Micro-blogging platform Twitter has started testing use of voice messages for sending direct messages or DMs in India. The experiment will be rolled out in phases to Indian audiences, making India one of three countries to have access to the feature alongside Brazil and Japan.
“India is a priority market for Twitter and that is why we’re constantly testing new features and learning from people’s experience on the service here. We’re excited to bring the voice messages in DMs experiment to the country and give people a new way to express themselves and help them connect through the nuances, emotion, and empathy built by hearing someone’s voice,” Manish Maheshwari, MD, Twitter India, said.
Each voice message can be up to 140 seconds long and can help people chat quickly – whether on the move or when there’s just too much to type. “There’s a lot that can be left unsaid or uninterpreted using text, so with voice messages Twitter wants to create a more human experience for listeners and storytellers alike,” the U.S.-headquartered firm said.
To send DMs using a voice message, users will need to tap the new voice recording icon once to begin recording. Once they are done recording the message, they would need to tap the stop icon. The user will have the option to listen to their recording before sending or deleting it. Alternatively, on iOS, users can also quick-send by holding down the voice recording icon and swiping up to send immediately after they’re done talking.
Anyone will have the ability to listen to these messages wherever and however they use Twitter, but the ability to record voice messages over DM will be available for people on Twitter for iOS and Android in India, Japan and Brazil.
Alex Ackerman-Greenberg, Product Manager for direct messages at Twitter, said that the company is dedicated to giving people more options to express themselves in conversations on Twitter, both publicly and privately. “We hope letting people record and send voice messages as DMs will enhance their conversational experience by adding convenience and expression.”
