Facebook owned WhatsApp, the most popular instant messaging app today, has announced that it has started testing voice message recording feature in the beta version of the application on Android devices. The company said that the new feature will allow users to record and send voice messages up to one minute long, with an option to re-record if needed. The sender will be able to play back any voice message he/she receives from the recipient before responding. It would be interesting to see whether this new feature will be rolled out as default or become an optional one in the next update. WhatsApp Tests Voice Message Recording Feature
What is this new feature?
WhatsApp is testing a voice message recording feature on Android smartphones. WhatsApp’s most recent update includes options to allow users to record, listen to and share their own voice messages. Facebook owns WhatsApp, so it’s unlikely that voice messaging will remain an Android-only feature in future updates. However, no news has yet been released as to whether or not users will be able to send pre-recorded audio clips via WhatsApp on iPhone and Windows Phone devices.
Why would someone want this?
More than 1 billion people use WhatsApp every month to communicate with their friends and family, but messaging doesn’t have to be limited to text. The beta version of WhatsApp on Android now includes a new feature that lets you record short voice messages and send them to your contacts. From what we can tell, it’s just for fun. Think of it as a cross between Apple’s iPhone Hey Siri functionality and Snapchat Spectacles.
How do I record a voice message on WhatsApp?
To record a voice message, press and hold on WhatsApp’s audio message button until it blinks red, and then speak into your phone’s microphone. WhatsApp does not have an indicator that shows you how long your recording is, so be sure to speak clearly or leave a gap between sentences if you want to avoid problems with playback. When you’re done recording, tap send!
How can I listen to my recordings?
To listen to your voice messages, you’ll have to head into WhatsApp’s settings, where you can select Voice Messages from within Account > Settings. From there, tap any of your voice messages and tap Play. If WhatsApp isn’t able to detect who said what based on who sent them (and if you aren’t using Android), it will play all of your recordings in alphabetical order.
What are the advantages over just texting?
There are two distinct advantages to using WhatsApp over regular texting. First, users can send an audio message as long as they want. Second, messages delivered by WhatsApp will play a sound after being sent in order to confirm that they were delivered correctly. This makes it easier for users to know if a message has been read or not. It’s also worth noting that voice messages are included within each user’s data plan so sending them won’t count against their monthly allowance of data usage.
Is there a time limit to listen back to your messages?
WhatsApp hasn’t revealed how long a recording can be. According to WABetaInfo, an unofficial WhatsApp beta testing website, messages are limited to five minutes. The site says you can’t re-record your message or download it as an audio file – at least not yet. It could be that WhatsApp only saves a certain number of voice messages before they expire, allowing users to save them using third-party applications like Google Drive and Dropbox.
Does it cost anything to use this service?
With WhatsApp, you don’t have to worry about paying anything in order to send voice messages. In fact, if you want to send a voice message to someone who doesn’t have an Android phone, it will still be free for you; he or she can receive your message as a text message instead.
