In a move that's meant to ease anxiety and reduce the awkwardness that comes with bungling a voice message, WhatsApp on Tuesday rolled out Voice Message Preview. The feature lets you listen to and redo your voice messages before you send them.
"Voice Messages are one of the most popular features for WhatsApp users worldwide," the Facebook-owned service noted in a release, saying they're the "easiest and quickest way to send a message when you really want to get an emotion across, time is tight, or you're juggling other tasks, like holding a baby or carrying shopping/groceries."
Voice messaging on WhatsApp already includes hands-free recording and speed controls for message playback. But WhatsApp says the new feature is "perfect for those moments when you want to get your message just right."
Here's how to preview your voice messages on WhatsApp:
- Open up a group or individual chat.
- Tap and hold the microphone icon and slide up to enable hands-free recording.
- Record your message.
- Tap the Stop button when you've finished your message.
- Tap the Play button to listen to what you've recorded.
- To delete and start over, tap the trash can icon.
- Once you've got your message just right, tap the Send button to send it.
You can preview and redo as many takes of your voice message as you want, to make sure your message gets across exactly as you intend.