How to install Wispr Flow on Mac

Last updated: September 21, 2026

Available on: Mac

Install Flow in Applications using the download for your Mac’s chip, then grant Accessibility and Microphone access. If Flow closes during setup, use the matching recovery steps below.

Before installing

Flow requires macOS 12.0 (Monterey) or later. Check your macOS version and the Chip or Processor line in Apple menu → About This Mac. Apple Silicon and Intel Macs use separate downloads; there is no universal Mac build.

How to install

Note: Keep the name Wispr Flow.app and place it directly in /Applications, ~/Applications (in your home folder), or /System/Applications. Renaming it or placing it in a subfolder such as /Applications/Utilities/ prevents launch. Launch Flow only from Applications, Launchpad, or Spotlight.

  1. Download Wispr Flow from wisprflow.ai, choosing the Apple Silicon or Intel build that matches your Mac.

  2. Open the downloaded .dmg file.

  3. Drag the Wispr Flow icon onto the Applications folder.

  4. Close the installer window.

  5. Open Wispr Flow from Applications.

Flow adds a menu bar icon on the right on a fresh install; an existing or ⌘-dragged position is preserved.

Grant permissions

  1. Grant Accessibility access using Allow on “Allow Flow to insert spoken words”.

  2. Grant Microphone access using Allow on “Allow Flow to use your microphone”.

  3. Click Continue once both permissions are granted.

Each grant reveals the next card. If a grant or Continue fails, use “Permission problems” below.

System-audio setup for Notetaker

Only Notetaker setup on macOS 13 or later shows the optional system-audio card; it never blocks Continue. Dictation-only setup has no system-audio card or Restart button. Screen recording is not a separate onboarding card.

macOS

System-audio setup

12

Flow runs, but system-audio capture is unavailable and no card appears.

13.0–14.3

After granting screen-recording access, click Restart on the card to apply it.

14.4 or later

The grant applies without restarting; no Restart button appears.

If Flow will not open

Move Flow to Applications folder

Launching from the installer window, Downloads or Desktop shows “Move Flow to Applications folder” with “Flow needs to be in the Applications folder to run.” If the macOS version is also unsupported, this location error appears first.

  1. Click the dialog’s only button, OK; Flow quits.

  2. Move Wispr Flow.app directly into an accepted Applications folder listed above.

  3. Open Flow from that folder.

If this message disappears, the location issue is resolved; address any next message below.

Unsupported MacOS Version

On macOS 11 or older, “Unsupported MacOS Version” says “Wispr Flow requires MacOS 12.0 or later. Please upgrade your operating system to continue.” Its only button, OK, closes Flow.

  1. Update your Mac through System Settings → General → Software Update.

  2. Install Flow again.

  3. Open Flow to confirm the version message no longer appears.

Incorrect App Version

When Flow detects the Intel build running under Rosetta on Apple Silicon, it shows “Incorrect App Version” and quits: “You are running the Intel version of Wispr Flow on an Apple Silicon Mac. Please download the Apple Silicon version from wisprflow.ai for better performance.” If the compatibility check itself fails, launch continues.

Note: Deleting /Applications/Wispr Flow.app removes only the app. Settings and history stay in ~/Library/Application Support/Wispr Flow/ unless you remove that folder too.

Delete the mismatched copy from Applications and re-download the matching build from wisprflow.ai.

Repeat “How to install” above. Opening the matching build clears this error.

The menu bar icon is missing

Your menu bar may be too full — hide other icons to make room, or ⌘-drag to reposition them.

Clicking the Flow icon opens its menu, not the main window; choose Open Wispr Flow to open the window.

Permission problems

Allow did not grant access

If a grant has not completed after 10 seconds, Flow shows “Permission request timed out. Please try again or restart the app.” The row remains clickable. This timeout is canceled if Flow regains focus during the request.

  • Microphone: Clicking Allow again opens System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, even if you dismissed the first prompt without denying access. Enable Wispr Flow there.

  • Accessibility: Clicking Allow again requests the macOS Accessibility prompt rather than opening System Settings.

A successful grant advances to the next card; restart Flow if retrying does not complete the request.

Continue reports missing permissions

Continue re-checks permissions. If one was revoked, Flow stays on the page and shows “Some permissions are not yet granted. Please grant all permissions to continue.”

  1. Grant the permission shown again on the page.

  2. Click Continue again to proceed.

A permission message appears after startup

Flow also checks both permissions after startup.

  • Microphone Permission Required: “Flow needs microphone access to work.” Click Grant Permission: macOS prompts if access is undecided; denied or restricted access opens System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone. Grant access in the prompt or enable Wispr Flow in Settings.

  • Accessibility Permission Required: “Flow needs accessibility access to work properly.” Click Open Settings to request the macOS Accessibility prompt again, then grant access.

Launch behavior

Flow starts in the background without taking focus. A manual launch opens the main window (Hub); login and update restarts leave it closed. Opening the Hub always shows the Dock icon.

On its first launch, the installed app enables Launch at login without prompting. Turn it off in Settings → System → App settings; it stays off on later launches and does not change other devices.

Use Flow from the menu bar

Turn off Show app in dock in the same App settings section; this setting is Mac-only. With it off, the Dock icon disappears only when the Hub window is closed or hidden (for example, ⌘W); full screen or switching Spaces keeps it visible.

If Wispr Scratchpad is available to you, a visible Scratchpad window also keeps the Dock icon visible. Flow always adds a menu bar icon, independently of this setting; it cannot be turned off.

Managed Macs

Installation requirements for IT

IT can obtain a signed, notarized .pkg from its Wispr account or sales contact; it is not a public download. It silently installs Wispr Flow.app to /Applications.

  • Compatibility: The PKG requires macOS 12.0 or later and is not universal. Deploy the package matching each Mac’s chip, despite its listing both Apple Silicon and Intel host support.

  • Permissions: Installation grants none. The supplied wispr-flow-accessibility.mobileconfig profile can pre-grant Accessibility, but users must grant Microphone on first use; macOS does not allow MDM to pre-grant it for third-party apps.

  • Updates: MDM installs leave /Applications/Wispr Flow.app owned by root:wheel, preventing in-app updates and triggering “Helper Tool” administrator-credential prompts on launch or update. IT must run wispr-flow-restore-app-ownership.zsh after installation.

  • Managed update schedule: IT can enforce UpdateFrequency values of auto, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly through a managed profile; users cannot override them.

Still stuck?

Contact support if:

  • The installer fails or the .dmg will not open after re-downloading.

  • Flow launches but the menu bar icon remains missing after making room.

  • An error is not covered here, or permission setup still fails after retrying and restarting.

When accessible, use the Flow menu bar menu’s Talk to support (⌘/). Include your macOS version, Apple Silicon or Intel chip, exact error text, and steps tried.