Voice notes love or hate?

[queenceleste]

My best friend hates voice notes as a way of keeping in touch. She just told me yesterday. But she leaves me voicemail messages which I hate because I’m not always certain who a message is from and it’s more fiddly to hear.
Maybe there is something rude about them, particularly if they are long.
But it seems hypocritical to me to dislike one but use the other.
Does anyone have an opinion on this etiquette?
I feel it is about staying in touch with someone who is always busy when you’re not and vice versa.

I like voice notes. What’s wrong with them? I can hear that at leisure.

My DD sends me voice notes. They don't disappear.

No one but her has ever sent me one. I shouldn't think I'd be impressed from anyone but an 18yr old!

Radio stations playing them is heinous. I turn off. I don't give a toss about Bob from Bournemouth and his weekend plans.

I love receiving them cos i have got plenty of time on my hands. I am usually alone so listening to them is easy. Creates the illusion the sender is close by for me. Most people i know don't like them.

I hate them when there is no accompanying text. DD sends them ... I can't listen out loud... They inevitably arrive when I'm not alone. Might be urgent. Might be private. Fumble for headphones and listen.

I have colleagues that send them when they want to explain a complex topic quickly. They always send a quick text telling me what the note is about. This I appreciate. Also allows me to reply at length via voice note. Like a phone conversation at a delay.

Hate because they are so long, if it was a one line voice note like a written msg it would be ok but it never is. The only people that do this are MIL and SIL. The two people I know who like to think they are very important and that people should be delighted they know them.

I like them from certain people in my life. I can find the tone of texts hard to interpret sometimes and I don’t find that with voice notes. If I’m not in a position to listen I use the transcribe option to get the general idea.

This sounds like a game changer for @queenceleste and her friend.

Sorry I should have made clear, I like voice notes and hate voicemail. My mate whose availability is opposite to mine likes voicemail and hates voice notes. I think that’s a bit hypocritical of her. But I know each offends people in different ways ways.

I am interested in what etiquette is developing around their use & how people communicate it to others.

If someone sends me a voicenote it could be hours before I listen to it because I’m at work or busy at the weekend so can’t listen - I’ll always prefer a text as I can quickly read it. I cannot bear long voicenotes either Christ just call me if you’re sending a podcast 😂

It’s also hypocritical of me!

BTW, transcription is not a game changer- that makes it worse, I hate the mess of a transcript

This thread is really helpful!

I’m not going send them any more unless the recipient has explicitly asked.

I dint mind getting them, but never send them.

I hate voice notes I’m afraid. I would much rather receive a text. During the day at work I can read a text and reply to it but can’t always listen to a voice note.

I don’t leave them very often myself but I love getting them when I have time to listen, hate when they appear and I’m about to start work as I know I have to leave my phone in my locker and am afraid it’s very important

Love a voice note, so nice to hear a friends voice.

Voicemails and voice notes are equally annoying.

I plan chats with my long distance friend in advance ie ‘are you free on Friday at 1, cool let’s have a long phone chat”

She leaves voice notes sometimes and I always forget to listen for ages then feel bad! And they are often long and I don’t like doing my own one back.

Another friend will leave a voice note to say she’s late which is really annoying if I’m on my way too and have to play it out loud! Just text me”running 10 mins late”

Voice mails I never end up listening to unless it looks like it’s the bank/dentist etc

Much better with WhatsApp messages and plan in a phone call if you can’t meet in person.

I ignore then just nit interested
If somoni wants to communicate just RING ME

Hate them with a passion.
They seem so self indulgent. Also I can scan a text and reply in seconds. Voice notes, I need to make time to listen to and remember all the things that need replying to which (depending on how self indulgent the sender is) sometimes means listening more than once. Just type!

I can’t really see there’s a difference between voicemail and voice notes except as you say the former is often a bit more fiddly. Either way I’d usually much prefer a text.
The exception is if there are specific reasons such as the person trying to contact you is driving and it really can’t wait till they can stop, or if you know the recipient is driving and could listen to a voicemail handsfree but not read a text.

But I feel like the person leaving the voice notes sometimes is doing it for their ease not the person they are sending it to - but it’s not easy for the recipient so of course the recipient should transcribe it if it’s easier for them.

Don't mind receiving voice notes but I'd never send them.

Yes I agree voice notes suit me and voicemail suits her as she wants to leave a message while driving and I want to leave a message while walking! Neither of us prioritizing each other on the way we want to be prioritized. Also she checks her phone while we’re talking which I hate. I don’t have any notifications as they drive me mad.

Hate.

But I agree, not immediately obvious what the distinction between the two is. They both annoy me.

I can’t really see there’s a difference between voicemail and voice notes except as you say the former is often a bit more fiddly.

This is completely irrational of me, but voice notes have a special ability to irritate me that I can’t quite explain. I think it’s because WhatsApp is a texting app.

You see a message come through and think, ooh, a text! Something I can read in three seconds and respond to at my leisure. Except no. You’ve been catfished by a bloody voice note.

Now you’re expected to stop whatever you’re doing, put your phone to your ear like you’re taking a call in 2004, and listen to someone ramble for two minutes about something that could have been conveyed in three lines. And the worst part is that you can’t even skim-read the bastard 😂

This thread is killing my desire to ever leave a voice note again.

I am grateful for it. Mumsnet is like a vaccination against behaviour you might slip into and not realise how abominable it is.