dictation onboarding, pressing Enter on a focused Allow or Continue button could trigger the action twice. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

2. Relaunch the app — pressing Enter on a focused button now triggers the action once as expected.

The last input field was cut off at the bottom of the screen during desktop onboarding

On desktop, the bottom of the last input field on certain onboarding screens could be clipped, making it hard to see your cursor or the field's border. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

2. Relaunch the app — all input fields are now fully visible when scrolling through onboarding screens.

Onboarding steps were repeated after reinstalling or signing in on a new device

After reinstalling Flow on desktop or signing into a new iOS device, steps you had already completed — including attribution, privacy consent, and language preferences — could appear again instead of being skipped. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

2. Sign in — previously completed onboarding steps are now skipped automatically, and you'll be offered the speedy onboarding flow.

Synced languages from another device weren't used for dictation on iOS

When signing into Flow on iOS with languages already selected on another device, the language onboarding step was correctly skipped — but iOS still used the device's default languages for dictation instead of the synced ones. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

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

2. Relaunch the app — your synced language selections now apply automatically and appear in Settings → Languages.

Sign-in showed a blank screen or failed silently on iOS

On iOS, signing in with Apple, Google, SSO, or email could leave you stuck on a blank screen with no error message — especially when switching to another app to retrieve a one-time password or when an authentication sheet opened. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

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

2. Relaunch the app and sign in again. If sign-in fails, you'll now see an error message explaining what went wrong.

Microphone test bars were always fully filled, even during silence

The audio bars in the microphone test could appear fully filled regardless of whether you were speaking or silent. This affected both the larger visualizer on the onboarding microphone test page and the smaller volume indicator in the Settings mic picker. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

2. Relaunch the app — the bars now stay low during silence and rise when you speak.

Onboarding buttons appeared mid-screen or content was cut off on Android (foldables and landscape)

On foldable devices or when using landscape orientation, the "Next" button could appear in the middle of the screen and onboarding content didn't scroll correctly. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

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

2. Relaunch the app — the "Next" button now stays pinned to the bottom of the screen and onboarding content scrolls correctly on all screen sizes and orientations.

Couldn't get past the permissions step during Mac onboarding

Flow didn't properly verify permission state during onboarding, so you could get stuck even after granting access. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

2. Check which permission is highlighted in the error and open System Settings → Privacy & Security to re-enable it.

3. Return to the Flow onboarding screen — the error should clear and you can continue.

Setup got stuck in a loop and never completed

A bug in the onboarding flow could cause setup to loop indefinitely. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

2. Relaunch the app — you should now be able to complete setup normally.

Dictated text was coming out all lowercase on Windows

Flow on Windows incorrectly lowercased dictated text during onboarding and within the app. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

2. Relaunch the app — dictated text now maintains proper capitalization.

"Start at login" wasn't working on Windows

The Start at login setting could stop working after an app update. This was fixed in a recent update. To resolve:

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

2. Relaunch the app — toggling Start at login on/off now works correctly, and the setting stays active after future updates.

Bugs fixed in recent Android updates

Several crashes and bugs were fixed in recent Android updates, including:

• A crash when deleting a transcript from the home screen

• A crash that could occur while navigating between screens

• A crash on certain onboarding screens with scrollable content

• An error affecting how dictated words were processed

• A conflict when the same word appeared in both your personal dictionary and your team's dictionary

To resolve:

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

2. Relaunch the app.

I'm getting an "email already registered" error

Your email is already linked to a different sign-in method (like Google or Apple). Flow detects which provider you used and prompts you to sign in with the correct one.

I didn't receive the verification email

Check your spam or trash folder for an email from support@wisprflow.ai. If it's not there, request a new verification email from the sign-in screen.

The microphone test isn't detecting my voice

If you see an error message on the microphone test page, follow the on-screen instructions — the message tells you exactly what's wrong and gives you a button to fix it (for example, opening Sound Settings, refreshing devices, or switching microphones). If there's no error but the audio bars still don't respond when you speak, select a different microphone from the dropdown and try again. AirPods and Bluetooth microphones may show 1–2 bars during silence — this is normal.

Can I set up writing style personalization later?

Yes. Open Settings and look for the writing style options. Writing styles are only available when English is your selected language.

Can I change my language settings later?

Yes. Add or remove languages anytime in Flow's settings. On desktop, you can also leave it on auto-detect and Flow will recognize the language you're speaking.

My onboarding looks different from what's described here

Flow's onboarding varies based on how you use the app. If you're setting up Flow for note-taking, you'll see a Get started section in the sidebar, a What do you do for work? question, and a meeting-focused permissions step on Mac — these don't appear in the dictation onboarding. The core steps (language, shortcut, microphone test, privacy preferences) are the same for everyone, but the visual layout, demos, gestures, and some prompts may also vary.

I'm setting up Flow as a meeting notetaker — why does the permissions screen look different?

When setting up Flow for meeting note-taking on Mac, the permissions step is tailored to that use case. You'll see cards for microphone, accessibility, and system audio — each appearing in sequence as the previous one is granted. The system audio permission lets Flow listen while you're recording a meeting. On older versions of macOS, system audio capture isn't available, but you can still proceed through setup without it.

Why is Privacy Mode locked on for me?

Privacy Mode is locked on if your organization's IT admin has enforced zero data retention, or if you've personally signed the HIPAA Business Associate Agreement. It cannot be toggled off.

Can I combine a discount code with a promotional offer?

You can only have one promo code active at a time. If you try to apply a second code, you'll see the error "You already have an active promo applied."

What is the Wispr QWERTY keyboard on iOS?

The Wispr QWERTY keyboard is a full keyboard layout built into the Flow Keyboard on iOS. If it's available for your account, you'll see a Show full QWERTY keyboard toggle under Settings → General. When turned on, the Flow Keyboard includes a full QWERTY layout. When turned off, tapping the keyboard switch key takes you to your system keyboard instead.