June 10, 2024, 5:59 am | Read time: 4 minutes
WhatsApp and voice messages are inseparable for many users. That’s why there are now many features that integrate voice messages and make their use more comfortable. TECHBOOK reveals 8 tips you should know for recording and playing them.
WhatsApp is one of the most popular messengers in Germany, likely because the app combines many functions. Whether it’s a text message or video call, on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, for direct communication or sending files: WhatsApp is an all-rounder.
However, the most controversial feature might be the voice message. For some, it’s a tool for quick information exchange on the go, for others, a welcome opportunity for a 16-minute private podcast. Others find this exactly to be a nuisance. Why not just call? But no matter which camp you belong to, there are tips for everyone to make using the voice message feature (somewhat) comfortable for all.
4 Tips for Recording
If you can keep it brief, just hold down the microphone button, speak, and release. The voice message is sent immediately. However, if you realize while speaking that you’d rather not send the message, simply slide your finger to the left without releasing it, and the voice message will land in the trash icon.
If you’re planning a longer monologue or want to listen to your message before sending it, you can use the lock function. Instead of holding the microphone, swipe it up and then release. The recording continues until you press send or the red pause symbol. In this case, you can listen to what you’ve recorded so far and then decide to send it or delete it.
If you’ve recorded a voice message with a locked microphone, you can convert it into a self-destructing message, similar to images. Tap the circled gray one above the send symbol. After the recipient listens to it once, the message is automatically deleted.
If you’re already in an active voice message dialogue, it’s better to split a long message into several chunks. This way, the person on the other end doesn’t have to wait unnecessarily and can directly respond using the reply function (swipe the message bubble to the right). By the way, if you’ve ever wondered if there’s a time limit for WhatsApp voice messages, TECHBOOK has a clear answer for you.
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3 Tips for Listening to WhatsApp Voice Messages
Now you’ve received a voice message on the go but don’t want to play it out loud. But the headphones aren’t handy or their battery is dead? No problem. Tap play and hold the smartphone directly to your ear, and the output switches to the receiver like a regular phone call. However, many people still hold the phone horizontally to their ear. These are typically the reasons.
But be careful: This method isn’t really suitable for very quiet places. The voice message plays over the speaker from the moment you press the button until you hold it to your ear. Usually, it’s not a problem to move the smartphone quickly enough, but an unwanted sound might still come from the speaker.
Conversely, a loud environment can disrupt the playback of the voice message. Just when it’s most important, a train arrives on the neighboring track or a car honks? A dot marks the current playback moment in the voice message. You can easily move it with your fingertip to fast-forward or rewind the message. The gray audio bars indicate where the speaker spoke particularly loudly.
Another extremely practical feature that WhatsApp is still testing in the beta version is audio transcription. With it, voice messages of up to two minutes can be automatically converted into text. However, it’s still unclear when WhatsApp will roll out this feature for all users.
By the way, if you receive many (short) voice messages from a conversation partner at once, you can quickly lose track while listening. Messages with green dots haven’t been played yet. Blue indicates: already listened to.
Special Tip for the Impatient
Sometimes it happens that you receive a long voice message of nine, 15, or even 21 minutes and don’t have the time to listen. Or the patience. In this case, you can play the message at an increased speed. This extremely practical feature was introduced by the messenger in May 2021.
When you play a voice message, a 1 appears at its right end, indicating normal speed. By tapping once or twice, you can increase the playback speed to one and a half times (1.5) or double (2). Or you can briefly call the sender and ask for a summary.