Private Cloud Sync and Data Sharing preferences in Wispr Flow

Available on: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android

Wispr Flow gives you two independent controls over your data: Private Cloud Sync (whether your notes and transcripts are stored on Wispr's servers and synced across devices) and Privacy Mode (whether your data is used to improve Flow). Turn each on or off separately.

Note: The two-toggle experience is rolling out gradually. If your account hasn't received it, you'll see only a single Privacy Mode toggle (or the legacy Zero Data Retention control), and notes sync follows the previous behavior.

What each toggle does

Private Cloud Sync

Private Cloud Sync stores your transcripts and audio on Wispr's servers and syncs them across your devices. With it off, your data stays on your device only and these features are unavailable until you turn it back on:

Wispr Notetaker and meeting notes: for accounts with Notetaker available, Private Cloud Sync saves your notes and transcripts.
Cross-device notes sync, including Scratchpad: notes stay on your device, and a cloud-off icon appears in the Notes page with a tooltip explaining that notes aren't syncing.
Personalized speech models.

Privacy Mode

Privacy Mode controls whether your usage data — audio, transcripts, and edits — is used to evaluate, train, and improve Flow and its AI models. When it's on, your dictation data is not used to train or improve AI models by Wispr or any third party. It does not control whether your data is stored; that's Private Cloud Sync.

Note: The two settings are independent. You can enable Private Cloud Sync for Notetaker and notes sync while keeping Privacy Mode on, or use any other combination.

Setting your preferences during onboarding

During first setup you'll see the privacy onboarding screen, titled You control your data on desktop and Your data is safe on iOS and Android. It offers two options:

Help improve Flow (labeled Help improve Wispr Flow on Android): your usage data may be used to evaluate, train, and improve Flow and its AI models.
Privacy Mode: your dictation data will not be used to train or improve AI models by Wispr or any third party.

Your choice sets your Privacy Mode preference and carries over to Settings, where you can change it at any time.

If you select the notetaker-only path during desktop onboarding on macOS, the privacy screen appears within that setup flow, alongside steps for system audio, microphone permissions, connecting your calendar, and connecting apps.

If you use Wispr Notetaker after general onboarding, the setup flow before your first meeting includes a step labeled Automatically save notes, which enables Private Cloud Sync to save your notes and transcripts. It's listed after System Audio and Microphone and is required before you can record meetings.

Note: The first time a meeting is detected on desktop, a nudge card asks "Transcribe this meeting with Wispr?" with two buttons: Another time and Yes. Without Private Cloud Sync on, the card states: "By selecting 'Yes' you agree to turn on Private Cloud Sync, which allows us to process and store your transcriptions. Wispr Notetaker requires this." Yes starts Notetaker and enables Private Cloud Sync; Another time dismisses the card without changing settings or interrupting active dictation. Accounts that already have Private Cloud Sync enabled, or that are covered by a HIPAA BAA or enterprise policy, see benefit-focused copy without the consent notice, and Yes simply opens Notetaker.

How to change your preferences

Mac / Windows

Click the Flow icon in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows).
Go to Settings → Data and Privacy.
Toggle Private Cloud Sync and Privacy Mode independently. Changes take effect immediately.

iOS

Open the Wispr Flow app.
Go to Settings → Data & Privacy.
Toggle Private Cloud Sync and Privacy Mode independently. Each toggle has a Learn more link explaining what it controls.

Changes save instantly. Turning off Private Cloud Sync shows a confirmation prompt first.

Note: If Private Cloud Sync is off and you're eligible to enable it, a Sync your notes banner appears at the top of your Notes list; tap it to jump to the setting. If you see only a single Privacy Mode toggle (described as "Keep data stored only on your device"), your account hasn't received the two-toggle update yet.

Android

Open the Wispr Flow app.
Go to Settings → Data & Privacy.
Toggle Private Cloud Sync and Privacy Mode independently.

Turning Private Cloud Sync off shows a confirmation dialog ("Turn off Private Cloud Sync?"); turning it on takes effect immediately.

Note: If your organization has enforced a setting, the toggle appears locked with a lock icon and a message that it's managed by your organization. Contact your IT administrator to change it.

Note: A change made on one device propagates to all your other devices automatically.

The Data and Privacy page also contains:

Context awareness toggle.
Local data storage (Store / Auto-delete every 24h / Never store): controls how your Wispr Flow dictation transcripts are stored locally; it does not apply to Notetaker meeting recordings or transcripts.
Notetaker transcript retention (1–365 days or Never).
Notes sharing default (Private / Team / Anyone with link): only visible if note sharing is enabled on your account.
HIPAA BAA row for signing or revoking a Business Associate Agreement.

What happens when Private Cloud Sync is blocked

If your account or organization's settings prevent Private Cloud Sync from being enabled, you'll see a blocked screen. The message depends on your situation:

Your personal HIPAA BAA is preventing access

A HIPAA Business Associate Agreement on your account locks Private Cloud Sync off. Revoke the BAA from Settings → Data and Privacy, then re-enable Private Cloud Sync.

You're a company admin and Private Cloud Sync is disabled org-wide

Go to the Admin Portal to enable Private Cloud Sync for your team.

You're a company admin and a HIPAA BAA is active for your organization

The organization-wide HIPAA Business Associate Agreement locks Private Cloud Sync off for all members. As an admin, you can revoke the BAA from the Admin Portal if your compliance requirements allow it.

You're a company member and Private Cloud Sync is disabled org-wide

Your admin has turned off Private Cloud Sync for everyone, and you cannot change it yourself. Ask your IT administrator to update the policy in the Admin Portal.

You're a company member and a HIPAA BAA is active for your organization

Your organization's HIPAA Business Associate Agreement prevents Private Cloud Sync from being enabled. Contact your IT administrator if you believe this should be changed.

Note: Dismiss the blocked screen by clicking the X, clicking outside the modal, or pressing Escape.

FAQs

What happens to features if I turn Private Cloud Sync off?

All notes remain accessible locally, and Flow features that work locally are unaffected. See What each toggle does for the full list of features that stop working.

Why is Private Cloud Sync required when setting up Notetaker?

Notetaker needs Private Cloud Sync to save your meeting notes and transcripts. See Setting your preferences during onboarding for the setup gate order and the first-meeting nudge.

Does the Local data storage setting apply to Notetaker meetings?

No. It controls only how your dictation transcripts and audio are stored on your device. Notetaker retention is managed separately via the Notetaker transcript retention setting.

Why is my Private Cloud Sync or Privacy Mode toggle locked and greyed out?

Two common reasons:

HIPAA BAA: a Business Associate Agreement on your account locks Private Cloud Sync off for compliance. On iOS, the explanation appears as a subtitle beneath the toggle title.
Organization policy: admin-enforced Private Cloud Sync or Privacy Mode policies lock those toggles. Contact your IT administrator to change them.

Can I revoke a HIPAA BAA?

Yes. Individual users revoke it from Settings → Data and Privacy → Revoke HIPAA BAA; enterprise admins revoke it in the Admin Portal. Signing a BAA requires typing your legal name. Once revoked, Private Cloud Sync is no longer force-locked off.

I'm an enterprise admin. How do I enforce these settings for my organization?

Control both settings for all users from the Admin Portal, each via a dropdown:

Privacy Mode: Enforced for everyone or Managed individually.
Private Cloud Sync: Disabled for everyone or Managed individually.

These granular dropdowns are visible only to enterprises with granular data controls enabled; other admin organizations see a legacy single "Enforce Privacy Mode (zero data retention)" toggle. When a setting is enforced or disabled for everyone, the corresponding toggle is locked for end users. On Android, Privacy Mode enforcement locks Privacy Mode on; Private Cloud Sync is not locked by zero data retention enforcement alone, so a ZDR organization can still allow cloud storage.

Where can I learn more about how Wispr uses my data?

In Settings → Data and Privacy, tap Learn more next to each toggle. The link is available on Mac, Windows, Android, and on iOS for accounts that have received the two-toggle update.

I switched accounts on Android and see unexpected settings. Is that normal?

Yes. Settings load from the new account, so the toggles reflect that account's preferences, not the previous one's. Go to Settings → Data & Privacy to confirm your current preferences.

Why don't I see the "Default setting for newly created notes" option in Data & Privacy?

This setting appears only if note sharing is enabled on your account.

Limitations and notes

Private Cloud Sync and Privacy Mode are available on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android; your preferences load from your account at sign-in.
The two-toggle experience is rolling out gradually across desktop, iOS, and Android.
HIPAA BAA accounts have Private Cloud Sync locked off until the BAA is revoked.
Enterprise admins can enforce or disable either setting org-wide via the Admin Portal; enforced settings lock the corresponding toggle for end users.
On iOS and Android, turning off Private Cloud Sync requires confirming a prompt; turning it on is immediate.
The Local data storage setting governs dictation transcripts and audio only; Notetaker retention is controlled separately.
The "Default setting for newly created notes" dropdown is shown only to users who have note sharing enabled.