We’ve all tried dictating a text message or email on our phones, only to spend more time correcting mistakes than it would have taken to type the message ourselves.
Background noise, mumbling, and changing our minds halfway through a sentence can leave us with a message that makes absolutely no sense.
But an AI-powered app called Wispr Flow promises to make voice dictation much easier. It claims to understand what you’re saying, even when you’re whispering, and turn your words into a polished message.
I put it to the test, and it’s pretty impressive.
How Wispr Flow Is Different From Regular Dictation
Most smartphones already have built-in voice dictation. Tap the microphone on your keyboard, start talking, and your words appear on the screen.
Wispr Flow takes that a step further.
Instead of simply transcribing everything you say, it uses artificial intelligence to clean up your words and figure out what you actually meant.
For example, imagine dictating this message:
“Tell the kids I’ll be home around six. I mean six thirty.”
With traditional dictation, you might get that entire sentence, including the correction.
Wispr Flow can recognize that you’ve changed your mind and produce a cleaner message:
“Tell the kids I’ll be home around 6:30.”
It can also remove filler words such as “um” and “uh,” eliminate unnecessary repetitions, and clean up sentences when you stumble over your words.
The result is text that often sounds more like something you would have carefully typed.
It Can Even Understand a Whisper
One of Wispr Flow’s more interesting features is its ability to recognize speech in less-than-ideal conditions.
The app is designed to handle background noise, including conversations and music, that can sometimes confuse traditional dictation.
And if you’re in an office, coffee shop, or another public place where you don’t want everyone hearing what you’re saying, you can whisper into your phone.
Wispr Flow can still recognize your words and turn them into text.
That doesn’t mean it will get everything right every time. Accuracy depends on your microphone, surroundings, and how clearly you speak. But the ability to dictate quietly makes the app especially useful when you’re around other people.
Where Can You Use Wispr Flow?
Wispr Flow isn’t limited to a single note-taking or messaging app.
You can use it to dictate text in many of the applications you already use, including:
- Text messages
- Emails
- Notes
- Documents
- Other apps with text-entry fields
It’s also available on Mac and Windows computers, allowing you to dictate longer emails, documents, and other written content instead of typing everything.
For anyone who writes frequently, that could be a significant time-saver.
What About Privacy?
There’s something important to understand before using Wispr Flow.
Unlike basic on-device dictation, Wispr Flow uses cloud-based AI processing to interpret and clean up your speech.
That means your dictated content may be sent to remote servers for processing.
Before using it for sensitive personal information, financial details, or confidential work conversations, review the company’s privacy policy and available privacy settings.
As with any AI service, it’s worth understanding how your information is processed and retained.
How Much Does Wispr Flow Cost?
Wispr Flow offers a free version with a limited amount of dictation each week.
For people who use voice dictation frequently, the Pro subscription is listed at $15 per month or $144 per year. Pricing and usage limits may change.
The app is available for iPhone and Android, as well as Mac and Windows computers.
You can learn more at Wispr Flow’s official website.
Is Wispr Flow Worth Trying?
If you’ve given up on voice dictation because of frustrating mistakes, Wispr Flow is worth a look.
The ability to correct sentences, remove unnecessary words, and understand whispered speech makes it more useful than basic speech-to-text for many situations.
It won’t eliminate every mistake, and you’ll still want to proofread important messages before sending them.
But if you’d rather talk than type, this is one AI app that could save you some time.
That’s What the Tech. I’m Jamey Tucker.
