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?

Ooh I had no idea you could transcribe them! Thanks! I'm off to change my settings!!

I bet WhatsApp are wondering what's going on as there's probably been a mass outbreak of people changing their settings ! 😂 I've just done it too, as I didn't know it was an option. Sadly doesn't seem to be possible on Messenger though.

ah my people. I detest them.an drefuse to listen to them.

As others have said they come across as controlling and save time for the sender who is happy to waste mine. I never listen to them.

Also you have to find a quiet place to listen to them or dig out your headphones and they're not searchable.

Detest them and have a blanket ignore policy. Sometimes I just respond with a question mark until they type what they want (its always ultimately wanting something right?)

Brilliant, thanks for this as I never knew!

Hate them, but I used to like answer machine messages back in the day before texts. Used to listen to the whole family’s on the landline and enjoyed it, and later on in shared houses really liked it if a friend had phoned and left me a message.

Wondering what’s different, perhaps now texting is an option it’s just lots better and simpler for most, or perhaps some people’s voicemails are long. There was a short time limit on the answerphones and people often got cut off comedically.

I like the voice note facility. I try to keep mine 3 minutes or less and only send them if something important needs saying. There's one person who is a horror for interrupting people when conversing so it's nice to know I can get my points across without them talking over me and cutting in all the time. They can then respond with their own voice note if they choose.

3 minutes is long!

Yes I know 🙂 which is why I endeavour to keep them under 🙄

I'm a fast talker. Receiving a vn from someone who speaks in slow motion is slightly irritating but there are far worse irritations in my life.

I must admit I’m not quite sure what they are, we still call each other in my group and family

Loathe. Delete without listening.

Not got all the way though so I’m sure it’s been said (but I’m about to go out so just in case it wasn’t I’m posting it) - those that send voice notes, could you use speech to text instead? That way you don’t type it out, but your receiver gets it in text format that they like. It might have the odd error in, but I’m sure it would work for the majority of it?

I hate receiving voice notes because I don’t use a headset (I don’t listen to stuff on my phone, it’s always on silent) so I’m rarely somewhere that I can actually listen to it without annoying others

Dislike them intensely

I personally find it odd people send them when you can dictate to typing in WhatsApp - same input from them just better output for recipient

I send them occasionally. Usually if I need to reply to a message quickly, or if I just want to get the reply out of the way quickly and I’m busy doing something else. They’re not long though.

Hate them.

If someone interrupts, you could sent them a written message - just as impossible to interrupt as a voice note and easier for them to find the important information if it's that important.

I actually think it’s got a lot to do with how introverted you are and how your brain processes things best. So I hate them but I know I definitely do better with learning/taking in information by reading than listening and also am quite introverted

Absolutely can’t stand voice notes.

my friends sometimes send long rambling ones and I never know when it’s safe to listen to them - e.g. might be an innocent msg about going to the park with the kids, or it could be a msg about a man they’re sleeping with giving some details that my kids and husband probably don’t want to know about! I usually refuse to listen to them tbf and make a point of replying that I’m in the office at work so can’t listen.

I can’t stand them…. I have one friend who I haven’t seen for such a long time. She only sends voice notes. Occasionally a short message. She always says at the end of her voice notes “I’ll call soon to catch up”. She then never calls and just sends another voice note. I hate them because I honestly feel that she doesn’t want to actually engage with me or spend time talking to me or find out how I am. So what is the actual
point? I am getting very close to stopping listening to them and stop messaging back and just seeing what happens….

Agree, hate them.

Hate I don’t listen.

Dd1 and I occasionally exchange them when we are doing one of our absolutely hilarious impressions or film quotes to make each other laugh. Is that ok?

Other than that I maybe use them once a month if it’s something you long to text but I know the recipient is at work or can’t take a call. They they can listen at leisure.

Hate them, can’t listen sometimes , so not ideal

I used to find them annoying but I have come to like them now or at least see the use, I suppose?

I rarely ever send them, only if it's raining and I absolutely can't wait because the rain makes my phone keyboard confused.

I do listen to them but sometimes I have to wait if I don't want other people to hear. I have seen how frustrated some people get trying to type out a longer message on a phone and it tends to be these people who send them. If they didn't send voice notes, they wouldn't text at all so I like that about them.

I do find it difficult to note information from the voice note and prefer to get info like what day/time something is happening in text form.

To the person who keeps saying they will call - call them. They probably mean that they really want to catch up and prefer talking to texting but they don't know when is a good time for you.

Voice to text in whatsapp isn't that great. DH uses it sometimes (dyslexia or driving) and it often mixes up words.