Set up the Action Button for Flow on iPhone

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 and home-screen card are 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

Start setup inside the app — no web or deep link opens it.

Add the shortcut

Open Wispr Flow → Settings → General → Action button shortcut.
Tap Let's go! on “Set up Flow Action Button”, then Try now after the demo video.
Tap Add shortcut to open the iCloud shortcut link, then add Quick Dictation to Clipboard.
Return to Flow; setup advances to the mapping step.

Assign it to the Action Button

Note: Done on the mapping screen only continues to the test introduction — it does not assign the shortcut for you.

Tap Go to Settings, or open iPhone Settings → Action Button yourself.
Swipe to Shortcut and select Quick Dictation to Clipboard.
Return to Flow; setup opens “Let's test your new shortcut”.

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

Test and finish

The test runs on a card inside Flow and requires the Flow keyboard. If the keyboard isn't active, an instructional video shows how to switch, and setup continues once it's active.

Note: The trial is optional. Skip in the header during keyboard switching or the dictation test stops any active recording and opens All set.

Tap Try now on “Let's test your new shortcut”.
Switch to the Flow keyboard if prompted.
Press & hold the Action Button until dictation starts, then release and speak a short phrase.
Press & hold, then release the Action Button to stop. Repeating the gesture while dictation is still starting also stops it.
Tap Next when it appears, then Finish on All set to close setup.

Finishing or closing setup returns you to Flow's home screen and does not reopen the walkthrough. Learn more on All set opens the Action Button help page.

If the test doesn't work

Next doesn't appear

Next is hidden while Flow shows the stop reminder, and it does not appear if you stopped dictation with the keyboard's stop button instead of releasing the Action Button. Clearing the dictated text also hides it, unless the trial is already complete.

If it still doesn't appear, return to iPhone Settings → Action Button and confirm Quick Dictation to Clipboard is selected, or use Skip to finish without the trial.

No text was inserted

If you end the test dictation without speaking, nothing is inserted and Flow shows a “didn't hear you” message. Press & hold the Action Button and try again, speaking a short phrase.

An error blocks the test

Three conditions block the test dictation, each shown in the Flow keyboard: reaching the weekly word limit, Full Access not granted for the Flow keyboard, or microphone permission denied. Resolve the condition shown, then try again.

For a “Network error,” tap Retry, or dismiss the message, check your connection, and try 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 Flow from the Flow keyboard, Flow returns you to the exact place you were — the same chat, Safari page, Messages thread, Notes note or Reminders list. If the return doesn't succeed, a “Swipe back to your app” screen appears; swipe right across the bottom edge to go back.

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 it stops the recording first and goes back once transcription ends. Back isn't available on the intro or “Let's test your new shortcut” screens — use X on the intro screen 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.