Getting started with Notetaker

Last updated: September 19, 2026

Available on: Mac (macOS 13 or later) and Windows, subject to account and organization access.

Notetaker records meetings and creates transcripts and summaries so you can review what was said afterward.

Before you start

Business/Enterprise access depends on plan, organization, and account permissions. Account access requires no separate opt-in but can be revoked; an explicit account grant can override organization Notetaker disablement. A signed personal or organization HIPAA BAA still blocks recording. If access is restricted, ask your admin to review organization Notetaker settings.

Organization disablement blocks meetings created from that point onward; earlier meetings are unaffected.

Important: Ask participants for consent before recording. If Obtain consent to start Notetaker appears, select Consent obtained only after getting permission. Canceling or dismissing it does not confirm consent.

If Flow cannot post the consent message, send it yourself or ask participants directly.

Open Notetaker

  1. Open Wispr Flow.

  2. Select Notetaker in the sidebar.

  3. Choose New note for an unscheduled meeting, or press ⌘N on Mac / Ctrl+N on Windows.

You can use it even if you chose dictation during onboarding; you do not need to repeat onboarding.

A calendar connection is optional; you can connect later and record an unscheduled meeting now. For calendar setup and reminders, see Meeting detection, reminders, and calendar.

For connected calendar events, Join + Start joins and records. Start appears when Flow detects that you have already joined, or when there is no join link. The dropdown’s Join meeting joins without recording; Start Notetaker records separately.

If your organization disables a connected calendar, its card remains in Settings → Connectors so you can Disconnect it.

Starting a new note during another recording asks Stop Notetaker? before switching.

Complete recording setup

If you see Complete setup to start Notetaker, recording has not started. Bring the recorder window forward to finish its checklist.

Only requirements missing when setup opened are listed: Enable Microphone captures your voice, Enable System Audio captures other participants, and Automatically save notes enables Private Cloud Sync.

Note: Private Cloud Sync is required for recording and access to saved notes and summaries. If you turned it off yourself, click Turn on beside Automatically save notes. Policy restrictions have no self-service option in this checklist.

On Mac, grant Microphone and System Audio access. Microphone access takes effect immediately. Grant Accessibility when requested for call-end detection. Accessibility also supports meeting recognition and arranging the notepad beside your meeting.

Mac: macOS 14.4 or later

Use the system-audio row in the recorder’s checklist.

  1. Click Turn on beside Enable System Audio.

  2. Choose Allow. No restart is required.

  3. Retry with Turn on if permission was denied or no prompt appeared.

    1. Enable Wispr Flow under System Audio Recording in the System Settings window that opens.

Mac: macOS 13 through 14.3

System-audio access requires restarting Flow, even when permission is already granted.

  1. Click Turn on beside Enable System Audio.

  2. Allow access in the macOS Screen Recording prompt or System Settings.

  3. Click Restart Wispr Flow when offered.

Flow reopens afterward and can resume the meeting, except during onboarding or the tutorial. The restart row also offers Open Settings.

Device-management restrictions send you directly to System Settings. Already-granted permission sends you directly to the required restart, not past it.

Windows

Windows requires both microphone switches below; there is no separate Flow setup step for System Audio or Accessibility.

  1. Click Turn on beside Enable Microphone to open Windows microphone privacy settings.

  2. Enable Microphone access.

  3. Enable Let desktop apps access your microphone.

If permission is not granted, Turn on becomes available to retry after 30 seconds for system audio on macOS 14.4 or later, or about 32 seconds for microphone access.

Completing every listed requirement shows All set! and closes the checklist. If a prerequisite is later revoked, setup can reopen while the recorder is idle; existing notes and transcripts are preserved.

Follow any account or organization restriction message, or contact your admin. Back or Escape closes the recorder window without starting a recording or deleting existing notes.

Record and review

  1. Complete any remaining permission or consent prompt.

  2. Check the recording indicator to confirm recording has started.

  3. Type your own notes in My thoughts while the meeting continues.

  4. Click Stop in the meeting window footer, or the Flow bar’s Stop Notetaker control, when finished.

  5. Wait for saving and processing, then open the meeting’s Summary and Transcript tabs.

The hub’s live recording pill opens the meeting note; it does not stop recording.

My thoughts stays separate from the generated summary and is excluded when you share the note.

If Summary shows Not auto-generated, click Generate summary; stopping a short recording or switching computer users can require this. Very short meetings show The meeting was too short to summarize.

See Flow Summaries for generation and editing options, or Recording a meeting with Notetaker for resuming and unexpected stops.

If you cannot start or capture audio

  • Missing Notetaker: Access restrictions can hide the sidebar entry. Ask your admin whether Notetaker is enabled.

  • Weekly allowance: The hub banner appears only with one or zero recordings remaining and names the reset date. At zero, New note and its shortcut cannot start recording. Allowance resets Monday at 00:00 UTC; non-paying users can select Upgrade to open Settings → Plans & Billing.

  • System audio: On Mac, denial at recording start stops capture and reopens setup. A mid-recording loss—or a Windows failure—keeps microphone-only recording going with a warning.

  • Microphone: Use Microphone settings in the no-audio warning to check the selected mic and mute status.

If you see a microphone warning or someone is missing from the transcript, follow the recording and audio troubleshooting guide. If transcription fails mid-meeting, the local recording remains saved.

Still need help?

Contact support if setup still blocks recording after completing the checklist, or audio problems remain after troubleshooting. Include your platform, OS version, microphone, plan, exact message, and steps tried.