When Wispr Flow is not working on a Mac, Wispr's own help articles point to a short list of causes: Microphone or Accessibility permission is off, the wrong microphone is selected, the shortcut is being blocked, the app needs a full quit and relaunch, or the internet connection dropped, since Wispr transcribes in the cloud. Find your symptom below and use Wispr's fix. If many people seem affected at once, check Wispr's status page before changing settings.
Every fix in the table comes from Wispr's help centre, checked 3 October 2026. Mac permission paths are from Apple's macOS 27 user guide; on other versions, search System Settings for "Privacy".
Which symptom matches yours?
| Symptom | Cause Wispr gives | Fix Wispr gives |
|---|---|---|
| "Microphone Permission Required", or Flow captures silence | Microphone access not granted or denied | Click Grant Permission, or turn on Wispr Flow in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, then quit and reopen Flow (mic article) |
| Flow warns it "can't hear you" | Wrong or muted microphone, low input level | Check any hardware mute switch; in Flow choose Settings → General → Microphone → Change and pick the mic by name; raise the level in System Settings → Sound → Input |
| "Laptop lid is closed" | The built-in mic is off with the lid closed | Connect an external microphone |
| Silence with an external monitor connected | The output device can block capture | Set System Settings → Sound → Output to the built-in speakers |
| AirPods or Bluetooth mic slow or silent | Bluetooth range or start-up delay | Compare with the built-in or a wired mic; reconnect Bluetooth |
| Mic busy or silent after a test | Another app holds the mic, or Flow did not release it | Stop dictation properly; close other apps using the mic; restart Flow |
| Words transcribed but nothing appears in the field | Accessibility permission off, or Flow needs a restart | Turn on Wispr Flow in Privacy & Security → Accessibility (toggle it off and on if already on); fully quit and relaunch (pasting article) |
| Shortcut does nothing, but Fn still works | Another app's Secure Keyboard Entry, for example a password manager | Quit and restart that app, then test again (shortcuts article) |
| Shortcut rejected when you set it | It breaks Wispr's shortcut rules | Use a modifier (Ctrl, Cmd, Opt, Shift or Fn), three keys or fewer, and avoid reserved combinations such as Cmd+Space |
| Flow Bar missing | App not running, bar hidden or snoozed, or full-screen app | Click the menu-bar icon → Open Wispr Flow; enable Show Flow Bar at all times in Settings → System → App settings; test outside full screen (Flow Bar article) |
| "Flow is having trouble loading or starting" or "Audio system failed to load" | Start-up or audio failure | Select Restart Flow; if it repeats, restart the Mac and contact support (start-up article) |
| Result delayed or processing fails | Connection problem | Check your connection by opening a website; reconnect and retry the saved audio when Flow offers it |
How do you check Wispr Flow's Mac permissions?
Wispr's system requirements list two permissions for dictation on a Mac: Microphone, and Accessibility "so Flow can insert dictated text". Screen Recording is optional. Wispr's requirements list macOS 12 Monterey or later, on Apple Silicon or Intel.
Apple's steps for macOS 27:
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
- Click Microphone and turn on Wispr Flow, as Apple's microphone access page describes.
- Go back, click Accessibility (you may need to scroll) and turn on Wispr Flow. Apple's Accessibility access page says that if the app is not listed, click the Add button, find the app and click Open.
- Quit Flow from its menu-bar menu and open it again. Wispr says closing the window does not quit the app, and that Flow may not see a permission change until it restarts.
Wispr's Flow Bar article adds that Flow may need a full relaunch after system updates or permission changes, so recheck both permissions after updating macOS.
How do you get back text that did not appear?
Wispr says to recover it before you troubleshoot: press Control-Command-V to paste your last transcript, or open it from the menu-bar icon. Flow pastes through the clipboard, so Wispr suggests saving anything important on your clipboard before testing a problem app. Then test in Notes. If Notes works and one app does not, the problem is that app; Wispr asks you to report which apps you tested.
What does Wispr Flow need online?
Everything it transcribes. Wispr's known-limitations article says: "An internet connection is required. Dictation is transcribed in the cloud." A brief connection failure can delay the result. On a restricted network, ask your IT team whether Wispr's service is reachable. Does Wispr Flow work offline? covers this in more detail.
Is Wispr Flow down, or is it just you?
Do not assume an outage. Wispr's support page links to its status page, where you can also subscribe to updates. If the status page shows no incident, work through the table. If nothing helps, contact support from that page. Wispr asks for your OS, microphone model, the exact error message, and whether another app records successfully.
If the trouble is Apple's built-in Dictation rather than Wispr Flow, see Mac Dictation not working.
If you want to try something else
Publisher note: SuprFlow publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Competitor details come from each company's own pages, checked on 3 October 2026. Prices and features change; confirm before you buy.
Fix the setup first; most of the causes above would affect any dictation app, because they all need the microphone and Accessibility permission. If you still want an alternative:
- Apple Dictation is free and built in. How to use voice to text on a Mac shows how.
- SuprFlow runs speech recognition on the Mac with an on-device model, so dictation itself does not depend on a cloud service. It costs $125 for lifetime access on up to five Macs you own, with a 7-day refund on a first purchase and no free trial. It is the wrong choice if you need Windows or phone apps, a meeting recorder or team admin controls. SuprFlow vs Wispr Flow compares them.
Questions people ask
Why is Wispr Flow not typing anything?
Wispr says that when words are transcribed but do not appear, Accessibility permission is usually off or Flow needs a full restart. Turn it on in Privacy & Security → Accessibility, then quit and relaunch Flow. Press Control-Command-V to recover the text.
Why is the Wispr Flow microphone not working?
Check the permission under Privacy & Security → Microphone, the microphone chosen in Flow's Settings → General, the input level in Sound settings, and whether your MacBook lid is closed. Wispr's mic article lists each case.
Does Wispr Flow work without internet?
No. Wispr says an internet connection is required because dictation is transcribed in the cloud.
Why did Wispr Flow stop working after a macOS update?
Wispr says Flow may need relaunching after system updates or permission changes. Recheck Microphone and Accessibility, then fully quit and relaunch Flow.
Related guides
- Does Wispr Flow work offline?
- Mac Dictation not working
- Why Bluetooth headsets hurt dictation quality
- How to cancel Wispr Flow
- Wispr Flow alternatives for Mac
- SuprFlow vs Wispr Flow
Sources
- Wispr Flow Help Center — Fix a microphone that is silent or unavailable
- Wispr Flow Help Center — Fix text not pasting after dictation
- Wispr Flow Help Center — Customize keyboard and mouse shortcuts
- Wispr Flow Help Center — Troubleshooting the Flow Bar
- Wispr Flow Help Center — Fix Flow startup and No Model Available errors
- Wispr Flow Help Center — Supported devices and system requirements
- Wispr Flow Help Center — What to expect from Flow: accuracy and known limitations
- Wispr Flow — Support
- Wispr Flow — Status page
- Apple — Control access to the microphone on Mac
- Apple — Allow accessibility apps to access your Mac