Fix a microphone that is silent or unavailable
Last updated: September 19, 2026
Available on: Mac, Windows, iOS and Android.
If dictation captures silence or loses its microphone, test a short phrase after each change. For meeting audio, see Notetaker troubleshooting: Notetaker separately uses Auto-detect, your system’s default input.
Quick checks
Hardware mute: Look for a switch on your headset, keyboard or laptop.
Surroundings: Move closer to the microphone and reduce background noise.
Test outside Flow: Record a short clip in Voice Memos on Mac/iPhone or Sound Recorder on Windows. Silence or distortion there points to the microphone or system setup.
Mac and Windows
Allow access
Mac: Microphone Permission Required
Grant Permission prompts for first-time access; otherwise it opens privacy settings. Denied/restricted access can open settings automatically.
Click Grant Permission.
Allow the prompt or enable Flow in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
Windows: Microphone access is disabled
Both microphone switches must be on.
Click Open Settings.
Enable Microphone access and Let desktop apps access your microphone.
Test the input
Open Flow’s Settings → General → Microphone → Change.
Select your microphone by name.
Speak to check its level indicator; only the selected microphone shows levels.
Close the dialog before dictating.
The dialog starts a live test; switching inputs restarts it, and closing stops it.
Unselectable mics show “Laptop lid is closed” (built-in) or “Put on your headset to use it” (Jabra). AirPods may start slowly and produce more dictation errors.
If input stays silent
Watch the input meter. On Mac, open System Settings → Sound → Input; on Windows, Settings → System → Sound → Input. Select the intended mic, speak and raise a low input level without constantly reaching maximum.
Compare a built-in or wired mic with Bluetooth. A closed MacBook needs an external mic; a wireless receiver can capture silence when its transmitter is out of range.
Releasing the shortcut too quickly can trigger a no-audio notice; dictate again.
Restart Flow
Restart Flow after changing permission. For “Unable to access mic,” use Restart App; otherwise:
Note: On desktop, dismissing the recording bubble can leave dictation running; stop explicitly to release the mic.
Quit Flow: Mac, menu-bar or system-tray menu; Windows, system-tray menu.
Reopen Flow.
If Flow cancels a start while recovering microphone access, trigger dictation again.
Check saved audio
Stop any active dictation.
Play the affected recording in History, if available.
Clear speech with missing or wrong text points to transcription: retry missing text. Missing or silent audio needs capture checks.
After 14 days, playback/download and inline Retry/recovery disappear. Inline Retry requires a silent/interrupted recording lasting at least 5 seconds; the row menu also offers Retry. Retry is blocked during dictation or while the same recording is being retried. Missing stored audio produces an audio-unavailable message.
After quitting mid-recording, check History on reopening for saved-audio recovery.
Other desktop warnings
Select microphone and Choose Microphone open Flow’s picker; Troubleshoot opens this article in your browser.
Warning | Action |
No microphone detected | Open Sound Settings: Mac Sound → Input; Windows Sound → Recording, not privacy settings. |
Selected microphone is unavailable | Choose Microphone → a connected input. |
Is your microphone muted? / We couldn't hear you | Check mute/levels; use Select microphone or Troubleshoot. |
No audio received / Microphone is not working | Stop dictation; use Select microphone if offered, or Contact us. |
Microphone unavailable | Close other mic-using apps; Flow does not identify which app holds the mic. |
Microphone error | Reconnect the mic; contact support if it recurs. |
Unplugging the mic during dictation stops recording (except during testing). “Microphone disconnected” → Insert retries saved audio and pastes recovered text into the focused field.
Silence warnings clear when audio returns; “Unable to access mic” clears when access succeeds.
Support-guided reset
Warning: Reset only if advised by Flow support. Reset deletes local data. Save anything you need first; only content already synced to your account can return. Dictionary, stats and settings re-sync on restart; synced notes and meetings also return.
Learn more beside Reset app opens the reset guide.
Open Settings → System → Data → Reset app → Reset & restart.
Confirm Reset & restart; Flow restarts automatically.
iPhone
Keyboard dictation requires Full Access (checked first) and microphone permission; only the main app can request microphone permission.
Enable Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Flow → Allow Full Access.
Start dictation in the main Flow app if Flow is missing from microphone settings.
Choose Allow when prompted.
Full Access changes need no restart. If access was denied, enable iOS Settings → Flow → Microphone, then reopen Flow. After Go to Settings from the keyboard’s permission message, you can return straight to the keyboard. Permission alerts can also appear during dictation.
Flow’s Settings → Audio → Built-in mic defaults on; turn it off for a paired Bluetooth mic. Changing it immediately restarts active recording. There is no individual-device picker.
Capture failure
“Can’t turn on Flow right now” means another app is using the microphone.
Warning: Audio that was never captured cannot be recovered; retry here starts a new recording.
Close the call or other app holding the microphone.
Retry using the offered action, or dismiss the error and tap the mic to start fresh.
If capture repeatedly fails, quit and reopen Flow; avoid immediately swiping it away after launch.
Captured audio, missing text
Retry saved audio from History (row action or swipe), “Tap to retry,” or keyboard Error options when available. Capture/network errors offer only Dismiss there: start fresh for capture errors; use History for saved audio.
After Flow closes mid-dictation, opening History can automatically retry the latest unfinished, textless recording once over two minutes old and nothing is recording.
Calls, Siri or input changes
After calls/Siri, recording resumes if interrupted for no longer than the background-recording limit (default: 5 minutes); no time limit always resumes.
Connecting/disconnecting an input requires manual restart. An audio-route override does not stop recording while the built-in mic is selected.
Captured speech is processed. After interruption or duration-limit stops with the keyboard off-screen, History saves the transcript; a notification points to it instead of pasting.
A word-limit notice is a plan limit, not a microphone problem.
Android
With onboarding complete and overlay access, the bubble stays available without mic permission, including after revocation; dictation requests permission.
Select Allow Microphone on the We can't hear you card.
Grant access in the prompt, or under Permissions if permanent denial opens Flow’s Android app settings.
Return to Flow; granting permission clears the card.
The microphone sheet over other apps offers Go to Settings. A full restart may be needed after changing previously denied permissions.
Android chooses the active input; Flow has no microphone picker. Compare the built-in or wired mic, reconnect Bluetooth if needed, and retry after a microphone-read failure.
Missing bubble or text
Swipe setup cards for overlay access, Accessibility, battery restrictions, disabled bubble or snooze; follow Android setup. The battery card excludes manufacturer-specific restrictions; configure these separately.
After Turn Back On or End snooze now, focus a text box. For “Flow isn't responding,” use Restart Flow, not another Accessibility grant.
Repair bubble
Repair appears only with a focused text field after recording/processing ends; it hides when focus leaves and returns on refocus.
Retry icon: tap to restart Flow.
Warning triangle: tap for Accessibility permission instructions.
Reconnecting loader: wait; it cannot be tapped.
“Flow Bubble reconnected.” confirms recovery. Repair cancels and blocks snooze until resolved.
Network or transcription failure
“No internet. Try again later.” blocks new dictation. For a network failure, reconnect before retrying saved audio.
After “Failed to transcribe. Saved in the app.”, Retry resends saved audio; without it, Retry only restores the bubble—start a new dictation.
Warning: Hiding the Android bubble during dictation cancels it and releases the microphone. An idle bubble has no capture to release.
Still need help?
If capture still fails, contact support; on desktop, use Help → Get in touch → Talk to support.
Contact support with your OS, microphone model, exact message, whether another app records correctly, and what you tried.