WhatsApp updates the ‘Voice Message’ player with new interface, out of chat playback, more

WhatsApp has introduced several new features to the ‘Voice Message’ recorder like new out-of-chat playback, pause/resume recording, waveform visualization, and more. The new features will be rolling out to everyone in the coming weeks.

WhatsApp says that 7 billion voice messages are sent on average because “the voice is more natural than text”. Voice messages are users’ preferred form of communication for it is a quick way to have expressive and emotional communication to share stories, exciting news, sorrows, and much more. And new features are designed to make that experience even better.

It’s simple for anyone to use – for your family members who prefer to avoid typing, for your friends who love to tell stories, for your peers who need encouraging words, or for when you want to hear your partner’s voice at the end of a long day.

All the new improvements in the WhatsApp Voice Message player

Here are all the new updates introduced for WhatsApp’s voice message player for easy recording and playback features.

Out of Chat Playback: Users can listen to a voice note or voice message out of the chat window it was sent in and anywhere in the app. When users will close chat while listening to a voice message, a global player will appear on top of the UI for them to continue listening to the message. The sent voice message can be paused and played in the universal player.
Pause and Resume Voice Recording: When recording a voice message, users can pause and resume recording that message.
Draft Preview: Users can listen to their voice message before sending it.
New Playback: While listening to a voice note, if users have to pause it and leave the chat. They can now resume listening to that voice message where they had left it upon returning to the chat.
Fast Playback on Regular and Forwarded Messages: Now regular and forwarded voice messages can be listened to at 1.5x or 2x speeds. Previously, fast playback support was not available for forwarded voice messages.
Waveform Visualization: To express the gravity of tone, the voice message player shows a waveform visual representation when of the sound.

Some of the new features were discovered by WABetainfo in late 2021 and were available to some users like the out-of-chat voice message player in February 2022. But now, WhatsApp has officially released them to everyone.