Android System Requirements

Last updated: July 30, 2026

Available on: Android

Not sure if Wispr Flow will run on your Android phone, tablet, foldable, or Chromebook? You need Android 13 or later, an internet connection, and a few permissions. This guide helps you confirm compatibility in under a minute.


Minimum requirements

  • Android 13 or later: Earlier versions are not supported. Android 16 is fully supported.

  • Internet connection: Offline transcription is not available.

  • Free storage: If storage runs out during dictation, recording stops. Free up space to start a new session.

  • Permissions: During setup, Flow walks you through granting the overlay permission (draw over other apps) and enabling its accessibility service. Microphone and notification permissions are requested through standard Android prompts. You may also be prompted to exempt Flow from battery optimization — this step is optional.

  • Accelerometer sensor: Shaking your phone brings the Flow Bubble back while snoozed. Shake-to-unsnooze requires several quick shakes in a row (not a single bump) to prevent accidental unsnoozing. Devices without an accelerometer cannot install Flow from the Google Play Store.


Device compatibility

  • Smartphones: Most Android smartphones running Android 13 or later are supported, including devices from Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO, TECNO, Infinix, and itel. Devices with more RAM generally perform better.

  • Tablets: Android tablets running Android 13 or later are supported. The Flow Bubble adapts to larger screens.

  • Foldables: Foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series work with Wispr Flow. The Flow Bubble adjusts its position when transitioning between Ready and Recording.

  • Chromebooks: Chromebooks that support Android apps and run Android 13 or later are supported. Performance varies by model.


How to check your device

  1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.

  2. Tap About phone (or About tablet) → Software information. Confirm the Android version shows 13 or higher.

  3. Return to Settings → Storage and confirm you have free space for the app install and recordings.

Tip: If your device meets all requirements, install Wispr Flow directly from the Google Play Store.


Device-specific setup

Accessibility setup wording varies by device — Samsung shows an "Installed apps" list, Vivo and Motorola show "Wispr Flow" directly, and Xiaomi adds a "Tap OK" step. An in-app overlay walks you through enabling the service. Before Flow opens Accessibility Settings, you'll see a short legal notice explaining how the permission is used. Tap Agree to continue, or Not now to return to the previous accessibility permission step.

Realme, OPPO, Vivo, Huawei (including Honor), OnePlus, Transsion (TECNO, Infinix, itel), or Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO

Tapping Allow during setup opens your device's battery settings screen. Flow detects when you return to the app and automatically opens the correct screen to grant the exemption. Once granted, Flow takes you back to finish setup — no manual navigation needed.

Honor devices follow the same setup flow as Huawei.

Note: If the automatic redirect isn't active on your device, tapping Allow still opens battery settings — just complete the follow-up step manually.

Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO — additional autostart step

Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO devices require two separate permissions to keep Flow running in the background. During setup, Flow guides you through both steps automatically:

  1. Enable Autostart for Wispr Flow in your device's Background autostart manager.

  2. Select No restrictions on the Battery details screen (Flow opens this automatically) to prevent the battery manager from stopping the app.

Once both permissions are granted, Flow brings you back to finish setup. If you skipped the second step previously, grant it manually under Settings → Apps → Wispr Flow → Battery → No restrictions.

Motorola or Lenovo

Motorola and Lenovo devices use standard inline Android permission dialogs during setup. Tap Allow in each prompt as it appears — there is no automatic redirect to battery settings.


Common issues

Note: You may see one of two recovery notifications. "Wispr Flow needs attention" means accessibility permission has been revoked — tapping it opens the in-app permission screen. "Flow isn't responding" means the accessibility service is unresponsive — tapping it opens the app so you can restart Flow; accessibility permission remains granted in this case. If notifications are turned off, Flow shows a toast instead.

Note: The warning bubble may appear in one of three forms: a warning triangle (permission revoked — tap to open the permission screen), a retry icon (Flow isn't responding — tap to restart), or a pulsing spinner (reconnecting — resolves automatically or escalates to the retry icon shortly after).

Bugs fixed in recent updates

The following issues are resolved in the latest version. Update Wispr Flow from the Google Play Store and restart the app to apply all of these fixes:

  • Flow Bubble could be dismissed while showing a repair or warning state: The warning bubble could be accidentally dismissed when accessibility permission needed attention. The warning bubble now appears only while a text field is focused, and a persistent "Wispr Flow needs attention" notification gives you a reliable way back to settings.

  • Warning bubble didn't appear when accessibility was disabled: Opening Flow with accessibility disabled previously left no obvious way to fix the permission. The warning bubble now appears when you tap into a text field, and a "Wispr Flow needs attention" notification is shown when no field is focused.

  • Flow Bubble wasn't positioned correctly in landscape: The bubble could appear in the wrong position after rotating to landscape. Positioning is now corrected.

  • Flow Bubble didn't shrink instantly in search fields: The bubble didn't shrink to a dot right away when tapping into a search field. It now shrinks instantly.

  • Flow crashed after revoking microphone permission: Flow could crash if microphone permission was revoked during recording. Flow now keeps running when the mic permission is missing; tap the bubble and open Settings to re-grant access, then start a new dictation.

  • Repair screen didn't appear when accessibility permission needed attention: The prompt to re-grant accessibility permission would not appear while snooze was active. Snooze is now automatically cancelled so you always see the prompt.

  • Flow didn't start automatically on boot: Flow now starts automatically when your device boots up, as long as the accessibility service is enabled.

  • Shake-to-unsnooze stopped working: Shaking your phone while the bubble was snoozed no longer ended snooze. Shake-to-unsnooze now works again, including when the keyboard is open.

  • Snooze card got stuck after force-stopping Flow: The snooze card on the home screen could remain visible and unresponsive after the app was force-stopped or closed by the system. The card now clears correctly.

  • Flow Bubble disappeared when microphone permission was revoked at startup: Flow could shut down if microphone permission was revoked while Flow was starting. Flow now keeps the bubble visible so you can tap it to re-grant the permission without relaunching the app.

  • Flow Bubble looked active but text stopped being inserted on aggressive power-saving devices: On aggressive power-saving devices (Samsung One UI, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, Realme), the accessibility service could stop working while the bubble still looked active. Flow now detects the drop, shows a pulsing bubble while it reconnects, and falls back to the warning bubble (or a "Wispr Flow needs attention" notification) if reconnection fails.

  • Flow Bubble didn't appear after enabling the accessibility service: A startup issue prevented the bubble from launching after accessibility was enabled. The bubble now appears as expected.

  • Flow Bubble flickered when tapping into a text field: The bubble could flicker or act unpredictably when tapping into a text field. It now responds smoothly.


FAQs

My device has Android 12. Can I still use Wispr Flow?

No. Wispr Flow requires Android 13 or later. Check for a system update under Settings → System → Software update.

Is Flow compatible with Samsung One UI?

Yes. Samsung devices running One UI based on Android 13 or later are fully compatible, and the Flow Bubble is optimized for One UI.

Will Flow work on my work phone with MDM?

It depends on your organization's MDM policies. Some configurations restrict accessibility services or app installations. Contact your IT administrator if you cannot enable the required permissions.

Does Wispr Flow work on Android Go devices?

Android Go devices are not officially supported. They typically have limited RAM, which may cause reduced performance or instability.

What happens if I lose internet connection during a recording?

Flow automatically retries when transcription fails. If it still can't transcribe, you'll see "Failed to transcribe. Saved in the app." with a Retry button — you can retry the saved transcript later from the history screen.

What happens if Flow is shut down in the background?

Flow runs as an Android accessibility service. If it's shut down — for example, due to a crash or your device's memory manager — the Flow Bubble restarts automatically the next time you open the Wispr Flow app and tap into a text box.

On most devices, Flow starts automatically after boot if the accessibility service remains enabled. Flow's auto-start also fires after app updates. On some OEMs that offer "dual-app" or app clones, this may fail silently. On devices with aggressive battery managers (Xiaomi, Vivo, OPPO, Samsung, Huawei, OnePlus, and Transsion brands), auto-start may not always succeed — if the bubble doesn't reappear shortly, open Wispr Flow to restore it. If the accessibility service was turned off at boot, you'll see a "Wispr Flow needs attention" notification to re-enable it.

If a permission such as overlay or accessibility has been revoked, the Wispr Flow home screen shows an error card. Tap it to open Android Settings and re-grant the permission. Automatic return to the app after granting only works for the overlay permission — Flow brings itself forward once the overlay permission is granted. After re-granting accessibility, Flow reconnects its service and cancels the recovery notification, but does not automatically bring itself to the foreground — switch back to Flow manually.

I switched microphones mid-recording on Android 16. Will that affect my dictation?

On Android 16, Flow detects when your active microphone changes (such as switching to LE Audio hearing aids) during a recording and continues the session. For best results, finish your current dictation and start a new one after settling on a microphone.

What happens if Flow cannot paste text into a field?

Flow saves the text to your clipboard so it isn't lost. The bubble shows a Paste button you can tap to insert it manually.

How can I temporarily hide the Flow Bubble?

Drag the Flow Bubble to the snooze circle at the bottom of the screen to hide it for 10 minutes. A toast confirms: "Wispr Flow is snoozed for 10 min. Shake your phone to bring it back." Shake your phone to bring it back early, or tap "End snooze now" on the Snoozed card on the Wispr Flow home screen. Snooze is unavailable while the warning bubble is shown (accessibility needs attention).

Can I change the size or opacity of the Flow Bubble?

Yes. Flow Bubble Size offers 4 sizes (0.7x, 0.85x default, 1.0x, 1.15x) with a live preview and Reset option. Flow Bubble Opacity offers 5 steps from 20% to 100% (default 80%). You can also enable optional auto-shrink behaviors: shrink the bubble when not in use, shrink it to a dot, and shrink it in search fields.

What if my device silently revokes Flow's permissions?

Flow attempts to recover automatically. If recovery fails, you'll get a "Wispr Flow needs attention" notification — tap it to re-enable the accessibility service.


Limitations and notes

  • Each dictation session has a maximum duration of 5 minutes. With 1 minute left, a toast reads "1 minute left before you reach the 5-minute limit." When the limit is reached, Flow shows "Session ended, 5-minute limit reached" and a "Session ended" notification with the body "Flow supports up to 5 minutes per session."

  • Devices with limited RAM may experience slower performance or instability.

  • Manufacturer-specific Android customizations may affect accessibility features. The automatic guided battery optimization flow is available on Realme, OPPO, Vivo, Huawei (including Honor), OnePlus, Transsion (TECNO, Infinix, itel), and Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO devices. Other devices (including Samsung, Motorola, and Lenovo) use standard inline dialogs.

  • Dictation sound effects are not currently user-configurable.

  • Privacy Mode: Usage metadata (app used, word count, duration, timestamp, detected language) is sent to Wispr's servers regardless of Privacy Mode. Privacy Mode suppresses audio and transcripts, but not metadata.

  • The Flow Bubble is automatically hidden in banking and financial apps for security.

  • The warning bubble (shown when accessibility permission is missing) cannot be manually dismissed or snoozed. It appears whenever you focus a text field with the keyboard open. If you dismiss the keyboard, it hides but returns on the next text field focus, and the persistent "Wispr Flow needs attention" notification remains until accessibility is restored.


Still stuck?

Reach out to our support team if:

  • Your device meets all requirements but Flow won't install or launch.

  • Permissions keep getting revoked even after you re-grant them.

  • You see an error message not covered in this guide.

Include your device model, Android version, and Wispr Flow app version so we can help faster. Most setup issues are resolved in one reply.