Set up the Action Button for Flow on iPhone

Last updated: November 13, 2026

Available on: iOS — iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max; iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max and 16e; iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max; and iPhone Air. On other iPhones, including iPhone 17e, Flow's Action Button setup row is hidden.

Connect your iPhone's Action Button to the Quick Dictation to Clipboard shortcut to dictate with Flow in any app. With the Flow keyboard active, text goes into the focused field; outside a text box, Flow saves it to your clipboard.

How to set it up

Note: Sign in and finish onboarding first — while you're signed out, the Action Button does nothing in Flow, and Flow asks for microphone access at the onboarding microphone step. Starting Action Button dictation also requires Live Activities for Flow; if they're off, Flow reports it. Stopping a recording always works.

Add the shortcut

  1. Open Wispr Flow → Settings → General → Action button shortcut.

  2. Tap Let's go! on “Set up your Flow Action Button shortcut”.

  3. Tap Try now after the demo video.

  4. Tap Add shortcut to open the iCloud shortcut link.

  5. Add Quick Dictation to Clipboard, then return to Flow. Setup advances to the mapping step even if you cancelled the installation, so finish adding before you return.

Assign it to the Action Button

Note: Done only opens “Let's test your new shortcut” — it does not assign the shortcut. Returning after Go to Settings reopens the Action Button screen automatically only if setup is still on the mapping step.

  1. Tap Go to Settings, or open iPhone Settings → Action Button yourself.

  2. Open Action Button if you land on the main Settings screen.

  3. Swipe to Shortcut.

  4. Select Quick Dictation to Clipboard.

  5. Return to Flow.

You can change the assignment anytime in iPhone Settings → Action Button.

Test and finish

The test uses a sample Notes card inside Flow. If the Flow keyboard isn't active, a video shows how to switch, and setup continues once it's active.

Note: The test is optional. Skip appears only during keyboard switching or the dictation test; it stops any active recording and opens All set.

  1. Tap Try now on “Let's test your new shortcut”.

  2. Switch to the Flow keyboard if prompted.

  3. Press & hold the Action Button until dictation starts, then release and speak a short phrase.

  4. Press & hold, then release the Action Button to stop. Repeating the gesture while dictation is still starting also stops it.

  5. Tap Next when it appears, then Finish on All set. You return to Flow's home screen and the walkthrough doesn't reopen on its own.

Without the Flow keyboard active, nothing is copied if the transcript isn't ready within 10 seconds after stopping, or if dictation is silent, cancelled or fails.

If the test doesn't work

Next doesn't appear

Allow about a second after the text appears. Next stays hidden during the stop reminder, including when you stop with the keyboard's stop button instead of the Action Button, and clearing the text hides it unless the test is already complete.

  1. Return to iPhone Settings → Action Button if Next still doesn't appear.

  2. Confirm Quick Dictation to Clipboard is selected.

No text was inserted

If you end the test dictation without speaking, nothing is inserted and Flow shows a “didn't hear you” message. The sample card can also show existing clipboard text when no finished transcript is available.

  1. Press & hold the Action Button and try again, speaking a short phrase.

  2. Check that the card shows the phrase you spoke.

An error blocks the test

Three conditions block test dictation, each shown as a dismissible message in the Flow keyboard: reaching the weekly word limit, Full Access not granted for the Flow keyboard, or microphone permission denied.

  • Weekly word limit: applies only to signed-in Basic accounts with keyboard setup complete and weekly mobile usage at the limit; an active bonus allowance raises that limit.

  • Microphone denied: if you declined microphone access during onboarding, turn the microphone back on for Wispr Flow in iPhone Settings.

  1. Open Settings from a permission message, or the plan page from a word-limit message.

  2. Resolve the condition shown, then try dictation again.

The keyboard's network-error message has no Retry button. Dismiss the message, check your connection, and start dictation again.

Returning to Flow during the test

Flow restores your place when you return mid-test; Next returns only if it was already available or dictated text exists.

Apple requires Flow to briefly switch apps to activate the microphone. After you tap Start in the Flow keyboard (VoiceOver: “Start Flow”), automatic return — when available — resumes your previous app once recording starts, provided Flow can reopen it. Otherwise, or if return fails, a manual screen appears.

On “Flow is on” / “You can start dictating now”, follow “Swipe right across the bottom edge to continue”; no in-app button completes this step.

Dismiss instructions or exit setup

Tap the dimmed background to dismiss the start instruction or stop reminder; the initial stop instruction can't be dismissed, and the reminder reappears if Flow prompts you again.

Back steps through setup and exits when no previous step remains. During a recording on the test screen, it stops recording and waits for transcription to finish before going back. Back isn't available on the intro or “Let's test your new shortcut” screens; use X on the intro to exit.

Still stuck?

Contact support if:

  • Next never appears after you confirm the selected shortcut.

  • The Action Button doesn't trigger Flow after setup completes.

  • You see an error during setup that isn't covered above.

Include your iPhone model, iOS version, Wispr Flow app version, and what you tried.