WhatsApp’s new voice note will let you multitask better

WhatsApp will soon be rolling out a global voice note player that lets you listen to your WhatsApp voice messages while chatting in other conversations. The new feature is currently available in WhatsApp Beta for desktop and iOS, while an update is still pending for Android.

WhatsApp is among the most popular messaging apps due to its wide range of features. What’s more, you can test out its upcoming features using the WhatsApp Beta version. This lets you enjoy all of what they’re planning to improve the app with, like the new emoji feature and the ability for admins to create Communities. 

Voice messaging is an old but basic feature of WhatsApp that allows you to send voice recordings or clips directly to a chat. This helps save time when you have much to say, as typing can be pretty slow for some people—thus, it also came to be called “voice notes,” thanks to its usefulness. However, voice notes can be pretty long and you won’t always have the time to listen.

Thanks to the new global voice note player, though, that won’t be a problem anymore. The feature will allow voice messages to play even as you exit their chat thread. You can then switch to other chats and read and reply to them while listening to the recording in the background. It comes with a media player displayed on your screen, showing a progress bar and some controls.

In case you don’t have access to it just yet, then make sure to update your WhatsApp Beta client to the latest version. This is pretty useful for those who love to multi-task. Even if you don’t get voice notes often, being able to switch between conversations without the audio pausing is still a great feature.