A new global voice message player for WhatsApp lets you listen to voice notes while in a different chat, boosting your multitasking game.
HIGHLIGHTS
- A global player for WhatsApp voice notes is now being rolled out in stages
- Listen to WhatsApp voice messages while texting in other chat threads
- The feature is being released to beta testers in stages
WhatsApp rolls out global voice message player to beta testers
According to WABetaInfo, which tracks beta features in popular apps, the global audio player permits users to multitask on WhatsApp while listening to an audio message. The screenshots that the publication shared reveal a global voice message player at the top of the interface. It includes a play/pause button, contact name and a close button. Currently, exiting a chat thread while playing a voice note stops audio playback.
Listen to long audio messages while in a different chat
You may not be a fan of voice messaging, but many people prefer to send voice messages over WhatsApp instead of typing out what’s on their mind, which is slower than recording a voice note. Voice messaging is faster and more convenient. But then again, many people are simply not as succinct with their voice messaging as they should be.
So instead of wasting time listening to a too-long audio message from a friend who has too much time on their hands, you can now pop in your AirPods, play thee message and continue chatting with people in other threads, reply to their messages, send and receive images and so on. Read: Tips for how to fix WhatsApp not working on iPhone
When will WhatsApp launch its global voice message player?
The feature’s been in development since at least October 202 and is currently available to everyone using the latest WhatsApp Beta version 22.1.72. Even if you’re a beta tester, however, WhatsApp’s new global audio player may be unavailable to you. Read: How to send pictures in full quality on iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal
WhatsApp is releasing this feature to testers in stages so some folks may need to wait a couple of days or weeks to try this function. No word on when WhatsApp’s global player for voice notes may exit the beta stage and expand to everyone—whether they’re using the WhatsApp Beta or not. Read: 30+ things to do when setting up a new iPhone
Other WhatsApp beta features in testing
WhatsApp is currently experimenting with multiple features as part of its beta-testing process, but not all of those will make it into the public version of the messaging app. As an example, one of the tests that’s currently being conducted would enrich WhatsApp notifications with the profile photo of the contact who is sending you a message.
Another test strives to improve notifications for group chats.
If someone in a group chat mentions you, for instance, WhatsApp might not show their profile image in the notification. Instead, the notification would simply serve to inform you that someone in the group chat replied to you. Similarly, you’d get a notification saying someone mentioned you in a group chat without showing their profile image.