If you’re a fan of a Whatsapp voice note (and who isn’t?), you can now take to Instagram and troll your mates with recorded anecdotes and out of tune singing, too.
Today, The Gram announced the global launch of its new voice messaging feature, which gives users the ability to send recorded notes via direct messaging: whether that’s your thoughts on today’s football match, Theresa May’s handling of Brexit or just a snippet of your fave song. Thank u, next.
For those confused about the purpose of voice notes, HuffPost journalist Amy Packham explained why she’s a convert. “Voice notes, unlike written messages, leave little room for misinterpretation,” she said. “You can instantly decipher someone’s mood and their tone. You know straight away if that ‘haha’ is sarcastic or meaningful.” Fair point.
It’s a wise business move from Insta. Ofcom stats show the number of phone calls we make is declining, however more people are turning to voice notes to communicate – the Apple Watch even lets you send them via its Walkie Talkie app.
Anastasia Dedyukhina, author of ‘Homo Distractus’ and founder of Consciously Digital, said voice notes are on the rise for many reasons.
“Firstly, it’s a more natural thing for people to do – speak, rather than write,” she said.
“Secondly, it is actually faster, especially for more complicated subjects. Thirdly, it allows us to express more things than just writing, and is more spontaneous.”
One thing’s for sure, Instagram has found yet another way to infiltrate our lives and get us even more hooked.