iPhone Audio Messages are Having a Moment

Remember when texting felt revolutionary (T9 texting?!)? You could reach anyone, anytime, without the awkwardness of a phone call, especially when a short message was all you needed to relay. But something funny has been happening for a while — folks are ditching the keyboard and using their voice again. Audio messaging is on the rise.

What is it?
If you haven’t used this feature yet (I can speak for iPhones), audio messages are built right into Apple’s iMessages, which lets you record and send a voice clip by pressing/holding the microphone icon. Send a 2-second sound effect or 14-min-long message about why you hated Love is Blind – Denver. By default, audio messages auto-delete after two minutes to save storage — but you can tap "Keep" to save any message you want to treasure.

Is it like voicemail?
Yes. But you don’t have to call anyone and wait for the beep. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Why the shift?
Convenience: typing a long, nuanced message is cumbersome, and for me, frustrating. I am constantly and consistently mistyping and retyping. I would rather send an audio message or dictate (voice-to-text). Recording a voice note makes relaying messages so much easier.

Emoting: texts can be flat, even if you add all the emojis you want. Audio captures tone, emotion, and complexities that texts can’t.

Any downsides?
Personally, the biggest downside for me is remembering what was said in your really long audio message. Depending on the person (and the nuance of the friendship), I might take notes to inform my reply. That means I can’t just drop everything and listen; I set aside a time and place for it.

With that said, audio messaging isn't replacing texting — it's complementing it. Try it now!