How do I install and use Flow in MSFS 2024?

To install Flow in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, use the installer or in-sim Marketplace tied to your licence, select the MSFS 2024 package location, then restart the simulator. Load a flight, open Flow from the top toolbar, and use its radial menu to launch and organise the widgets included with your edition.

How do I install Flow in MSFS 2024?

The correct installation method depends on where your Flow licence is delivered. A PC installer, an in-sim Marketplace purchase and a console entitlement are managed differently.

Our explanation of how MSFS 2024 handles Community packages, installer-managed utilities and Marketplace content covers the differences between these delivery methods.

1. Close MSFS 2024. Installing or updating Flow while the simulator is running can leave the old package loaded until the next restart.
2. Update the installer or delivery manager. An older installer may recognise MSFS 2020 but not offer MSFS 2024 as a destination.
3. Select the MSFS 2024 version. Do not choose the MSFS 2020 installation simply because it appears first, and never point a Community package at the protected Official folder manually.
4. Confirm the active package path. If automatic detection fails, use our instructions for finding the active Packages and Community folders through UserCfg.opt. The Community folder can be on a different drive from the main simulator application.
5. Check the package structure. For a manually supplied Community package, its folder should sit directly inside Community, with files such as manifest.json and layout.json inside the package root rather than buried beneath an extra wrapper folder.
6. Restart the simulator. Load a normal flight before looking for Flow; in-sim panels are not necessarily available from the main menus.

How do I open and use Flow?

Flow runs inside a loaded flight and presents simulator functions as widgets on a radial wheel. The widgets available depend on the Flow edition, installed components and any compatible custom widgets you have added.

1. Open the MSFS toolbar. Move the pointer to the top of the screen and select the Flow icon. If the icon is hidden, open the toolbar customisation controls and enable it.
2. Display the Flow wheel. Use the toolbar button or the activation shortcut configured in Flow. Defaults can differ between builds and input profiles, so check Flow's own settings rather than relying on an old shortcut from MSFS 2020.
3. Select a widget. Move the pointer to the required segment and activate it. Some widgets open another page or sub-menu; others run a command immediately.
4. Arrange the wheel. Enter Flow's edit or configuration mode to add, remove and reorder widgets and pages. Start with the supplied widgets before introducing custom ones, which makes faults much easier to isolate.
5. Assign a practical shortcut. A keyboard chord is adequate for desktop flying, while a spare controller or joystick button is usually better in VR. Avoid a binding already used by the aircraft, camera system or another toolbar utility.

Flow does not make every command universal across every aircraft. A widget that depends on a particular aircraft variable or external component may work in one add-on and do nothing in another, even though the Flow wheel itself is operating normally.

Can I copy Flow from MSFS 2020?

Install an MSFS 2024-compatible Flow build rather than copying the existing MSFS 2020 folder. A legacy package may appear in the toolbar yet fail when opened because its panel, scripts or supporting files were built for the older simulator.

Keep the two simulators' Community folders separate. If the installer supports both versions, let it create and maintain each installation independently. The same principle applies to updates: update Flow through the delivery method used for that copy instead of overwriting it with files from another edition.

Why is Flow not showing in the MSFS 2024 toolbar?

A missing Flow icon usually means the package is installed in the wrong Community folder, disabled, duplicated or incompatible with the running simulator build. Check these causes in order:

• Wrong Community path: custom-drive and multiple-simulator installations often leave an old Community folder that MSFS 2024 is no longer reading.
• Extra folder nesting: remove the unnecessary outer folder so the actual package root sits directly in Community.
• Duplicate packages: retain the supported MSFS 2024 copy and remove or move aside older Flow folders. Two editions loading together can suppress the panel or create unpredictable behaviour.
• Safe Mode: MSFS may disable Community content after a crash. Flow will not appear while that content is disabled.
• Marketplace content not enabled: seeing Flow in the library does not always mean its package is installed or active. Check its installation and enabled state.
• Outdated build: run the installer or library update again, then perform a full simulator restart.

What if the wheel opens but a widget is blank?

Treat a blank or unresponsive widget separately from a missing Flow panel. Reset to a basic wheel containing supplied widgets, remove custom widgets one at a time, and test in a default aircraft at a simple airport.

If the basic wheel works, restore custom widgets individually until the fault returns. This identifies an incompatible widget without repeatedly reinstalling Flow. Also check for a conflicting mouse, keyboard or controller assignment if the wheel appears but closes immediately or will not accept input.

Does Flow work on Xbox and PlayStation?

External Flow installers and Community-folder packages are PC-only. Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro users must use a compatible console release delivered through the simulator's Marketplace; a PC purchase or downloaded package cannot be sideloaded onto those consoles.

Marketplace availability and entitlement can vary by platform and edition. Do not assume that owning a PC installer automatically unlocks the Marketplace version on another device.