As we’ve seen earlier, WhatsApp is testing a variable playback speed option for its audio messages, which allows users to play their audio messages on two levels of speeds. These are speeding from 1x to 1.5x and 2x. This feature is currently embedded in the WhatsApp beta v2.21.6.11, and may soon arrive in the stable build.
WhatsApp Variable Playback Speed
Though WhatsApp is accused of launching new features slowly, it at least does them at the right time after several testing phases. The world’s largest instant messenger is now gearing up to roll out a feature that will let users change the playback speed of audio messages in their chats, and be quicker.
???? WhatsApp beta for Android 2.21.6.11: what’s new?
WhatsApp is working on 3 different playback speeds for voice messages, with a nice UI!
The feature is under development and it will be available later for iOS and Android beta builds.More details: https://t.co/pO1GAVIL8l pic.twitter.com/it4MlwCIyB
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 18, 2021
The variable playback speed option in WhatsApp was earlier touted to be coming by now but has no reports to date. Now, WaBetaInfo has shared how this feature would look once launched. As seen above, there’s a speed label attached to the voice message, where tapping on it will open options of available playback speeds to choose from.
As of now, the available options are just two – 1.5x and 2x. Thus, a user choosing the 2x option will play the audio message twice the speed of the actual rate. This may save a significant amount of time if the messages are quite long to hear, and cannot be skipped anywhere since important.
This variable playback speed option is currently available in the WhatsApp beta version of 2.21.6.11, and may soon be rolled out in a stable version if everything goes well. It’s unknown whether this option applies to videos in WhatsApp too, or the company may introduce yet another option of such to be helpful in terms of videos.
