I would love to listen to those messages at 2x speed."
On the other hand, even this may not help with your most annoying voice messages.
“They aren’t concerned about their pronunciation of each word.
Ilias Chebbi / Unsplash
And sometimes they already speak very fast.
Sometimes, I can hardly understand them at regular playback speed.”
What Are Voice Messages Good For?
Bruno Gomiero / Unsplash
This reporter refuses to listen to voice messages.
However, it can also be used for good.
For instance, not everyone can explain things well in textsometimes its just clearer to communicate by talking.
“Instead of losing more time writing, I record and send an audio clip.”
Sometimes they already speak very fast.
Sometimes, I can hardly understand them at regular playback speed.
Voice messages are also great for quick replies when youre on the move.
If youre walking, its impossible to pop in a message.
So, instead of stopping, you might send a voicemail.
And some people just prefer to communicate this way.
These are more like letters than postcards, and might be best played back at their regular speed.
Other features?
Fast playback is a feature most often found in podcast apps.
What other features could WhatsApp and other messaging apps borrow from podcasters?
Toppodcast app Overcasthas a feature called Smart Speed.
In fact, once you get used to it, regular podcasts seem annoyingly dithering in comparison.
Theres one big difference between podcasts and voice messages that might make applying these fixes harder, though.
“Also, the recording sessions are usually done in sound-proofed rooms or studios.
[My friends] sometimes send audio messages in noisy rooms.
They aren’t concerned about their pronunciation of each word.
One killer feature would be auto transcription, but perhaps not the kind youre thinking.
Perhaps seeing their messages in text form might encourage them to be a little more concise in future.
