Using Wispr Flow Discreetly: Microphone Guide

Last updated: October 18, 2026

Available on: Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.

Flow works with soft speech, but microphone position matters when you dictate around other people. Silence Flow's sounds, then test the microphone you already own before changing your setup.

Turn off app sounds

Important: Quiet speech and interface settings do not change what people nearby may hear.

Platform	Sound control
Mac and Windows	Turn off Dictation and notification sounds in Settings → System → Sound.
iOS	Turn off Interaction sounds in Settings → Audio; it is on by default.
Android	Dictation sounds cannot be turned off.

On desktop, this silences start, stop, paste, lock, and achievement sounds; turning it back on immediately plays the dictation start sound. On iOS, it removes start, stop, and cancellation cues, while device haptics and system sounds remain.

Note: If your organization's admin enables Always mute audio while dictating, your desktop app has Mute all audio while dictating (Settings → System) on and locked and Pause music (Settings → Experimental) off and locked, both showing "This setting is managed by your organization." If the admin turns the policy off, the toggles unlock and muting stays on until you change it.

Try quiet dictation with your current mic

Move the microphone closer. A mic within a few inches of your mouth captures quieter speech — lean closer to a laptop mic or position a headset boom near your lips.
Speak softly but clearly. Avoid mumbling, then dictate a short sentence and check the result. While whispering, move the mic closer or speak a little louder if the text comes back empty.

Select and test your mic on Mac and Windows

Open Flow's Settings → General → Microphone → Change; the Microphone row names the selected input.
Select your microphone by name.
Speak softly and check whether its volume meter responds.

Opening the dialog starts a microphone test without sending a dictation; closing it stops the test. Only the selected mic has a live meter, so select each mic in turn to compare. If the meter stays flat, move closer, speak a little louder, or try the built-in or a wired mic.

Note: On Mac with the lid closed, the built-in mic — and Auto-detect pointing to it — cannot be selected, so connect and select an external microphone. The notice Your laptop lid is closed can appear at dictation start or after no audio was captured; Select microphone opens the picker. Windows does not detect a closed lid.

Mobile input and permission settings

iPhone

There is no individual-microphone picker. In Settings → Audio, Built-in mic is on by default and uses the device mic; turn it off to allow a paired Bluetooth mic. This changes microphone input, not Bluetooth or AirPlay playback.

Important: Changing Built-in mic restarts an in-progress recording. Connecting or removing an audio device stops it; an audio-input override also stops it unless the built-in mic is selected.

If microphone access is missing:

Start a dictation in the main Flow app to request permission.
Allow access at the system prompt.
Select Open Settings in the Enable Microphone alert if access was denied, then enable microphone access in iOS Settings.

Flow falls back to the built-in mic if another input is unusable. If neither works, recording fails; use Retry on the audio-failure screen.

Android

Android supplies the active input, so connect your intended microphone before dictating, then dictate a short sentence and check the result.

If Android will not show the permission prompt, including after an expired Only this time grant, Flow shows Oops, something isn't right with a We can't hear you card. Dismissing it does not grant access.

Tap or hold the Flow Bubble to request microphone permission.
Allow access in Android's prompt, or select Go to Settings if the permission sheet appears.
Enable microphone access in Flow's app settings if directed there.
Return to your text field and dictate again.

The Home screen's Allow Microphone button also requests access; if Android will no longer prompt, it opens Flow's app settings directly. Returning from Settings refreshes permission status without restarting Flow, and the microphone card disappears when access is granted. The bubble remains available when microphone permission is revoked.

For missing bubbles or other required permissions, follow Android setup.

Choose a microphone style

Flow recommends built-in or wired microphones over Bluetooth. Earbud and plain-headset mics can sit too far from your mouth; Bluetooth earbuds add audio delay, and wired headphones may have a distant, low-quality mic. AirPods may start slowly and produce more dictation errors than the built-in mic. Judge by the actual recording, not by how loudly you hear yourself, and check which connection your computer or phone accepts before choosing a wired, USB, or wireless option.

Your setup	Microphone type	Recommended example
Working away from a fixed desk	Clip-on lavalier near your mouth	DJI Mic — Buy on Amazon
Headphones you already like	Headset with mic, such as an attachable boom mic	ModMic — Buy on Amazon
Fixed desk with space for a stand or arm	Close-positioned podcast mic: highest audio quality	Shure MV7+ — Best option; Buy on Amazon
Fixed desk where the mic stays positioned	Gooseneck microphone	Boya Gooseneck — Buy on Amazon

Links open an Amazon product page. Other options: lavalier — DJI Mic Mini, Rode Wireless GO (Gen 3), BOYA Mini 2; boom mic — Antlion ModMic Uni 2+, Antlion ModMic USB 2, Antlion ModMic Wireless; podcast mic — Shure MV7+, Elgato Wave:3; gooseneck — Boya BY-GM18 Gooseneck, Movo GM-7 USB Gooseneck. A wired headset or desk microphone also works well for whispering with Flow.

If your desktop microphone stops working

Keep the same mic position, check the input after connecting devices, and restart Flow if a switch leaves audio unreliable.

Important: Unplugging the active mic stops dictation. Select Insert in “Microphone disconnected” to insert the text captured so far. Connecting a higher-ranked mic changes the next dictation without interrupting the current one.

Message	Action
Windows: Microphone access is disabled; Mac: Microphone Permission Required	Windows: enable access in microphone privacy settings; Mac: allow access at the system prompt or in Privacy → Microphone.
Selected microphone is unavailable	The previous mic isn't connected—use Choose Microphone to select another.
No microphone detected	Connect a mic or use Open Sound Settings to select an input in Windows Sound Recording or Mac Sound Input.
Microphone unavailable	Another app may be using the mic or the audio driver may be stuck; close other microphone apps and retry.
Microphone error	Flow couldn't start your microphone—reconnect it and contact support if this issue persists.
Is your microphone muted?	Flow heard nothing audible—unmute the mic, move it closer, or speak a little louder, then dictate again.

After each recovery action, repeat the microphone test above. If Flow still cannot hear you, follow the microphone checks in transcription accuracy troubleshooting.

Still need help?

Contact support if the selected mic's meter still doesn't respond after these checks. Include your platform, microphone model, and what you tried.