WhatsApp iOS and Android users are getting a cool free upgrade

WhatsApp, the most used mobile messenger app in the world, is rolling out a new preview feature for voice messages. Now you can preview your voice message on WhatsApp before you send it, perfect for those moments when you want to get your message just right.

Voice messages are a brilliant way to communicate and have been made even better recently thanks to other in-app improvements aimed at the feature. Voice notes bring you far closer to friends and family than a text message and unlike a call, give a richer sense of the tone of what you're saying in myriad more ways than a simple written message.

The only problem with WhatsApp's much-cherished voice notes is that we can't always nail the execution before we send the message. We've all been in a position where we record a voice note to a loved one, perhaps, but upon playback, it's a stuttering, spluttering mumble-jumble of words. It certainly ain't pretty; it's also a nuisance to send it out without checking it. But the messaging app is now changing the rules: to mangle your recording is no longer a grievous error, but a mere "rehearsal," according to WhatsApp's recent Twitter announcement. 

The Voice Messages Preview option lets you listen to a message after you've recorded it, so you see how it sounds, what's interfering with the background noise, and then decide if you need to re-record it. It's also really simple to use. After opening a voice message in the normal way by tapping and then holding the small mic button, slide it up to lock in hands-free recording. Once finished, tap the "stop" icon and you'll be able to listen to it back. You can also tap any part of the recording to play it from that particular timestamp before deciding to either bin it or send it.

Back to the drawing board

There's no doubt that it's a much-needed and timely addition to the platform, especially when you've been glued to the record button during remote-working, relentlessly trying to make you sound like you to colleagues and friends – something that can be a whole lot trickier than it sounds.

Currently, the feature seems to be rolling out to users incrementally, though WhatsApp claims it's already available on iOS and Android. Some reports say otherwise, so it's best to keep an eye on the best iPhone and best Android phones if you have a device from either OS, as the feature will likely appear for you very soon. 

Of course, all of this follows a very busy year for WhatsApp, not only with it dishing out heaps of Android-based updates but even fine-tuning existing ones, which is best viewed through T3's 5 hidden WhatsApp features rundown. Enjoy, my friends!