One key. Speak. Done. Here's how the whole thing works.
What Wispr Flow Actually Does
Wispr Flow listens to your voice and types for you — in any app, any text field, anywhere on your computer. Unlike dictation tools built into an operating system, Wispr Flow runs as a background app with a global shortcut, so it's always one keypress away whether you're in your browser, email client, Slack, or a code editor.
It uses AI to clean up what you say — smoothing out filler words and fixing sentence flow — before dropping text into wherever your cursor sits. The result is faster, more natural writing without switching apps or finding a special dictation interface.
First-Run Setup
After installing Wispr Flow and launching it for the first time, macOS will ask for two permissions you must grant for it to work:
Required Permissions
Microphone access — so Wispr Flow can hear your voice.
Accessibility access — so it can type into any app on your behalf. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and enable Wispr Flow.
On Windows, grant microphone access when prompted. No additional accessibility permission is required.
Once permissions are set, the Wispr Flow icon appears in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows). It's now active and listening for your shortcut.
Push-to-Talk — Your Main Shortcut
The core interaction in Wispr Flow is push-to-talk: hold a key, speak, release. Text appears.
| Platform | Default Shortcut | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Mac | Right ⌥ (hold) | Start dictating while held; insert on release |
| Windows | Right Alt (hold) | Start dictating while held; insert on release |
Click into any text field — an email, a search bar, a chat window — then hold the key and start speaking. When you release, Wispr Flow inserts the text at your cursor. That's the entire loop.
Why Right Option / Right Alt?
The right-side modifier keys are almost never used by other shortcuts, which makes them ideal for a global hotkey. The default is designed to feel natural: push to speak, release to commit, just like a walkie-talkie.
Your First Voice Draft — Step by Step
Here's the complete flow for your first dictation:
1. Open any app with a text field and click to place your cursor.
2. Hold Right ⌥ (Mac) or Right Alt (Windows).
3. Speak naturally — full sentences, not word by word.
4. Release the key. Wispr Flow processes your audio and types the result.
5. Read what appeared. If AI Polish is on, it will have cleaned up your phrasing automatically.
Speak in Sentences
Wispr Flow performs best when you speak in full, natural sentences rather than dictating word by word. Think of it as talking to someone, not reading a list. The AI polish layer handles the cleanup — you don't need to speak slowly or artificially.
Check your understanding before the lab.
Identify the best moments in your day to start using Wispr Flow.
The fastest way to build a dictation habit is to start with tasks you already do — not new ones. In this lab, you'll talk through your typical workday with an AI coach who will help you spot the best opportunities to replace typing with speaking.
Start with: "Here's what I do in a typical workday: [describe your day]" — and the coach will help you find your first three dictation wins.
Yes, the irony: you're typing about voice dictation. This is your last day doing it the slow way.
When you want to speak freely without holding anything down.
Toggle Mode vs. Push-to-Talk
Push-to-talk is fast and precise — great for short bursts. But for longer dictation, holding a key the whole time is tiring. Toggle mode solves this: tap once to start recording, speak as long as you want, tap again to stop and insert.
| Mode | Mac Shortcut | Windows Shortcut | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Push-to-talk | Right ⌥ hold | Right Alt hold | Short replies, quick fills |
| Toggle on | Right ⌥ double-tap | Right Alt double-tap | Long paragraphs, emails, notes |
| Toggle off | Right ⌥ tap once | Right Alt tap once | Stop toggle recording |
How to Toggle
Double-tap Right ⌥ quickly (two fast taps) to enter toggle mode. A recording indicator shows that Wispr Flow is listening. Tap Right ⌥ once to stop and insert. The text appears just as it does with push-to-talk.
Canceling a Dictation
Changed your mind mid-dictation? Press Escape at any time to cancel — whether you're in push-to-talk or toggle mode. Wispr Flow discards what you said and nothing is inserted. This works in both modes.
Escape Is Always Safe
If a dictation is going sideways, Escape is your undo. Get comfortable using it — knowing you can cancel freely makes it easier to try voice input without worrying about making a mess.
Choosing the Right Mode
Use push-to-talk when:
— You're filling in a form field or search box
— You want tight control over exactly when dictation starts and stops
— You're in a meeting and need to capture a quick note
Use toggle mode when:
— You're drafting an email, document, or long message
— Your hands are occupied (eating, gesturing, using a mouse)
— You want to pace yourself through a long thought without holding anything
Pro Tip: Mix Both in One Session
Nothing stops you from using push-to-talk for short edits and toggling on for a long paragraph in the same document. The modes don't conflict — they just serve different moments.
Toggle mode, cancel, and choosing when to use what.
Practice deciding which mode fits each dictation scenario.
The AI will give you real-world scenarios — a Slack reply, a report introduction, a calendar note, an email — and you'll choose which mode you'd use and why. The coach will give you feedback and push back if your reasoning doesn't hold up.
Start with: "Give me my first scenario."
Say what you mean — including the commas.
Speaking Punctuation
Wispr Flow understands spoken punctuation commands. Say them naturally as part of your sentence — the word is replaced with the symbol.
AI Polish and Punctuation
When AI Polish is enabled, Wispr Flow may add punctuation automatically based on your natural pauses and sentence structure. You may find you don't need to say "period" at all — the AI infers it. Try both approaches and see which feels more natural for you.
Line and Paragraph Control
Formatting commands control the structure of your text without touching the keyboard:
These are especially useful when dictating structured content — bullet points, addresses, step-by-step instructions — where visual layout matters.
Voice Editing Commands
Made a mistake? Don't reach for the keyboard. Voice editing commands let you fix things mid-dictation:
The Flow Mindset
The fastest dictators don't stop to fix every mistake in the moment. They say "delete that" to remove a bad phrase, then re-speak it — or they let AI Polish handle minor cleanup on insert. Momentum matters more than perfection mid-flow.
Capitalization Commands
Control capitalization without interrupting your dictation:
Punctuation, formatting, and voice editing commands.
Drill punctuation and editing commands until they're instinct.
The AI will give you a sentence to dictate — including specific punctuation marks, line breaks, and capitalization requirements. You describe what commands you'd use to produce that output. The coach will confirm or correct your approach.
Start with: "Give me a sentence to practice with."
Every key, every command, every feature — all in one place.
All Default Shortcuts
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Push-to-talk (dictate while held) | Right ⌥ hold | Right Alt hold |
| Toggle mode on | Right ⌥ ×2 tap | Right Alt ×2 tap |
| Toggle mode off / confirm | Right ⌥ tap | Right Alt tap |
| Cancel dictation (discard) | Escape | Escape |
| Open Wispr Flow settings | Click menu bar icon | Click system tray icon |
Customizing Your Shortcut
All shortcuts can be remapped in Wispr Flow's settings (Preferences → Hotkey). If Right Option conflicts with something in your setup, choose any other key or key combination. Some users prefer Fn or a side mouse button.
AI Polish Mode
AI Polish is Wispr Flow's post-processing layer. When enabled (the default), it receives your raw transcription and rewrites it for clarity before inserting — removing filler words like "um" and "uh," fixing run-on sentences, and adding appropriate punctuation.
You can toggle AI Polish off in Settings if you prefer raw transcription — useful when dictating code identifiers, precise quotes, or content where exact wording matters.
When to Turn Polish Off
Keep Polish on for prose. Turn it off when dictating: exact product names, code variable names, URLs, numbers with specific formatting, or any content where the AI might "helpfully" rewrite something you need verbatim.
App Integration and Context
Wispr Flow is context-aware in supported apps. It can detect that you're in Slack vs. a document editor vs. an email client and adjust its behavior accordingly — shorter outputs for chat, longer structured outputs for documents.
Works out of the box in:
— Email clients (Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook)
— Chat apps (Slack, Teams, Discord)
— Note and document apps (Notion, Obsidian, Google Docs, Word)
— Code editors (VS Code, Cursor — for comments and docs, not code itself)
— Browsers (any text field on any web page)
Building the Habit
The biggest barrier to dictation isn't learning the shortcuts — it's building the reflex to reach for your voice instead of the keyboard. That habit forms fastest when you anchor dictation to specific existing behaviors:
Email replies — every time you open an email to reply, use voice for the first draft.
Slack responses — any reply longer than a sentence goes through Wispr Flow.
Morning notes — start each day by dictating your to-do list or journal entry.
The Two-Week Rule
Give yourself two weeks of consistent use before judging whether dictation is working for you. The first three days feel awkward. By day five it starts to click. By day fourteen most people find they're faster at voice than keyboard for prose — and they don't want to go back.
Shortcuts, AI Polish, and building the dictation habit.
Turn what you've learned into a personal 14-day habit.
You've covered every major feature in Wispr Flow. Now the AI will help you build a concrete 14-day plan for making dictation a real habit — anchored to things you already do, not aspirational routines you won't keep.
Start with: "Here's what a typical work week looks like for me: [describe it]" — and the coach will map three specific dictation anchors to your actual schedule.
15 questions. Score 70% or higher to complete the module.