Longer dictation sessions — now up to 20 minutes
Last updated: September 30, 2026
Available on: Mac, Windows
A single dictation session now runs up to 20 minutes on desktop, with nothing to configure. Draft long emails or think through an essay out loud.
How session timing works
One-minute warning: At 19 minutes, Flow plays a sound and briefly shows “You have <1 minute left before you reach the 20 minute limit!” near the Flow bar.
Automatic stop: At 20 minutes, Flow ends the session, transcribes everything recorded before the cutoff, and shows “Transcription session ended. Flow supports up to 20 minutes per session.” with Recover text.
Your text is kept: Reaching the limit always transcribes the session — your text is pasted and the dictation appears in History with its transcript, including sessions you stop yourself just before the limit.
Only while recording: The warning and automatic stop apply while you're actively recording, not once the session is stopping or processing.
Continue beyond 20 minutes
Warning: If you start a session while Flow is still processing, you'll see “Flow was processing your last transcript”. Clicking Cancel or pressing the cancel shortcut shown in the notice cancels the active dictation — it does not just close the notice.
Wait for the previous transcript to finish.
Press your dictation hotkey again. Very rapid repeated presses may be ignored.
Recover your text
Warning: If Flow quits or crashes mid-dictation, that session is not resumed or pasted on next launch.
Focus the field where you want the text.
Click the notification's recovery button — Recover text, Insert, Retry, or Undo. All four retry your last transcript and insert it into the focused field; Open History opens the Dictation/History page instead.
Interrupted or cancelled sessions
If the mic disconnects, “Microphone disconnected” / “Click below to insert the text recorded up to this point.” offers Insert.
If transcription fails, “Something's not right” / “Transcript failed to load. You can always recover it from History.” offers Retry and Open History.
A cancelled session shows a brief “Transcript cancelled” notice with Undo. Flow may also show “You can recover your cancelled transcript” with Undo and Open History.
Plans
The 20-minute session applies to Free and Pro on Mac and Windows. Free-plan weekly word caps still apply. Mobile session limits are unchanged.
Still need help?
Contact support if text is still missing after the relevant recovery action. Include your platform, device, the notice text, and the recovery actions you tried.