Re-verify Wispr Flow permissions after updating

Last updated: October 16, 2026

Available on: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android

If Flow stopped listening, stopped typing, or stopped responding to shortcuts after a system or app update, re-verify its permissions. Microphone access is required on every platform.

Quick checks

  • Is Flow running? Look for the Flow icon in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows), or confirm the app is open on mobile.

  • Does your mic work in other apps? Record a clip in Voice Memos (Mac/iOS) or Sound Recorder (Windows/Android). If it's silent there, fix your system mic before continuing.

Mac and Windows

After each recovery, dictate a short phrase. If text appears, you're done; otherwise continue.

Mac

Microphone and Accessibility are separate requirements; Screen Recording isn't needed for basic dictation. Flow re-checks permissions when you bring it to the foreground, and during setup it advances automatically once access is granted. If a request times out after 10 seconds, it shows “Permission request timed out. Please try again or restart the app.”

For Microphone, Grant Permission shows the first system dialog — click Allow — or opens System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone after that request. Accessibility's Open Settings raises the macOS Accessibility prompt, which can appear again.

Repeated microphone prompts mean the permission wasn't fully granted. To re-grant manually:

  1. Quit Flow from the Wispr Flow menu bar icon.

  2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.

  3. Toggle Wispr Flow off, then on again.

  4. Enable Wispr Flow in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, granting access to the main Wispr Flow app, not a separate helper.

  5. Reopen Wispr Flow from Applications or the Dock.

Flow must be in an Applications folder (/Applications, ~/Applications or /System/Applications) to launch.

Windows

Windows requires system microphone access, not app-level Microphone or Accessibility grants. Flow checks when recording starts, so privacy blocks appear immediately.

  1. Try one dictation.

  2. Click Open Settings if “Microphone access is disabled” appears.

  3. Enable system microphone access in Windows Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone.

If there's no privacy warning, check your microphone in Windows Sound Settings, close other apps using your microphone, then reopen Wispr Flow. For “No microphone detected”, Open Sound Settings opens the Sound control panel's Recording tab, not privacy settings.

If you see “Update admin settings to paste!”, run Flow as Administrator; the notice has no action button.

iOS

On a first-time grant, tapping Start Flow or the microphone button triggers the iOS prompt — tap Allow, which adds Flow to Microphone settings. After a denial, iOS won't show that prompt again, so re-grant it yourself:

  1. Tap Go to Settings on Home's “We can't hear you” card.

  2. Turn on Microphone.

  3. Return to Wispr Flow — no restart or sign-in needed.

Access clears the card, restores hidden Home cards, and enables recording. The keyboard also prompts for missing Microphone or Full Access; both alerts offer Open Settings and Cancel.

Note: Errors when recording starts aren't necessarily permission problems — recording, network, transcription and microphone-in-use errors have separate messages.

“Almost there!” — grant Full Access

Full Access is separate from microphone access.

  1. Tap Finish setup on Home's “Almost there!” card.

  2. Tap Next on the privacy screen.

  3. Tap Go to Settings, then Keyboards.

  4. Turn on Allow Full Access.

  5. Tap Allow on the popup.

  6. Return to Flow; granting Full Access clears the card.

Android

Dictation needs Microphone, Accessibility to detect text fields and insert text, and Display over other apps for the bubble. If you're signed in with setup complete but Accessibility is off, opening Flow takes you to its recovery screen until you re-grant access. Otherwise, swipe through Home's attention cards and open the one you see.

“We can't hear you”

This card means microphone access is missing. The bubble can remain visible after access is revoked, but dictation cannot work without it.

  1. Tap Allow Microphone to request permission.

  2. Open Permissions → Microphone if Flow redirects straight to App info after Android refuses another prompt.

  3. Set Microphone to Allow, then return to Wispr Flow.

The card clears and recording resumes without restarting. If Android still blocks microphone use in the background or after a reboot, the next bubble gesture requests access again.

Microphone requests from the bubble

Tapping or pressing and holding the Flow bubble also asks for microphone access. When Android will no longer show its dialog — for example Microphone set to Ask every time with the one-time access lapsed, or access denied permanently — Flow shows “Oops, something isn't right” over your current app.

Its “We can't hear you” card offers Go to Settings, which opens Wispr Flow's App info page for the steps above. Tapping outside the sheet dismisses it without changing anything. While a one-time (“Only this time”) grant is still active, recording works normally.

“Enable Flow bubble on screen” or “Flow Bubble Disabled”

Starting the bubble without Display over other apps shows “Wispr Flow is missing a system permission. Open the app to fix this.” The bubble can also disappear silently if access is revoked while it's running.

  1. Tap Go to Settings on “Enable Flow bubble on screen”.

  2. Enable Display over other apps.

  3. Return to Flow if it doesn't reopen automatically.

Granting access within five minutes of opening Settings returns you automatically and the permission card disappears. “Flow Bubble Disabled” appears only when the bubble has stopped and Microphone, Accessibility and Display over other apps are granted — tap Turn Back On before testing dictation.

Reopening Flow can also restart the bubble if you're signed in, setup is complete and Display over other apps is granted. That restart doesn't require Microphone or Accessibility, so a repair bubble can appear before dictation is ready; the normal or repair bubble appears when you tap into a text box. After an update or reboot, Flow tries to restore the bubble when Accessibility is enabled, but doesn't retry in the background if Android blocks that restart — reopen the app instead.

Accessibility or “Flow isn't responding”

Android battery management can disconnect Accessibility while Settings still shows it enabled.

State

Recovery

Warning triangle / “Flow can't insert text”

Tap the triangle or Home's Go to Settings, then enable Wispr Flow in Accessibility.

Retry icon / “Flow isn't responding”

Tap the icon or Restart Flow to reconnect; Accessibility is already enabled.

Reconnecting

Dictation pauses and the bubble isn't tappable; a repair option can appear after 60 seconds.

Re-granting Accessibility needs no reinstall and clears the accessibility card and notification as soon as Flow reconnects — you don't need to open Home.

Samsung or Xiaomi: “Wispr Flow stopped”

This replaces “Flow isn't responding” when Android leaves Accessibility enabled but doesn't reconnect it; restarting alone doesn't resolve this state.

  1. Allow Flow to autostart first if the card offers Open autostart settings.

  2. Open Accessibility settings; Fix in Settings, when offered, opens the floating guide there.

  3. Turn Wispr Flow off and on again in Accessibility, then test dictation.

Accessibility settings still open if the floating guide cannot appear, including in split-screen.

Accessibility notifications

“Wispr Flow needs attention” opens Flow's in-app Accessibility recovery screen, not system Settings. The “Flow isn't responding” notification instead opens Home's restart card, and a newer recovery notification replaces the previous one.

With notifications turned off for Wispr Flow, non-tappable messages replace these alerts. If you've blocked only Flow's accessibility notifications, you'll see neither the notification nor its replacement message — check Home's cards instead.

“Keep Wispr Flow running”

This card requests an exemption from battery optimization; on some phones it opens the manufacturer's battery settings.

  1. Tap Allow.

  2. Grant the battery-optimization exemption.

  3. Return to Home; the card clears once the exemption is granted.

If “Something went wrong. Please try again.” appears, the card stays available; tap Allow again.

Note: Flow never writes into sensitive fields. A failed paste doesn't mean transcription failed: the dictated text stays on your clipboard. Tap the checkmark (Paste) to retry or the Wispr icon to dismiss without discarding the clipboard text.

FAQs

Flow isn't listed under Microphone or Accessibility on Mac

Reinstall Flow. If it still doesn't appear, contact support with your macOS version.

Mac shortcuts fail despite Accessibility being granted

If space push-to-talk and Escape-to-cancel fail while fn hold-to-talk works, another app's secure keyboard input can be responsible; re-granting permissions won't fix that, and Flow shows no notice for it. If that app has already closed, quitting apps cannot release it — lock and unlock your Mac, or log out.

Still need help?

Contact support if dictation or shortcuts still fail, Mac permissions still don't list Flow after reinstalling, or permission changes crash or freeze Flow. Include your platform, device model, and what you've already tried.

  • Desktop: Help → Talk to support, or the sidebar's Help menu; on Mac, use Command+/. Reports include system information.

  • iOS: Menu → Talk to Support → Report an issue.

  • Android: open the drawer → Report an issue.

Mobile reports include device information automatically. If a desktop message fails to send, Flow copies your message to the clipboard so you can try again.