You can now play WhatsApp voice notes at up to double speed, thanks to new update

The feature is available to all users with the software version 2.21.100

WhatsApp users now have the option to play voice notes at up to double speed. Unsplash

If you’re a regular user of WhatsApp voice notes, you may have noticed a new feature appear in the past 24 hours.

The messenger app now permits users to speed up voice notes, allowing you to play them up to two times faster than the speed at which they were recorded.

The feature is available to all users who have version 2.21.100 of WhatsApp.

How does it work?

When you receive a voice note and go to play it, you will now see “1x” appear next to it when you press play.

If you wish to speed up the message, you can tap on the 1x to change it to either 1.5x speed, or 2x speed, allowing you to get through the message faster.

More updates in the works

WhatsApp is also reported to be working on another update for voice notes, which will give users the option to review their recorded message before they are sent.

Currently, there is no way to listen to a message before it is sent. However, the update would provide a new tool, which is set to appear in the bottom right corner next to the microphone icon, which will allow playback, a WABetainfo report said.

It is the latest in a string of upgrades being offered by WhatsApp, which was rocked by privacy concerns this year after updating its user policies.

In November 2020, the app introduced a disappearing messages function, which would allow users to automatically clear messages after seven days, to help them clean up their digital footprint, the Facebook-owned company said.