How to Set Up Wispr Flow

Voice-to-text that actually works for coding.

Wispr Flow is a voice dictation tool that runs locally on your machine. It's fast, accurate, and works in any application — including your terminal, IDE, and browser. Combined with Claude Code, it lets you build software by speaking naturally.

Prerequisites

  • macOS or Windows — Wispr Flow runs on both platforms
  • Microphone — Built-in or external, any decent mic works
  • Internet connection — For initial setup and processing

Installation

Step 1: Download Wispr Flow

Get the app from the official website:

Download Wispr Flow

This referral link gives you access to the full features.

Step 2: Install the app

On macOS: Open the .dmg file and drag Wispr Flow to Applications.

On Windows: Run the installer and follow the prompts.

Step 3: Grant permissions

Wispr Flow needs:

  • Microphone access — To hear your voice
  • Accessibility access — To type into any application

The app will guide you through granting these permissions on first launch.

Step 4: Set your hotkey

Choose a keyboard shortcut to activate dictation. Common choices:

  • Fn key (macOS) — Quick and doesn't conflict with other shortcuts
  • Caps Lock — Easy to reach, rarely used otherwise
  • Right Option — Good for one-handed activation

Basic Usage

Start dictating

  1. Click into any text field (terminal, editor, browser, anywhere)
  2. Hold your hotkey
  3. Speak naturally
  4. Release the hotkey
  5. Your text appears

Speak naturally

Wispr Flow understands context. You don't need to say punctuation unless you want to:

"Create a new page called Voice Test" → Create a new page called Voice Test
"Add a function that returns true" → Add a function that returns true
"Update the CSS to add hover effects" → Update the CSS to add hover effects

Quick commands

Wispr Flow recognises commands like:

  • "new line" — Inserts a line break
  • "new paragraph" — Inserts a blank line
  • "delete that" — Removes the last dictation
  • "scratch that" — Same as delete

Using with Claude Code

The magic happens when you combine Wispr Flow with Claude Code. Here's the workflow:

1

Open your terminal

Navigate to your project and run claude

2

Hold your hotkey and speak

"Create a new contact form with name, email, and message fields"

3

Release and wait

Wispr Flow transcribes instantly, Claude Code starts working

4

Review and continue

Approve the changes, then speak your next instruction

Tips for Coding by Voice

Speak at normal pace

Don't slow down or over-enunciate. Wispr Flow works best with natural speech.

Pause between thoughts

Brief pauses help the transcription. Complete one thought, pause, then continue.

Think in sentences

Describe what you want, not how to code it. "Add a dark mode toggle" not "create a const darkMode equals..."

Let Claude handle syntax

You speak the intent, Claude writes the code. Don't worry about exact function names or brackets.

Recommended Settings

Hold-to-talk mode

Best for coding — hold the key while speaking, release to send. Prevents accidental triggers.

Auto-punctuation: On

Let Wispr Flow add periods and commas. You can always edit if needed.

Auto-capitalisation: On

Proper capitalisation at sentence starts saves editing time.

Ready to Try?

Once you've set up Wispr Flow, you can build software just by speaking. This entire website — every page, every line of CSS, every changelog entry — was created that way.

Get Wispr Flow Set Up Claude Code See Examples