Connect and set up external audio devices

Last updated: April 25, 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. You can also access it from the tray icon menu (Microphone submenu) or the macOS menu bar (Dictation → Microphone).

  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.

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.

Warning: AirPods are marked with a ⚠️ in the mic picker. They can be slow to start and may cause more transcription errors — consider switching to a different microphone for better dictation quality. The picker recommends the built-in mic as an alternative. The notification reappears up to once per hour until you dismiss it permanently with "Don't show again".

Important: The built-in microphone cannot capture audio in clamshell mode (lid closed with an external display). If you dictate and no audio is detected, Flow shows a notification and offers to open the microphone picker. Switch to an external microphone for clamshell dictation. This detection requires macOS 12 or later.

Note: If another app lowers your system input volume to zero, Flow detects it and alerts you. Open Apple menu → System Settings → Sound → Input to raise the volume, or switch to a different microphone.

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.

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.

Bluetooth mic ring (Mac and Windows)

Note: The Bluetooth mic ring is an early-access feature and isn't available to all users by default. If you have access, you'll see a Mic Ring section in Internal Settings.

  1. Open Internal Settings in Wispr Flow and scroll to the Mic Ring section.

  2. Scan for nearby rings. Power on your ring, then click the scan button to discover Bluetooth mic rings in range.

  3. Pair your ring by selecting it from the list of discovered devices.

  4. Dictate. Press the button on the ring to start dictation and release it to stop. Audio streams wirelessly to Flow and is transcribed like any other mic input.

Tip: Once paired, your mic ring reconnects automatically each time you open Wispr Flow. To unpair, open Internal Settings → Mic Ring and choose Forget next to your device.

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.

Note: If "Use Built-In Mic" is off and a Bluetooth device connects or disconnects during an active dictation, the session stops automatically. If a phone call or Siri activates during dictation, recording pauses and resumes if the interruption is brief (under your configured background recording timeout — default 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.

Common issues

Bugs fixed in recent updates

The following issues have been fixed. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version and restart to resolve them:

  • "Listening" stuck on screen, then a generic error when the mic wasn't available: When a microphone couldn't be accessed at the start of dictation, Flow showed the "Listening" bubble for up to 24 seconds 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.

  • Empty microphone list on Windows after updating to v1.4.894: Some users saw a blank mic list in Settings → General → Microphone with no audio devices listed. This was caused by a Windows-specific bug introduced in that version.

  • Wrong microphone name in Bluetooth mic ring notifications: An incorrect mic name appeared in the notification shown at the start of the first Bluetooth mic ring dictation session.

  • 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.

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 audio input from that device automatically.

What happens if my selected microphone is disconnected?

Flow immediately dismisses the session and opens the microphone chooser so you can pick an available device. Reconnect your microphone or select a different one, then start dictating again.

Do I need to do anything special to use my Bluetooth mic ring after pairing?

No — once paired, your mic ring reconnects automatically each time you open Wispr Flow. Press the button on the ring to start dictating and release it to stop.

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.

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.