https://youtu.be/i3I_7H1mByA
WhatsApp, one of the most popular univeral messaging apps out there, now has a neat new ability for iPhone users: you can exchange voice messages via push-to-talk, and your message can be received and responded to by any WhatsApp user, whether on Android, Blackberry, Nokia or Windows Phone.
Here’s how it works. Just by tapping a button and speaking, you ‘push to talk’ and record your message. Release the microphone button and the message automatically sends. Slide left, and it gets deleted. Messages can theoretically be an infinite length, and when they are played, a blue microphone icon is shown to show you that yes, your message has been listened to, and yes, you are being pointedly ignored.
I’ve been increasingly interested in these sorts of messaging apps, since I have a million friends on Android. The problem for me is always that I’d have to convince each and every one of these guys to install the app. Plus, iMessage’s true killer feature for me is the ability to message people on their iPhones using my computer. Still, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think WhatsApp didn’t have some features Apple shouldn’t seriously consider ‘borrowing’.
Source: WhatsApp
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
2 responses to “WhatsApp Gets Push-To-Talk Messaging, And It’s Cool”
I think there should be a desktop version of Whatsapp like Apple’s iMessage on OSX or at least a web app to make it “cross-platform”. This could even beat Facebook in terms of messaging.
Just came to my mind: Was this feature secretly included in the last update and now switched on? I hope so because if not it would mean that they can patch something into my phone without me accepting an update; that would be kinda creepy