Most of us associate Google Messages with the default solution for handling SMS on stock Android, but its RCS capabilities and a host ofother convenient featuresmake it one ofour favorite free apps for texting. Voice messaging is one of those features. Not to be confused with the keyboard-specific voice typing/transcription option, this option can be a little clunky to use, though. The Messages app has been testing a redesigned UI to remedy our concerns, and it could reach more beta testers soon.
Sending a voice message to individual contacts and group chats is a nifty option if you’re engaged in another activity or just don’t have enough time to type out a longer response. Information-dense voice messages can also be a savior if you’re in the middle of a meal, or in situations where you don’t want to bother the intended recipient with a call, but have to speak to them. Google Messages gave us this option, but the implementation is rather clunky. Developers tested out aredesign in March, and another one in August this year, albeit with just a handful of testers.
At least one Redditor hasspotted the redesigned recordingson their device recently, suggesting a wider rollout targeting beta testers is underway (via9to5Google). While the sent and received recording in the screenshots clearly seem to use the redesigned UI, therecorder itself hasn’t changed. The feature is still activated by holding down the mic icon in the message composition field.
The Redditor also shared that a second sound is now audible when you release the mic button after a recording, or when you slide to cancel an ongoing recording. They are also seeing a new button appear beside photos, videos, and audio files, so you’re able to save a few precious seconds downloading them.
Although the implementation rolling out to this Redditor and other testers seems half-baked, the redesigned voice recorder in Messages trades the simple mic icon in the text field for an interface that replaces your keyboard. Drawing cues from the Google Recorder app on Pixel phones, this section has buttons to start/stop the recording, delete it, or attach a pre-recorded file. When a recording is underway, you’ll see a waveform and a duration counter in the window above these buttons. These controls are a stark departure from the mic button in the message box today. Unlike the current implementation, the redesign also lets you play a recording back before you send it, so you aren’t listening to your embarrassing slips of tongue along with the recipient, and then racing to unsend and re-record.
The redesigned voice recorder UI in Google Messages
We cannot wait to see this interface and its benefits reach everyone through a stable channel update on the Google Play Store. However, the new voice recorder UI for Messages could be clubbed with other UI changes seen in the latest version, like removing the bottom bar on the app’s home screen. Once it is widely available though, Messages would be a step closer to becoming a truly versatile messaging solution, considering thatcross-platform communication supportis also looming on the horizon.
