Dictating in Notification Reply Boxes and Browser Address Bars

Last updated: May 7, 2026

Available on: Android

Reply to messages from your notification shade or dictate URLs and searches straight into your browser's address bar — no need to open the app or tap into a text field first. The Flow Bubble appears in both surfaces automatically.

What it is

The Flow Bubble is the Android floating overlay that appears whenever you focus a supported text field, letting you start dictating right away.

As of version 1.9.0, two new surfaces are supported: inline reply boxes in system notifications (for example, replying to a WhatsApp message from the notification shade) and browser address bars across Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Samsung Internet, and other major Android browsers.

When to use it

Use the Flow Bubble in these surfaces when you want to:

  • Reply to a WhatsApp, SMS, or other app notification straight from the notification shade — without opening the app.

  • Dictate a URL or search query into your browser's address bar.

  • Send a quick reply or run a quick search when your hands are full.

How it works in Flow

Overview

When you tap into a supported field, the Flow Bubble appears automatically. Both surfaces follow the same activation pattern as any other text field — no extra setup.

Key behaviors

  • Notification inline replies: Expand a notification to reveal its reply box, and the Flow Bubble appears so you can dictate your reply. Works on Pixel and major Android devices including Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, OnePlus, Vivo, and Asus.

  • Browser address bars: Tap the address bar in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, or Samsung Internet, and the Flow Bubble appears. Speak a URL or search phrase and Flow types it in.

  • Pre-typed text is preserved: If you've already typed something into a notification reply box before activating Flow, that text is kept. Dictated text is inserted at your cursor position.

  • No new setup required: If Flow is running and updated to version 1.9.0 or later, these surfaces activate automatically using Flow's existing Accessibility Service and Draw Over Other Apps permissions.

Warning: In some notification reply contexts, the override that lets the bubble appear in the system shade can also expose fields that would otherwise be excluded (such as PIN or password fields). Avoid dictating sensitive information into notification replies.

Examples

Replying to a WhatsApp notification from the notification shade

Scenario: A WhatsApp message appears as a notification and you expand it to see the inline reply box.

What you do: Tap the reply field. When the Flow Bubble appears, activate Flow and say "Sounds good, I'll be there at 7."

Result: Flow types your reply into the notification reply box. Tap Send — no need to open WhatsApp.

Dictating a URL into a Chrome address bar

Scenario: You want to navigate to a website without typing.

What you do: Tap the address bar in Chrome. When the Flow Bubble appears, activate Flow and say "wispr dot ai".

Result: Flow types the URL into the address bar. Press Enter to navigate.

Running a voice search from the browser address bar

Scenario: You want to search the web without switching to a search box.

What you do: Tap the address bar in Firefox or Edge. When the Flow Bubble appears, activate Flow and say "best noise cancelling headphones 2025".

Result: Flow types your search phrase into the address bar. Press Enter to run the search.

FAQs

Which browsers support the Flow Bubble in the address bar?

Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Samsung Internet, Opera, Vivaldi, DuckDuckGo, Kiwi, UC Browser, and Yandex are supported. Any browser that uses standard URL input fields will work.

Which notification reply boxes does this work with?

Any app that provides a standard inline reply box in the system notification shade — such as WhatsApp. The Flow Bubble appears when you focus the reply field.

What happens if I've already typed something in the reply box before using Flow?

Your existing text is preserved. If you've placed your cursor inside the existing text, Flow inserts dictated text at the cursor. On the first tap of a notification reply field, before you've moved the cursor, dictated text is appended to the end of any existing draft.

Do I need to change any settings to enable this?

No. If Flow is running and updated to version 1.9.0 or later, the Flow Bubble appears in these surfaces automatically — using the same Accessibility Service and Draw Over Other Apps permissions you granted during initial setup.

The Flow Bubble isn't showing up — what should I check?

Confirm Flow is running and updated to version 1.9.0 or later, and that the field you're focused on isn't a password, PIN, phone-number, or numeric-only field. If it still doesn't appear, contact support.

Limitations and notes

  • This feature requires Wispr Flow version 1.9.0 or later.

  • Address bar support covers Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Samsung Internet, Opera, Vivaldi, DuckDuckGo, Kiwi, UC Browser, and Yandex. Browsers that don't use standard URL input fields may not show the Flow Bubble.

  • Notification inline reply support is confirmed on Pixel and major Android devices including Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, OnePlus, Vivo, and Asus. Apps with custom notification UIs may not be supported.

  • The Flow Bubble does not appear in password, PIN, phone-number, or numeric-only fields.

  • The Flow Bubble does not appear in detected banking or financial apps, regardless of field type.

  • Address bar support covers the browser's address bar only, not text fields inside web pages. Content-editable fields rendered inside a web page (for example, Gmail compose in Chrome) are not covered by these new surfaces.

  • Flow's Accessibility Service and Draw Over Other Apps permissions must already be granted from initial setup. No new permissions are required.