Do you use long voice notes to keep in touch?

[SilverandSage]

Random question! 😂 Do any of you regularly use voice notes to keep in touch with friends or family? I mean proper long ones, not just “I’m running late” type messages 😂. I’m interested in whether other people have the same thing I do where you and a friend can end up sending each other 10–20 minute voice notes because you don’t have time to actually speak on the phone.
If you do, I’d love to know what you like/dislike about it.

If you've got the time to make a voicenote that long (and listen to the ones they send you), you've got time to speak to them on the phone.

which is great if they're always free when you are....

There is nothing like a voice note thread to bring out the Mumsnet hyperbole though.

People who send them are narcissists and they're 'horrific' 😂

Has anyone said they're left crying and shaking when they receive one yet?

but you're assuming it's send listen send listen immediately. I might send a voice note now and my bestf will listen to it in an hour and reply then but I won't listen to it til bedtime so I'll reply then. it isn't often unlike op but the point is not having the collecti9time to listen and send 5 messages in one go

I couldn’t think of anything more tedious. If it works for you and yours, that’s great but it’s a no from me.

not yet but a few "I deleted without listening to teach them a lesson"

The crazy thing is that everyone would've been outraged at a 20 minute telephone answering machine message (it would've been impossible anyway) but people don't seem to think of voice messages being the same thing.

It sounds like you and your friend are happy doing this and it works for you which is nice 😊 I personally can’t stand them and find them difficult to reply to (I have to listen, pause, type as I would forget it all otherwise) 😂 I don’t mind receiving every now and again if it’s something that doesn’t need a reply.

That would be different as you can't take it with you wherever you go, stop and start, or transcribe it.

It’s all very dramatic isn’t it. 😂 Typical mumsnet.

So what?

No one wants to listen to a 20min monologue.

Some do, as evidenced by this thread- me being one of them- because technology allows us to listen to them in a way that is convenient. I was just pointing out that logistically it would be very different to a 20 min voicemail left on an answering machine.

because they're not.

if you sent me a 20 minutes voice note, I'd pause at points I needed to reply and send you an answer. then I'd play the next bit. and I'd stop when the kids were calling me and finish later. so your 20 minutes voice note might get 5 shorter messages but as they run on immediately on wattsapp it would be equivalent to a single longer note

Yes I voicenote a lot. I do it when I don’t have time to type and it’s just a quick message. I’m also in an LDR so we have some long voicenotes which we both enjoy. It’s personal preference isn’t it? If somebody told me they didn’t like it, I absolutely wouldn’t do it!

No! I hate them. If you don't have your hands free, then just use the dictation function.

I absolutely fucking hate voice notes. I do see the benefit of them occasionally but otherwise absolutely not. It's very annoying as all my colleagues use them. I'll be in a situation where I can't listen to it for a while, and therefore can not respond either. If they sent as a text, I'd be able to deal with it there and then.

But I really don't understand "conversation" where you're sending a 10-20 minute long voice note. It actually seems really self indulgent to me. A conversation is a two way thing, where you react in the moment from what the other person is saying, listening, taking each part in, maybe interjecting, responding to them. If you're rambling on for 10 minutes how can anyone actually take on board what you're saying properly.

I just wouldn't reply to you. We're the same age too by the way.

Can’t stand them! They’re long winded self centred drivel. Easier for them, no where near as easy for me! Hate it.

I do with only one friend and she has been known to send me multiple 20+ mins in one go. I live on the other side of the world to her so the time difference is huge so we catch up that way. I make an exception for as I rarely do it with anyone else.

Grrrr. My SIL does this but my sister and I usually just delete them without bothering to listen most of the time.

SIL (60’s) has never worked and spends most of her time doing feck all and is a paid up member of the tin foil hat brigade so a lot of her ramblings are absolute nonsense. They’ve never had kids but she presumes to offer unwanted advice occasionally which I sometimes thank her for, but usually ignore.

She’s actually very kind hearted so I don’t say anything directly as I’d hate to upset her but, who’s got time to listen to that shite?

If I don’t want to type, I use voice to text, check the quality of what was collected, and then send a text. I’m not going to disrespect someone else’s time with even a short voice note.

My best friend and I (whom I see at least once a week for an afternoon) voice note every single day, around 10 times a day.
However rarely over 4 minutes long.

Would it not be better to break the 20minute voice note up I to snippets so it's easier to access and digest?

I prefer sending and receiving voice notes to text messaging. I can do other things whilst I’m making or listening to them. All my family and friends use them.

No. Long messages are fine, as I can reply and, more importantly, keep track of the conversation (because it's written down), whereas I struggle more in a voice-note. I have to keep pausing them!

I only have one friend who sends voice notes sometimes, and they are usually quite short, but that's because she finds it easier than texting when she's at work.

Either message or we manage to make time for a proper call/zoom chat

It’s really not that difficult

I already hate when someone leaves me a voicemail

My is a voicenote any more a disrespect of time?

For example, I can listen to a voicenote in the car while I'm driving- I would not be able to read your text. Would that make you disrespectful of my time?