WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature in its desktop app for Mac that allows you to pause your voice note so you can preview the recording before hitting the Send button.
- WhatsApp Desktop is rolling out the ability to pause and resume voice recordings
- You can resume the voice note, start over or preview the recording
- This feature is already available in the WhatsApp beta for iOS
- WhatsApp already lets you preview a voice note after it’s recorded
WhatsApp is gaining additional voice recording options
The new feature was discovered by WABetaInfo in the beta version of WhatsApp Desktop (build 2.2201.2), The beta is available for anyone who wishes to test work-in-progress features before they become more widely available to the general public.
As the site notes, the latest beta version of WhatsApp Desktop replaces the stop button when recording a voice note with a new pause button. So how’s this useful, you may ask.
Well, some people are really slow talkers and others go on and on and on, showing no regard for your time. Don’t become one of them! And that’s where pausing voice notes comes in handy: You can easily preview the recording before sending it or delete the voice message and start over or resume recording.
The iPhone and Mac editions of WhatsApp already support the ability to preview a voice note before sending it. The Meta-owned messaging service is also testing a new feature in the iPhone app which allows you to listen to a voice message while multitasking in another chat thread. Read: How to fix WhatsApp not working on iPhone
When will pausing WhatsApp voice notes become available?
WhatsApp releases new features in stages. As for the new recording experience, it just started rolling out to Mac users enrolled in the beta version of WhatsApp Desktop. The feature should become more widely available to beta testers in upcoming beta releases.
Once out of beta, WhatsApp will release the ability to pause and resume voice notes publicly. Unfortunately, there’s no telling how long it will take for everyone to have it. If history is any indication, the rollout should be complete in a few days.
How to pause WhatsApp voice recordings
Start recording a voice note in WhatsApp, then hit the Pause icon. Doing so shall pause the in-progress recording and give you access to additional recording features. For instance, you may choose to listen to what you’ve recorded so far. If you’re satisfied with the message so far, you can then simply resume recording.
Being able to pause and resume the recording should be especially convenient for those times when you need a few moments to collect your thoughts, find the exact right word you’re looking for. Don’t like your recording? Just hit the trashcan icon to start over.