WhatsApp users will now be able to pause and resume voice messages, listen to voice message recordings before sending them, and even play them outside of the chat. Users can also play messages at 1.5 or 2 times the regular speed. The updates are set to arrive over the coming weeks to all users, WhatsApp announced via a blog.

Pause and resume voice message recording

Users will now be able to pause and resume recording while sending voice messages. Till now, users had to start afresh in case of a hindrance in the middle of recording but now they can pause the recording and continue from where they left.

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Out of chat window voice note playback

This is one the handiest features among the new updates. Users can now keep listening to a voice note from a chat even after leaving the chat window. For instance, if a user is listening to a voice note from their mom and they have to reply to their friend at the same time, they can now simple leave the chat and the voice note will continue to play while the user is chatting on the other window. But upon closing WhatsApp or switching to a different app, the voice message will stop playing.

Waveform visualisation

This minor update will change the playback bar to a waveform visualisation animation.

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Draft preview of voice message

Whatsapp is broadening the roll-out of the draft preview feature that lets a user listen to their voice note before sending it. Earlier, it was available to select users.

Remember playback

In case a recording is paused while listening, users can now resume from the point where they left off when they return to the chat.

Fast playback on forwarded messages

Users will now be able to play voice messages at 1.5x or 2x speeds to listen faster on both regular and forwarded messages. It was previously available only for regular messages.

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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)