Connect and set up external audio devices

Last updated: June 5, 2026

Available on: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android

Using a headset, USB microphone, Bluetooth earbuds, or a Bluetooth mic ring? This guide walks you through connecting your device and selecting the right microphone in Wispr Flow on each platform. Most setups take under a minute.

Quick checks

  • Is your device connected? Confirm your headset, USB mic, or Bluetooth device shows up in your system's audio settings before opening Flow.

  • Is your mic muted? Check for a hardware mute switch on your headset, mic, or keyboard.

  • Does your mic work in other apps? Record a short clip in Voice Memos (Mac/iOS) or Sound Recorder (Windows). If it's silent there, the issue is system-level — not Flow.

How to connect and select your microphone

Note: In-app microphone selection is available on Mac and Windows. On iOS, use the Use Built-In Mic toggle. On Android, the OS routes audio automatically — there's no in-app picker.

Mac

Follow these steps to connect a microphone and select it in Flow:

  1. Connect your device. Plug in a wired headset or microphone, or pair Bluetooth headphones via Apple menu → System Settings → Bluetooth.

  2. Open the microphone picker in Flow. Right-click the Flow Bar and choose your microphone, or open Settings → General → Microphone → Change.

  3. Choose your input mode:

    1. Auto-detect: Follows your Mac's default input. The active mic appears in parentheses (e.g., "Auto-detect (MacBook Pro)").

    2. Built-in mic (recommended): Always uses your Mac's built-in microphone, regardless of your system default. This prevents external devices from overriding your mic selection.

    3. Specific mic: Set your chosen mic as the system input via Apple menu → System Settings → Sound → Input.

  4. Verify it's working. The mic submenu shows "Mic in use:" below your selection, and the live volume indicator should show animated bars when you speak. Dictate a short phrase — if text appears correctly, you're done.

Warning: AirPods are marked with a ⚠️ in the mic picker. They can be slow to start and may cause more transcription errors — switch to a different microphone (the built-in mic is recommended) for better dictation quality. If you keep using AirPods, a notification with Change Mic and Don't show again actions reappears up to once per hour.

Note: If the built-in microphone is selected and you start dictation with the lid closed (clamshell mode), Flow shows a notification with a Select microphone button. This detection requires macOS 12 or later.

Windows

Follow these steps to connect a microphone and select it in Flow:

  1. Connect your device. Plug in a wired headset or microphone, or pair Bluetooth headphones via Start → Settings → Bluetooth & devices.

  2. Set your default input device in Windows. Go to Start → Settings → System → Sound, then under Input, select your preferred microphone.

  3. Select your microphone in Flow. Right-click the Flow Bar and choose Auto-detect to follow Windows' default, or open Settings → General → Microphone → Change to pick a specific mic. You can also right-click the tray icon and choose your mic from the Microphone submenu.

  4. Verify it's working. Dictate a short phrase — if text appears correctly, you're done.

iOS

Follow these steps to choose your microphone on iOS:

  1. Connect your Bluetooth device (optional). Pair your Bluetooth headphones in iOS Settings → Bluetooth.

  2. Choose your microphone in Flow. Open Settings and find the Audio section. By default, Use Built-In Mic is enabled — Flow uses your iPhone's built-in microphone. To use a connected Bluetooth microphone instead, toggle Use Built-In Mic off.

  3. Verify it's working. Dictate a short phrase — if text appears correctly, you're done.

Note: When Use Built-In Mic is on, Bluetooth microphone input is excluded — but you can still hear audio through Bluetooth headphones. For best transcription accuracy, use the iPhone's built-in mic even when wearing Bluetooth headphones. If a phone call or Siri activates during dictation — or a Bluetooth device connects or disconnects mid-session — recording stops and does not resume automatically. The iOS background recording timeout (Disable Flow Session) is user-configurable and defaults to 5 minutes.

Android

Follow these steps to set up your microphone on Android:

  1. Connect your device. Use your phone's built-in microphone, plug in a wired headset, or pair Bluetooth headphones via Settings → Connected devices → Bluetooth. Flow uses whichever microphone Android routes as the default audio input.

  2. Verify it's working. Open Flow and dictate a short phrase — if text appears correctly, you're done.

Note: When you connect a wired or Bluetooth headset, Android typically switches to that device's microphone automatically. On Android 16, Flow also supports switching to your hearing aid's microphone during dictation.

Tip: Microphone changes take effect at the start of your next dictation — no app restart needed. A brief notification confirms the new microphone the next time you dictate.

Common issues

Microphone errors during setup showed a generic message

During the "Test your microphone" step in onboarding, Flow previously showed a generic error with no tailored guidance. Flow now shows a specific error and action button for each situation. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version to get these improvements.

  • Microphone access not granted: An Open Settings button takes you directly to your system's privacy settings.

  • No microphone detected: A Refresh devices button rescans for connected mics, and Open Sound Settings opens your system's sound input settings.

  • Microphone in use by another app (such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Discord, FaceTime, Cisco Webex, Loom, Spotify, or Skype): Flow shows guidance to close the conflicting app, with Open Sound Settings and Restart Flow options.

  • Selected microphone unavailable: A Choose a different microphone button opens the mic picker so you can select an available device.

  • Other errors: A Restart Flow button appears.

The error clears automatically as soon as your mic becomes available.

"Listening" stuck on screen when the mic wasn't available

When a microphone couldn't be accessed at the start of dictation, Flow showed the "Listening" bubble for a while before displaying a generic "Transcript failed to load" error. Flow now immediately dismisses the session and shows a specific notification — for example, if no mic is connected, if your previously selected mic was disconnected, or if another app is using the mic. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version and restart to resolve this.

Empty microphone list on Windows after updating

Some Windows users on older versions saw a blank microphone list in Settings → General → Microphone with no audio devices listed. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version to resolve this.

Microphone list empty or errors right after launch

The microphone list didn't load in time when the menu was opened immediately after launching Flow. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version and restart to resolve this.

FAQs

How do I know which microphone Flow is using?

  • Mac: Right-click the Flow Bar — the mic submenu shows "Mic in use:" below your selection.

  • Windows: Right-click the Flow Bar to see your current selection.

  • iOS: Check the Use Built-In Mic toggle in Settings → Audio.

  • Android: Flow uses Android's default microphone input. When you connect a headset or Bluetooth device, Android routes input from that device automatically.

What happens if my selected microphone is disconnected?

If your previously selected microphone is unavailable at the start of dictation, Flow shows a Selected microphone is unavailable notification with a Choose Microphone action that opens the picker.

If your microphone disconnects mid-session, Flow shows a Microphone disconnected notification with an Insert action to insert the text recorded up to that point.

Do I need to restart Flow after changing my microphone?

No. Microphone changes take effect at the start of your next dictation. A brief notification confirms the new microphone the next time you dictate.

Why do the audio level bars show movement during silence?

  • Built-in laptop mic and wired headsets: Bars should sit at zero or near-zero during silence and rise visibly when you speak.

  • AirPods and Bluetooth microphones: May show 1–2 bars during silence. This is normal — your device's automatic gain control keeps a low baseline level.

  • USB condenser microphones: May fill to full bars during speech due to their high sensitivity. This is expected and doesn't affect transcription quality.

Another app on Windows is holding my mic. What do I do?

If another Windows app has exclusive control of your microphone, right-click your mic in the Sound control panel Recording tab, then go to Properties → Advanced and uncheck Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.

What other microphone notifications might I see?

  • Microphone Permission Required: If your OS microphone permission is revoked, Flow shows this notification with a Grant Permission action.

  • Microphone access is disabled (Windows only): If Windows privacy settings block Flow from using the microphone, Flow shows this notification with an Open Settings button.

Limitations and notes

  • In-app microphone selection is available on Mac and Windows only. iOS uses a single Use Built-In Mic toggle, and Android relies on the OS's default audio routing.

  • On iOS, Bluetooth microphone input is excluded when Use Built-In Mic is on — Bluetooth headphones still play audio, but the iPhone's built-in mic is used for capture.

  • On iOS, Bluetooth connect/disconnect events, phone calls, and Siri activations stop an active dictation session.

  • On macOS, clamshell-mode detection for the built-in mic requires macOS 12 or later.

  • On macOS, identifying any app using the mic requires macOS 14.2 or later.

  • Hearing aid microphone switching during dictation requires Android 16.

Still stuck?

Reach out to our support team if:

  • Your microphone works in other apps but Flow can't detect it.

  • Audio is recorded but transcription fails or produces garbled text.

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

Include your platform and OS version, microphone model (and whether it's wired, Bluetooth, or USB), and the steps you've already tried. Most mic issues are resolved in one reply.