Manage data sharing, cloud storage and local history

Flow separates permission to improve AI models, cloud storage of dictation data, and storage on your device. Check each control independently; turning off one does not necessarily turn off the others.

Choose your data settings

Open Flow and go to Settings → Data & Privacy. On desktop, open Flow from the menu bar or system tray.

Control	What it changes
Improve the model for everyone	On: dictation audio, transcripts and edits may help evaluate or improve AI models. Off: your dictation data is not used for model training by Wispr or third parties. Changes save immediately, without confirmation.
Dictation Cloud Storage	Stores dictation data on Wispr's servers for features requiring cloud access. Turning it on applies immediately; turning it off requires confirmation. This is separate from model improvement.
Local data storage (desktop)	Choose normal local storage, automatic deletion after 24 hours, or no local storage of dictation, polish/rewrite and command history. It does not control Notetaker or mobile storage.
Automatically delete transcripts (iOS)	Automatically deletes transcription history. Off by default; an organization can force it on and lock it.

The onboarding choice Improve the model for everyone is preselected unless an agreement or organization policy restricts it. Choose Don't share data to opt out. Existing preferences carry forward: the old Privacy Mode on choice appears as Improve the model for everyone off.

For confidential or privileged dictation, turn model improvement off before recording. Dictation still uses cloud processing. Wispr does not sell your data; aggregate usage statistics, such as words dictated, do not include dictation contents. See how Wispr uses data.

Local retention and Context Awareness

Your local storage choice does not change cloud storage. Flow applies the stricter of your choice and your organization's Local Data Policy. Deletion options require confirmation; changing the policy back cannot recover deleted history. Restricted local retention also hides desktop Voice Profile and the Your Voice tab in Insights.

Context Awareness has its own control in Settings → Data & Privacy, and an organization can restrict it. Follow the Context Awareness guide for that control and local-retention options.

When a setting is locked

The subtitle beside a disabled setting explains whether a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) or your organization's policy applies. You cannot override an organization restriction in the app. An organization may disable model improvement while leaving Dictation Cloud Storage individually controllable; check both.

Authorized administrators manage organization policies in the Admin Portal's Organization settings. Available controls depend on the plan and administrator permissions. Manage in portal opens those settings. A member's Request Access message directs them to their administrator; it does not grant access.

For dictation zero data retention, both Improve the model for everyone and Dictation Cloud Storage must be off. A signed BAA locks both off, even if another organization setting permits sharing. Review HIPAA and zero data retention guidance for account requirements, local retention and provider obligations.

Signing or changing a BAA

Individuals can open the HIPAA BAA row on Mac, Windows or iOS, read the agreement and enter their legal name before selecting I Agree. A failed signing attempt leaves the sheet open to retry. Organization agreements are managed by authorized admins in the portal. Android has no signing or revocation flow.

iOS can display a signed agreement but has no in-app revoke action. An individual BAA signed on iOS can be revoked on desktop; an organization BAA requires its admin route. Revocation changes agreement coverage and does not automatically turn sharing or cloud storage on. See download and revoke a BAA before proceeding.

How these settings affect notes and meetings

• Desktop Scratchpad: disabling Dictation Cloud Storage can disable cross-device sync. Read the confirmation before changing it.

• iPhone Notes: sync is independent of the Dictation Cloud Storage toggle. Data-restricted accounts can keep local notes, but sync, AI summaries, Spotlight indexing and Siri note suggestions may be unavailable unless enabled for the account. See iPhone Notes and its account restrictions.

• Notetaker: meeting storage has separate rules. Individuals with no organization and no signed BAA can use Notetaker with Dictation Cloud Storage off; other accounts must follow their access or cloud-storage requirement. A signed personal or organization BAA blocks recording. Desktop local-history settings do not control meeting retention. See Notetaker privacy and security.

If iPhone notes are outdated, sign in and connect to the internet, then pull to refresh the Notes list or use Settings → Data & Privacy → Refresh notes from cloud for a full refresh. Opening Notes also syncs when eligible. Offline or restricted accounts do not sync merely because Refresh is available; see the Notes guide if a full refresh leaves notes missing.

Check that changes have applied

Your data-use preference follows your account across devices. Desktop organization policies update while Flow runs; opening Settings or returning with Settings open refreshes preferences. Mobile policy changes appear on launch or sign-in.

Signing out resets the cloud-sync preference to enabled and clears the previous organization association for the next sign-in, so review the settings again. A signed BAA remains in effect; forced reauthentication does not reset these preferences.

If Flow cannot confirm a sharing preference, agreement or organization policy, it does not share dictation audio. An opt-out on your device holds before server confirmation. On iOS organization accounts with unresolved policy, training and cloud storage are forced off and automatic transcript deletion on until the policy resolves.

For unexplained locks or settings that do not save, contact support with your platform, Flow version, plan and the control's exact message. For processing, security and contractual details, use Data Controls and the Wispr Trust Center.