Google Chat has launched a feature to record and send voice messages, similar to WhatsApp and other messaging apps. The feature was already announced last year, although it is currently only available for Google Workspace paid accounts.
When opening a conversation in Google Chat for Android and iOS, you will see that the gray send icon located next to the photo/gallery button has been replaced by a microphone. The function takes a prominent place in the user interface, instead of being located in the left “more” menu.
After touching the icon, the recording will start without the need to keep the microphone pressed. According to Google, a “live waveform visualizes your voice” along with a timer, allowing you to play the recording before sending it or delete it to try again.
The sent voice message will appear in direct messages, group chats, and Spaces as a waveform hosted in a pill-shaped container. Other users of Google Chat will be able to quote, react, and reply to it like any other chat message. Google says it will “enable voice message transcription in the coming months”.
The recording is currently available on mobile and will have “web support soon”. At launch, Google Chat voice messages will be available progressively for Workspace Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus. Free accounts and cheaper ones will not benefit from this feature for now.
