Settings
Voice messaging disabled
Do you know what WhatsApp feature we really need?
A feature that turns off voice messages!
I don't want to receive voice messages; I'm deaf. I use chat apps because that's
the only way I can communicate over the phone. Then WhatsApp introduces voice messages, and I need to write 9 times a day, 'I'm deaf, I can't hear your message, please write it down for me".
What's the problem with introducing a small feature that prevents people from
sending me a voice message? So that every time someone in my chat window
presses the microphone, the system will pop up a message saying, 'Sorry, but this
subscriber cannot receive voice messages.' How complicated can it be????
The real problem with WhatsApp voice messages
The real problem with
WhatsApp voice messages
WhatsApp first launched voice messaging (also known as voice notes) in 2013.
Since then, an average of 7 billion voice messages are sent daily, according to Meta.
There are certainly some advantages to voice messages. For some, talking comes more
naturally than writing, and verbal communication greatly benefits from the ability to use
tone of voice to help convey emotion and clarify meaning.
However, some people absolutely hate voice messages and dread receiving them.
There are several reasons for this sentiment:
1. Voice messages can be inconvenient to listen to, especially in public places.
2. Unlike text messages, voice messages can't be quickly scanned or searched
through, making it hard to reference specific parts of the conversation later.
3. People may take longer to get to the point in a voice message, which can be
frustrating for the listener.
4. Some people feel pressured to respond with a voice message as well, which
they may find more demanding than sending a quick text.
In February 2024, Geektime magazine published an article with the headline
“7 features that WhatsApp needs to steal from Telegram.”
The article suggested features such as message scheduling, folders, better access to
channels, and more.
You can read the full article here (in Hebrew).
But what caught my eye was a comment left by someone who named themselves “Helen Keller”:
So, yes, voice messages can be quite annoying, but we need to face a more crucial problem —
people with hearing impairments can’t hear them.
It should be mentioned that Meta has been testing voice message transcriptions,
which would allow users to read the text of a voice message. The feature will first be
available in the beta version of WhatsApp for iPhone.
There are also third-party apps available that can transcribe voice messages into text.
Users can forward the voice message to these apps to get a written version of the
audio content.
However, voice message transcriptions are only a partial solution.
“Helen Keller” suggested that every time someone presses the microphone
to send them a voice message, the system will pop up a message saying:
'Sorry, but this subscriber can’t receive voice messages.'
But why complicate things?
If only there was a setting that could prevent others from leaving unwanted voice messages.
It would be much better if recipients had ultimate control over this, rather than senders.
A feature that completely disables voice messages would be particularly useful for individuals
with hearing impairments.
The rationale behind Meta's decision to prevent users from disabling this feature remains unclear,
especially when user experience is considered.
It is necessary for Meta to be more committed to digital accessibility, ensuring that users with
hearing impairments can engage with content and communicate effectively on the platform.
As in this case, accessibility features often lead to innovative product improvements that
benefit all users, not just those with disabilities.
Accessibility improves the overall user experience, making digital content more usable and
enjoyable for everyone.
WhatsApp first launched voice
messaging (also known as voice notes)
in 2013. Since then, an average of 7 billion voice messages are sent daily, according
to Meta.
There are certainly some advantages to voice messages. For some, talking comes more naturally than writing, and verbal communication greatly benefits from the ability to use tone of voice to help convey emotion and clarify meaning.
However, some people absolutely hate voice messages and dread receiving them. There are several reasons for
this sentiment:
1. Voice messages can be inconvenient
to listen to, especially in public places.
2. Unlike text messages, voice messages
can't be quickly scanned or searched
through, making it hard to reference
specific parts of the conversation later.
3. People may take longer to get to the
point in a voice message, which can be
frustrating for the listener.
4. Some people feel pressured to respond with a voice message as well, which they
may find more demanding than sending a quick text.
In February 2024, Geektime magazine published an article with the headline
“7 features that WhatsApp needs to
steal from Telegram.”
The article suggested features such as message scheduling, folders, better access to channels, and more.
You can read the full article here
(in Hebrew).
But what caught my eye was a comment
left by someone who named themselves “Helen Keller”:
Do you know what WhatsApp feature we really need?
A feature that turns off voice messages!
I don't want to receive voice messages; I'm deaf. I use chat apps because that's
the only way I can communicate over the phone. Then WhatsApp introduces voice messages, and I need to write 9 times a day, 'I'm deaf, I can't hear your message, please write it down for me".
What's the problem with introducing a small feature that prevents people from
sending me a voice message?
So that every time someone in my chat window presses the microphone, the system will pop up a message saying, 'Sorry, but this subscriber cannot receive voice messages.'
How complicated can it be????
So, yes, voice messages can be quite annoying, but we need to face a more crucial problem — people with hearing impairments can’t hear them.
It should be mentioned that Meta has
been testing voice message transcriptions, which would allow users to read the text of a voice message.
The feature will first be available in the beta version of WhatsApp for iPhone.
There are also third-party apps available
that can transcribe voice messages into
text. Users can forward the voice message to these apps to get a written version of the audio content.
However, voice message transcriptions
are only a partial solution.
“Helen Keller” suggested that every time someone presses the microphone to send them a voice message, the system will pop up a message saying:
'Sorry, but this subscriber can’t receive voice messages.'
But why complicate things?
If only there was a setting that could
prevent others from leaving unwanted
voice messages.
It would be much better if recipients
had ultimate control over this, rather than senders.
A feature that completely disables voice messages would be particularly useful for individuals with hearing impairments.
The rationale behind Meta's decision to prevent users from disabling this feature remains unclear, especially when user experience is considered.
It is necessary for Meta to be more
committed to digital accessibility, ensuring that users with hearing impairments can engage with
content and communicate effectively
on the platform.
As in this case, accessibility features
often lead to innovative product improvements that benefit all users,
not just those with disabilities.
Accessibility improves the overall user experience, making digital content more usable and enjoyable for everyone.