People who send WhatsApp Voice Notes are the worst

[SomehowItsMay]

"They're easier". Yes....easier for the sender only, not the recipient!

They have a function occasionally (i.e. if something is hard to explain and needs a bit of extra context) but other than that they're just lazy.

And the rambling ones... just no. Please organise your thoughts before you share them.

AIBU?

I like them and send them often. Sometimes it's just easier.

If you find them incessant, then tell your friends not to send them to you.

I am much more at peace with voice notes since the transcribe function was turned on.

My default reply is always “ooh, sorry - that doesn’t seem to play….” 🤣

Do you think we should all be writing messages on parchment with a quill? Sometimes when you have a busy life its the easy and quick option.

I dont see the point of them. My phone has been on silent for as long as I can remember. Im not turning it up just to listen to what could be sent in a text. If people want to do voice things just ring instead.

I hate them with a passion. I understand using them in a work capacity or for passing on to the point important information, but for general chit chat or checking in with someone, it's excruciating. My sister uses them all the time. I texted her to ask how her first day in her new job went and she replied "I will send you a VN" I replied asking her to just call me instead. Why would I want a one sided phone call with no opportunity to ask her anything?? I tried it once or twice and hated the sound of my voice and I tend to say "um" a lot when leaving a VN which I'm self conscious of.

It really pisses me off: it’s like listening to a fucking monologue: a one way conversation where I have no choice but to be the audience. And it’s almost always a ramble: not a quick one. And its almost takes longer to listen than read.

but my mums accidental ones are hilarious: I’ve heard her tell my niece all about me and what I was like as a kid. I told my mum it was lucky she wasn’t talking bad about me behind her back. She told me anything bad she’d say it to my face

I voice note with my sisters regularly. One lives abroad, the other at the other end of the country. I would never send anything over 4 minutes and usually they are about 60 seconds and I receive the same. It’s sort of like having a convenient phone call but we never have time to have a proper phone call or if we do, the kids want to talk to each other or we get interrupted or partners start doing boring pleasantries and you never really “get into it”.

I’ll send them and know I can’t expect a reply immediately. Generally we get back to each other within 18 hours and sometimes we hit a sweet spot where we’re replying instantly. I often voice note back and fourth with the one that lives at the other end of the country as we both make our way to work and I’ll usually have a voice note from the one abroad to listen to as I come out of work. 10/10 voice notes improve my life.

You’re selfish as hell. It’s for your convienience: not the recipients.

You’d HATE me. I like receiving them too though as I can listen to war & peace from my friends and family whilst I do the washing up etc.

It’s easier and quicker for the sender, but not for the recipient IMO. And if that means that the recipient doesn’t listen to them, the sender has wasted their precious time as well ;)

Since iPhones started transcribing texts and WhatsApp messages they irk me less, but I never listed to them, or read anything beyond the text shows in the preview. In the context where both parties are happy to use voice notes, then of course that’s fine. But if there’s too much to write down one could just pick up the phone :)

If people are going to send voice notes, then also please put a bit of thought into the content and structure before you start recording one :)

Blind friend clearly gets a free pass: she’s got enough additional life labour, so can use voicenotes

everyone else: don’t want to hear your ramblings

If the sweet spot is when you get an immediate reply, wouldn’t an actual phone call be far nicer than a back and forward exchange of voice notes?

I love a voice note but only sent them to my closest friends and they send them to me. I don't enjoy them from people I don't care about as much in group chats.

I like them but only with specific friends and purposes. My best friend and I live quite far apart and with our differing schedules find it hard to schedule in an actual call sometimes so this is the next best thing. I love a long voice note that I can sit down and listen to and hear her tell me things in her voice. We exchange them most days.

Someone I barely know, no thanks.

Only if they’re less than a minute. I had a friend once that sent multiple 6-7 minute voice notes. We aren’t friends anymore.

I used to hate voice notes and I still don't love them. BUT... I am wondering if the voice note issue is about the user, not the tool, which is something I often think when people rant about photes or technology or whatever.

So SIL went through a phase of sending me long rambling streeam of consciousness messages which were tedious. But there is value and I see a lot of people find them useful.

The only time I use them is for 10 second or less quick messages when I can't type - when running late and need to quickly let someone know or whatever.

I agree. I use WhatsApp a huge amount for work, often on the PC but can't listed to a voicenote during the day so a. the sender doesn't get a response and b. if I listen it's in my own time. Also, as others have said you can't scroll a thread/search for a word efficiently with voicenotes.

Stop being dramatic.

My friends appreciate voice notes, which is why I send them. I would not send them otherwise.

Unless you have a previous agreement in place, they are time saving for the sender and frustrating/time wasting for the recipient.

I hate them. It's very ego centric. Either call me and we can have a conversation, you know two way reciprocal communication or text me, so I can read it quickly when I have a second that is convenient. I don't want to find a quiet space and sit for 6 minutes listening to someone ramble on. I was on a train recently and there was a woman listening to voice notes out loud then recording voice notes back, bloody call each other!

I love a voice note. People who whinge about them tend to be old and whiney generally tbh.

ODFOD.

I receive them from someone who needs to communicate that way for access reasons so that's grand.

Other than that, I only ever send or receive them if the audio adds something vital (e.g. doing an impression of someone, or telling a short silly story that is so funny I'm laughing while telling it).

If someone sends me a voice note it had better not be urgent because I won't be listening until I'm in a space and situation where I can play it and hear it.

Couldn’t agree more. Ring me if you want to talk to me. Text me if you dont. Goodnight.