WhatsApp unveils new ‘Fast Playback’ feature for voice message

Facebook-owned WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature called ‘Fast Playback’ for all voice messages. Audio or voice-based messages are a popular feature on the app, especially for users who might not be comfortable typing on their smartphones.

According to a statement from the company, WhatsApp’s Fast Playback feature lets you change playback speed between the default 1x setting, to 1.5x speed or 2x speed, without changing the pitch of someone`s voice.

It is simple to use – as you press play on a voice message you will see the playback speed appear, which is set to 1x by default. Simply touch the speed to increase the speed to 1.5x or 2x, the company said in a statement.

WhatsApp says one reason it is adding this feature because it knows that sometimes when users send a very long message, the other party might not have the time to listen to it.

It says by introducing Fast Playback, which speeds up the message, it will reduce the time it takes to listen to those long voice messages.

The new feature is now available for all WhatsApp users.