Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- WhatsApp is working on a new feature that would streamline voice messages on the platform.
- The “global voice message player” would allow users to listen to voice messages wherever they are in the app.
- This would make listening to longer WhatsApp voice notes far less tedious.
WhatsApp could soon introduce a feature to streamline the voice message listening experience while giving users more freedom.
The “global voice message player,” first spotted by WABetaInfo, would allow users to listen to voice messages wherever they are within WhatsApp. Currently, voice messages only play from the sender’s chat screen. If you leave this screen, the message stops playing.
WhatsApp voice message player: How would it work?
The feature won’t seemingly require a significant redesign, but there will be a few UI tweaks. Judging by a screenshot shared by WABetaInfo, currently playing voice messages could receive a dedicated top bar pinned to the top of WhatsApp’s screen. Additionally, this bar may house basic controls, such as pause, play, and dismiss. This bar would also be accessible from any screen within WhatsApp.
It seems like a minor addition compared to multi-device support, but it could be a boon for those longer voice messages. Instead of being pinned to the sender’s page while listening to a ten-minute recording, users would be able to engage in other activities within the app. It’s unclear if WhatsApp would take this control a little further, allowing users to play voice messages in the background should they switch apps. There’s currently no indication of this.
Although the feature is in development, don’t get too excited. WABetaInfo notes that the feature isn’t available for beta testers just yet. It was also spotted on iOS, but an Android version is also reportedly in the works. There’s no word on a release date either.