Privacy Mode & Private Cloud Sync

One privacy setting is now two, so you can control AI training and data storage separately. Here's what each control does, how to combine them for zero data retention, and what happens to the settings you already have.

What's changing

The single Privacy Mode setting is now two independent controls, both in Wispr Flow settings under Data & Privacy:

• Privacy Mode: controls whether your dictation data is used to train or improve AI models.

• Private Cloud Sync: controls whether your transcription data is stored on Wispr's servers.

How the two controls work

Privacy Mode

Transcription happens in the cloud, which is how Flow delivers accurate, fast results. Privacy Mode controls whether that dictation data is used to evaluate, train, or improve AI models. Choose one of two options:

• Privacy Mode: none of your dictation data (audio, transcripts, or edits) is retained or used to evaluate, train, or improve AI models, by Wispr or by the providers that process it.

• Share Data: your dictation data may be used to evaluate, train, and improve Flow's features and models. Wispr does not sell your data.

Private Cloud Sync

Private Cloud Sync controls whether Wispr stores your transcription data (transcripts and audio) on its servers.

• On: transcription data is stored on Wispr's servers, encrypted in transit and at rest. This enables cross-device sync for Wispr Scratchpad and is required to use Notetaker, including saving and sharing notes and transcripts.

• Off: audio and transcripts are processed in real time and discarded once the request completes. Cross-device sync for Wispr Scratchpad and Notetaker recording are unavailable, and the Notes page shows a cloud-off icon with a tooltip explaining that notes aren't syncing.

Local data storage

Settings → Data & Privacy → Local data storage controls how your desktop dictation transcripts and audio are stored on your device, including auto-delete and never-store-locally options. It does not apply to Notetaker meeting recordings or transcripts, which follow the Notetaker transcript retention setting below.

Named speakers in Google Meet

For Google Meet calls, Notetaker can label transcript segments with participants' real names instead of generic "Speaker 1 / Speaker 2" labels. Flow briefly saves a small per-meeting record of on-screen names and speaking activity and sends it to Wispr's cloud to match against the transcript, so Private Cloud Sync must be on; if it is off, transcripts use generic speaker labels. The record is removed from your device after upload and is deleted along with the rest of the meeting data, or when your account is deleted.

Notetaker setup requirements

When you open Notetaker for the first time, or if a prerequisite is missing, a setup screen appears in place of the record button. Recording — meeting auto-start and the manual record button — is blocked until every listed item is complete. The screen lists only what you still need to do, in this order: System Audio → Automatically save notes (Private Cloud Sync) → Microphone. It shows "All set!" and closes automatically once everything is in order.

System audio recording permission (macOS)

Notetaker needs the System Audio Recording Only permission to capture meeting audio. Screen Recording permission is not required.

1. Click the link on the setup screen to open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording.

2. Grant the System Audio Recording Only permission to Wispr Flow.

3. Return to Flow. It re-checks permission automatically and shows "System audio needs a restart" with Restart Wispr Flow and Open Settings buttons.

4. Click Restart Wispr Flow. The permission takes effect only after Flow restarts. Flow then reopens your meeting and begins recording automatically; if the permission is still missing, a notification appears with a direct link back to those settings.

Automatically save notes (Private Cloud Sync)

Private Cloud Sync saves your notes and transcripts and is the only hard blocker for recording. The setup screen shows this step as Automatically save notes, secured through Private Cloud Sync.

When Notetaker detects your first meeting, a card appears asking "Transcribe this meeting with Wispr?" with two buttons — Another time and Yes. The card body discloses: "By selecting 'Yes' you agree to turn on Private Cloud Sync, which allows us to process and store your transcriptions. Wispr Notetaker requires this." Yes starts Notetaker and turns on Private Cloud Sync, so this step won't appear in the setup screen on that first start. Another time dismisses the card without affecting your active dictation or any settings.

This consent flow applies to standard accounts only. Users whose Private Cloud Sync is already on, and users whose accounts are locked by a HIPAA agreement or enterprise policy, instead see benefit-focused copy ("Nothing extra joins the call. Notetaker captures what everyone says and summarizes after.") with no consent disclosure; their Yes simply opens Notetaker without changing any setting.

For later nudges (second meeting, recurring, or recording-failed), Private Cloud Sync is not auto-enabled. What the setup screen shows depends on your account:

• You turned it off yourself: a self-serve gate with a one-click option to turn it back on. Clicking "Request access" changes to a one-time "Access requested" badge confirming your request was sent.

• You have a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement: a message points you to Settings → Data & Privacy, where you can revoke the agreement to re-enable Cloud Sync.

• You are an enterprise admin: you are directed to the Admin Portal to manage the policy.

• You are an enterprise member: you are asked to contact your admin, as only admins can change this policy.

Starting a recording while Notetaker is blocked opens a modal with an orange hero banner and a lock badge, in one of five variants:

• Personal account with a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement: HIPAA mode is active; directs you to Settings to manage your agreement.

• Company admin with Cloud Sync off: directs you to the Admin Portal to enable Cloud Sync for your organization.

• Company admin with a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement: HIPAA mode is active for your organization; directs you to the Admin Portal.

• Company member with Cloud Sync off: your admin has turned off Cloud Sync; asks you to contact your admin.

• Company member with a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement: HIPAA mode is active for your organization; asks you to contact your admin.

Dismiss any variant by clicking the X, clicking outside the modal, or pressing Escape. Organizations with the Notetaker beta enabled see wording that references Notetaker; organizations without it see neutral Private Cloud Sync wording.

Notetaker transcript retention

Open Wispr Flow settings and go to Data & Privacy → Notetaker transcript retention to choose how long meeting transcripts are kept.

• Never delete (default): transcripts are kept until you delete them manually.

• 1, 7, 30, 90, 180, or 365 days: transcripts older than the chosen window are automatically deleted from your devices and Wispr's servers within approximately 24 hours.

Any change shows a "Retention updated" confirmation. Shortening the window first asks you to confirm: "Transcripts older than X will be deleted within 24 hours. This can't be undone." Transcripts already removed under your policy show "Transcript deleted based on your retention settings policy" in the meeting transcript panel, with a link back to your retention settings.

When an organization sets a retention window that will automatically delete transcripts, a banner on the Home screen and a desktop notification after each dictation inform affected users about the policy. These prompts appear only for users who have access to Notetaker.

Default visibility for shared notes

If note sharing is enabled on your account, open Wispr Flow settings and go to Data & Privacy → Notes sharing to set a default visibility for the meeting notes you create — Private, Shared with team, or Anyone with the link. This sets only the starting visibility for new notes; change any individual note's visibility from its share dialog.

Zero data retention

Privacy Mode on plus Private Cloud Sync off gives you zero data retention for all audio and transcript data: nothing is stored or retained by Wispr or any third party. This matches the privacy level Privacy Mode provided previously.

Existing customers

Your settings do not change automatically when this rolls out.

• If you had Privacy Mode on, it stays on and Private Cloud Sync stays off — identical to your previous setup: zero data retention for all audio and transcript data.

• If you had Privacy Mode off, your settings carry forward as-is.

• Private Cloud Sync turns on only if you enable it manually, or if you click Yes on the first meeting nudge (standard accounts only — see Notetaker setup requirements above).

For enterprise admins

Admins can set both Privacy Mode and Private Cloud Sync at the organization level in the Admin Portal. When an org policy is set, individual users cannot override it.

• Enforce Privacy Mode on to prevent any dictation data from being used for model training.

• Enforce Private Cloud Sync off to prevent transcription data from being stored on Wispr's servers. This also disables Notetaker entirely for those users: recording is unavailable, they see no Notetaker adoption prompts, and non-admin members see a restricted Notetaker page directing them to their admin.

• Existing zero-data-retention orgs map to Privacy Mode on plus Private Cloud Sync off, so their protection is unchanged.

• Disallow note sharing to prevent members from sharing a meeting note with "Anyone with the link" or adding recipients outside the organization. Members without note sharing enabled will not see the default note visibility setting in their Data & Privacy settings.

• Set a transcript retention policy to automatically delete Notetaker meeting transcripts after a specified period. The retention control in individual users' settings is then locked and shows "Set by your admin". Users whose organization has blocked Notetaker entirely will not see retention-related banners or notifications.

For details, contact your Wispr account team or talk to sales.

FAQs

Still need help?

Contact support if:

• Notetaker still won't record after you've completed every item on the setup screen and restarted Flow.

• A privacy setting won't save, or shows "Set by your admin" when you don't belong to an organization.

Include your platform, your app version, and which steps you already tried — that's usually enough to resolve it in one reply.