Voice notes - love 'em or hate 'em?!

[Helpmechooseausername]

Do you like a voice note on WhatsApp? I bloody hate them but my bestie loves them and I'm curious to know what others think!

I hate them because I have to stop and listen to them instead of just quickly reading them to see what I need to know. My sister leaves really long waffling ones that I often play on double speed just to get to the point! (And it's funny hearing her sound like a chipmunk!!)

My heart sinks when I see I've been left one, but my bestie says she'd love me to leave some for her. I can never think of what to say and end up doing lots of errrrr and ummmm-ing!

Do you like them?

Yep, that's ok. As is my daughter's very dyslexic friend, that's fine.

Those who said that it's saving time for them and wasting our time have really hit the nail on the head!!

Depends! My best friend and I send them a lot as we struggle sometimes to get a phone call in, and we like to hear each other’s voices, but they are kind of longer form ones that you sit and listen to when you have the time in your day. I always enjoy getting them,

I don’t really like when people send them for everyday errand type stuff that could be sent in a few words though and it’s annoying when it has times or dates mentioned as you can’t just scroll back to see them easily.

I rarely send them but I don’t mind receiving them occasionally. One of my closest friends will often send (a short!) one while she’s walking to work, it means she can keep looking where she’s going and I’d rather she voice note than get hit by a car! She can’t use her phone at all while she’s at work whereas I can.

Only if they are like, 2 minutes or less.

On a thread yesterday, someone was talking about someone who sends them 30 minute ones! 😱 I would lose the will to live! 😂

This ^
I hate them. I wouldn't have time to listen them tbh. Your bestie will wait for ages for my answer.
Luckily no one of my friends keen on voice notes.

I hate them. I’ve never done one myself. I find them a nuisance. My WhatsApp chats are just something I faff about with while I’m watching tv with my husband. He doesn’t want to hear my friends wittering on about something and nothing that happened at their workplace or something.

My phone (intermittently it seems?!) transcribes voicemails so I don’t have to listen to them. I wish it did the same for voice notes.

You’ve made me realise that this may be one of the reasons a friend I’ve complained about unthread sends me voicenotes. Thanks! Sorry dear friend I’ll not seethe about it anymore.

I just use the transcribe function. I don't listen to them. Can't stand them!

This. I find voice-noters are always very wrapped up in themselves, like frustrated wannabe podcasters.

I’ll forgive the odd one if someone is ill and can’t be arsed texting.

WhatsApp will transcribe voice notes for you. It's In settings > chats > voice message transcripts

Depends who they are from.

I don’t generally receive them but I would disregard them. It’s so presumptuous.

I hate them. They’re inconvenient to receive and as a pp has said, I can read faster than people talk.
I understand if they’re used by people who are, say, dyslexic but otherwise it’s irritating

There is a dad at school pick up every day who has whole conversations by voice note on speaker phone which is another of my pet hates! Why not just ring them!!

Just recently found the transcribe button so will never have to listen to them again. Thank god!

This!
I like them as easier that typing and have a couple of friends who I regularly share with and b like to hear their news at a time I choose to listen -hate phone calls.

That’s really useful, thanks. I never have earphones with me so I listen to them if I’m at home, but otherwise text back to say I won’t be able to listen until later, so please text anything urgent.

I never send them because I don't know how to. The only person who sends me them alway does it when she's walking the dog so I can't hear anything for the wind whipping around.

I don’t particularly like long phone calls but I do enjoy a decent sized voice note as I can listen to it when I choose to. I have one friend who sends long ones but it’s usually to tell me about something that I’ll find interesting. She wouldn’t send one with just a lot of ramble about what she had for lunch. I like the ‘on demand’ side of it - I can listen while I’m driving or doing something else. With a phone call, you have to be ‘present’ and that’s not always convenient when a person rings.

Love them.

It’s worth mentioning they can be a lifeline for some people with disabilities. My dad has a tremor in his hand and his vision isn’t great - voice notes have him the ability to communicate with us much better as he was struggling to type and see small text. He keeps them short (usually under a minute) but it’s really nice that he can engage in a family WhatsApp again.

I don’t mind being sent them but having to send them back really stresses me out. I can’t think straight as soon as I press the record button 🫨

My mum got to the stage where she was struggling to text so my BIL showed her how to do voice notes. I saved the ones she sent so I can still listen to her.

my friend who is very dyslexic uses them and it’s great - cause her texts can be very hard to understand.

i think they are also good when you need to be sure the tone is right or trying to explain something very complex and you are very short of time.

they are annoying to listen to but I think they have their place

Why send them back? Just because someone prefers to send voice notes, it doesn't mean that you have to use the same format to reply to them. Why can't you just reply with a written message if that's what you prefer?

I'm in a WhatsApp group with dp and a mutual friend.

The friend uses voice notes because English isn't his first language so it's easier for him.

DP also sends voice notes.

I always use text. Neither of them complain about having to read a message instead of listen to it.