Re-verify Wispr Flow permissions after updating

Mac

Flow needs Microphone and Accessibility permissions to work. Screen Capture is optional for advanced features but not required for basic dictation.

1. Quit Flow by clicking the Wispr Flow icon in the menu bar and selecting Quit.

2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.

3. Find Wispr Flow in the list and toggle it off, then on again.

4. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and ensure Wispr Flow is enabled.

5. Reopen Wispr Flow from your Applications folder or Dock.

6. Dictate a short phrase. If text appears, you're done.

Windows

Flow does not require explicit app-level microphone permissions on Windows. In v1.4.894 and later, Flow checks microphone availability directly at runtime — you no longer need to manually re-verify permissions after most updates.

1. Check that your system microphone is working in Windows Sound Settings and that no other app is using it exclusively.

2. Close and reopen Wispr Flow.

3. Dictate a short phrase. If text appears, you're done.

iOS

When you tap Start Flow or the microphone button for the first time, iOS shows a system prompt asking for microphone access — tap Allow to continue. If you previously denied access, the prompt includes an Open Settings button that jumps directly to the right place in iOS Settings. If microphone permission has been revoked, the Statistics section on the Home screen also shows a "We can't hear you" card.

1. Tap Open Settings on the permission prompt, or Go to Settings on the "We can't hear you" card. Or open iOS Settings → Wispr Flow → Microphone manually.

2. Turn on the Microphone toggle for Wispr Flow.

3. Return to Wispr Flow — the app detects the change automatically.

4. Dictate a short phrase. If text appears, you're done.

Android

The Home screen shows different cards depending on which permission or service needs attention:

• "We can't hear you": Microphone permission has been revoked. Tap Allow Microphone to restore it.

• "Flow Bubble Disabled": All permissions are still granted, but the Flow Bubble service has stopped. Tap Turn Back On to restart it.

• "Enable Flow bubble on screen": Display over other apps permission is missing. Tap Go to Settings to enable it.

• "Flow can't insert text": Accessibility permission is missing. Tap Go to Settings to enable it.

• "Keep Wispr Flow running": Battery optimization is enabled for Flow. Tap to disable it so Android doesn't stop the service in the background.

If you see the "We can't hear you" card:

1. Tap Go to Settings on the card, or open Settings → Apps → Wispr Flow → Permissions manually.

2. Set Microphone to Allow.

3. Return to Wispr Flow — the permission card updates automatically.

4. Dictate a short phrase. If text appears, you're done.

iOS: Wispr Flow didn't appear under Microphone in iOS Settings

In earlier versions, Wispr Flow might not show up under Microphone in iOS Settings because the app had not yet made an explicit permission request. Flow now requests microphone access as soon as you tap Start Flow or the mic button, which causes it to appear in iOS Settings immediately. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version to get this fix.

Android: Accessibility permission was silently revoked on an OEM device

On some OEM devices — including OnePlus, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Samsung — the system could revoke Flow's accessibility permission in the background without showing any in-app warning, causing Flow to silently stop inserting text. Fixed in Flow v1.8.2.

1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

2. Tap the notification Flow now sends when this happens to go directly to the correct accessibility settings page.

3. Re-enable Wispr Flow in the accessibility list.

iOS: Dictation failed silently during setup with no error message

In earlier versions, problems during onboarding dictation — such as denied microphone permission, a poor connection, or no audio detected — would fail without showing any feedback. Flow now shows a message at the top of the screen explaining what went wrong, such as "Enable microphone access to use Flow" or "Poor connection! Tap the mic to try again." Update Wispr Flow to the latest version to get this fix.

iOS: Revoking microphone permission caused dictation to fail silently

In earlier versions, revoking microphone permission in iOS Settings after initial setup caused the keyboard to silently attempt dictation without showing any error. Tapping Start Flow or the microphone button now shows a "We can't hear you" prompt so you know what to fix. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version to get this fix.

Android: Revoking "Display over other apps" left a stuck or unresponsive bubble

This was caused by a bug where revoking the "Display over other apps" permission while Flow was running could leave a lingering overlay window or cause the service to retry repeatedly. Fixed in Flow v1.7.0 — any leftover overlay is cleaned up automatically and the service shuts down on its own.

Update Wispr Flow to the latest version to get this fix. If you still see a stuck bubble:

1. Force-stop Wispr Flow in Settings → Apps → Wispr Flow → Force Stop.

2. Re-enable the permission in Settings → Apps → Wispr Flow → Display over other apps.

3. Reopen Wispr Flow and tap Turn Back On if the "Flow Bubble Disabled" card appears.

Android: Flow Bubble didn't reappear after a reboot or app update

On some Android devices — particularly Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, and Samsung — the Flow Bubble would sometimes not reappear after a reboot or app update, even though the accessibility service was still enabled. Flow now actively restarts the bubble service after a reboot or update instead of relying on the system to do it automatically.

Update Wispr Flow to the latest version to get this fix. If the bubble is still missing:

1. Open Wispr Flow and look for a "Flow Bubble Disabled" card on the Home screen.

2. Tap Turn Back On to restart the bubble service.

3. Open a text field — the Flow Bubble should now appear.

macOS 26 (Tahoe): Permission links opened the wrong System Settings pane or did nothing

This was caused by a bug where clicking to grant Accessibility, Microphone, or Screen Capture permissions — either during onboarding or from a notification — could open the wrong System Settings pane or have no effect on macOS 26 (Tahoe). Fixed in the latest version of Wispr Flow.

If you're still affected, grant permissions manually:

1. Open System Settings on your Mac.

2. Go to Privacy & Security → Microphone (or Accessibility, or Screen Recording) and enable Wispr Flow directly.

3. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version so future permission prompts open the correct pane automatically.

Mac: Wispr Flow stayed on an older version after updating, or appeared twice in the Dock

This was caused by a bug where the app's shutdown process could run twice during an update, preventing the new version from installing correctly and sometimes leaving duplicate Wispr Flow icons in the Dock. Fixed in the latest version of Wispr Flow.

If you're still on an older version, update manually:

1. Click the Wispr Flow icon in your menu bar.

2. Select Check for Updates.

3. Install the update when prompted, then reopen Wispr Flow.

Windows: Microphone list was empty, or a false "microphone privacy disabled" error appeared

Two Windows-specific bugs were introduced in v1.4.894 and fixed in a later update:

• Blank microphone list in Settings: Existing Windows users who upgraded to v1.4.894 saw an empty audio device list in the microphone selection dialog, even though dictation could still work in some cases (such as after connecting a headset).

• False "microphone privacy disabled" error: Some users were blocked from dictating with a microphone privacy error even though their microphone was enabled in Windows Settings. This was more likely on machines managed by IT policies (MDM/GPO), or with Dell Optimizer or similar third-party privacy tools installed.

Both issues are resolved in the latest version. Update to get the fix:

1. Click the Wispr Flow icon in your system tray.

2. Select the update option in the menu (e.g., "Check for Updates" or "Restart to Update").

3. Install the update when prompted, then reopen Wispr Flow.

Windows: A downloaded update disappeared from the UI and Flow didn't update automatically

This was caused by a bug where opening the Settings panel or triggering an update check after an update had already been downloaded would incorrectly reset the update status to "Up to date," hiding the pending update. Fixed in the latest version of Wispr Flow.

If you're affected, update manually:

1. Click the Wispr Flow icon in your system tray.

2. Select the update option in the menu (the label changes based on state — e.g., "Check for Updates" or "Restart to Update").

3. Install the update when prompted, then reopen Wispr Flow.

Flow keeps asking for microphone access every time I start it

This usually means the permission wasn't fully granted. Toggle the permission off and on again in System Settings, then restart Flow.

I don't see Wispr Flow listed under Microphone or Accessibility on Mac

Reinstall Flow. If it still doesn't appear, contact support with your macOS version.

I don't see Wispr Flow listed under Microphone in iOS Settings

Tap Start Flow or the mic button in the app. Flow shows the iOS microphone permission prompt, and Wispr Flow then appears in iOS Settings → Wispr Flow → Microphone.

Keyboard shortcuts stopped working even though microphone access is on

On Mac, keyboard shortcuts require Accessibility permission, which is separate from Microphone. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and ensure Wispr Flow is enabled.

Clicking "Allow" opens System Settings instead of showing a dialog

This happens when you've previously denied microphone access. Flow opens System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone directly so you can enable it there. On a first-time grant, Flow shows the native macOS permission dialog instead.

I see "Flow Bubble Disabled" on Android but all my permissions are on

This card appears when the Flow Bubble service has stopped but permissions are still in place — most commonly after updating Flow or if the system stopped the service. Tap Turn Back On to restart it.