Latest WhatsApp beta brings playback speed control for voice notes - Android

The feature is expected to roll out to all users in a future update.

What you need to know

• The latest WhatsApp beta for Android adds support for different playback speeds for voice messages.
• When you play a voice message, you will now see a playback speed button.
• You can choose from three playback speeds by tapping on the new button: 1x, 1.5x, and 2x.

WhatsApp has released a new beta version of its Android app through the Google Play beta program. The latest WhatsApp beta v2.21.9.4 brings a useful new feature that lets users listen to voice messages at different playback speeds.

The feature has been under development for some time now and was first spotted by the folks at WABetaInfo last month. If you have the latest WhatsApp beta installed on your phone, you can access the feature by playing any voice message and tapping on the new playback speed button. The feature currently supports three playback speeds: 1x, 1.5x and 2x.

The WABetaInfo report notes that the feature is currently limited to some beta users, but it should become more widely available within the next few days. This means even if you download the latest WhatsApp beta, you will still have to wait for WhatsApp to flip the server-side switch to enable the feature. The feature is also expected to be available on iOS sometime in the coming weeks, although it might take a little longer for it show up in the stable version of the app.

While the ability to adjust playback speed for voice notes isn't available on all messaging apps, WhatsApp is not the first one to offer the feature. Telegram, which is one of the best Android messaging apps, gained a similar feature nearly three years back.