Set up the Action Button for Flow on iPhone

Last updated: October 18, 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 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

Note: Starting Action Button dictation requires Live Activities for Flow. If they're off, Flow reports it; if Flow can't create a Live Activity for another reason, it shows a try-again message. This requirement never prevents stopping a recording.

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.

  6. Return to Flow; setup advances to the mapping step.

Returning advances setup even if you cancelled installation; complete the add step before returning.

Other ways to open setup

The dedicated app link wispr-flow://action-button opens setup. Web links, wispr-flow://open/ links, and links to Flow Settings don't open this walkthrough directly.

The home-screen Action Button card can appear after 500 total dictated words, at most 3 times. Dismissing it or tapping Set up hides it permanently; Set up opens the same walkthrough. The card never appears inside the Flow keyboard.

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 opens that screen automatically only if setup is still on the mapping step.

Go to Settings opens the main Settings screen and plays a picture-in-picture guide over it; the guide closes if Settings fails to open.

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

  2. Open Action Button if you're 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; setup continues when it becomes active. Starting dictation from the keyboard-switch screen also opens the card; Back then skips that screen.

Note: The trial is optional. Skip appears only during keyboard switching or the dictation test; it stops 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.

  5. Tap Next when it appears.

  6. Tap Finish on All set to close setup.

Repeating the gesture while dictation is still starting also stops it.

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.

Finishing or closing setup returns you to Flow's home screen; the walkthrough doesn't reopen on its own.

If the test doesn't work

Next doesn't appear

Allow about 0.8 seconds after text appears for Next. It stays hidden during the stop reminder, including after you stop with the keyboard's stop button instead of the Action Button. Clearing the text hides it unless the trial 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 still display existing clipboard text when no final transcript is available; otherwise, it uses your finished transcript.

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

Check that the card shows the phrase you spoke.

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. Each message can be dismissed.

The word-limit block 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.

A first microphone request inside Flow opens the system permission prompt; a later attempt without permission shows the denial message.

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

  2. Resolve the condition shown.

  3. Try dictation again.

The keyboard's network-error message has no Retry button. A complete connection loss replaces the keyboard unless Offline/Backup Dictation is active.

  1. Dismiss the network-error message.

  2. Check your connection.

  3. 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 tapping Start in the Flow keyboard (VoiceOver: “Start Flow”), automatic return—when available—resumes your previous app where you left it 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-dictation 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.