You’re texting your friend about something wild that happened on your way home from the store and they need to get the full story. You can’t just text “met the Mayor of Donutville today” and leave it at that. Where is Donutville? Were you there? Or were they in town on business? Were they wearing their mayoral sash? It’s too much to cram into a single text message, but you can’t call your friend right now. The solution? A voice message. This blog will show you how to send a voice message on Android phones to all your friends, because they really should hear the tone of your voice as you explain the balance of government power in Donutville.
How to create a voice message on Android phones
First things first, it’s time to put your Producer hat on and record this track.
- Open the Messages app
- Create a new conversation or open an existing one
- Tap and hold the soundwave button in the bottom right corner
- Press the mic button to begin recording and let go of it when you’re done
- Samsung users may skip this step, as it will start recording automatically when you hold down the soundwave button
- Once you’ve finished recording you can…
- Tap the play button to listen to it
- Tap the paper airplane button to send it
- Tap the X to cancel it
How to send an audio message on Android phones
Once you’ve followed the steps above, you just have to tap the paper airplane button to send the message you’ve recorded. You then have the option to save the message by long-pressing on the message and selecting “Save attachment.” Then you can revisit the experience in the future, or compare notes when you meet a member of Donutville’s city council at a later date.
It’s also worth noting that Android phones vary slightly by make & model, so if these steps don’t match exactly, we recommend referring to your user manual.
How to listen to and save voice messages on Android phones
Keep your Producer hat on as you listen to your friends’ messages so you can provide them with constructive feedback like “Wow, that’s crazy” or “You did not actually say that.”
- Open the Messages app
- Select the conversation that has a voice message in it
- Tap the play button in that voice message
- Long-press on the message and select “Save attachment” if you wish to save the message
It’s also important to note that this method of sending & receiving audio messages only works from one Android phone to another. If you want to send a voice message to a friend with an iPhone who hasn’t already bubble-shamed you into never messaging them again, keep reading.
How to send Android voice messages to iPhones
You can send a voice message from your Android phone to an iPhone by following the same steps above in your Messages app. The only difference is that it will convert the voice message to an MMS attachment, so there may be limitations on how long the message can be, and it may take a moment for your friend to download the message.
Alternative ways to send Android voice messages to other phones
Outside of Google Messages, many third-party apps like Instagram offer voice messaging as well, so you can send a voice message to any of your contacts within the app, regardless of what phone they have. Similar to the steps above, all you have to do is start a new chat or go into an existing one within the app’s messenger and look for the recording button at the bottom of the screen (it usually looks like a microphone).
You ought to know how to send a voice message on Android now
Say that five times fast. Then record it and send it to a friend, because now you can send voice messages from your Android phone like a pro. No more typing out full monologues or trying to describe via text the sound your car is making. Just don’t overdo it; you don’t wanna be that person who’s essentially just having their side of a phone call. Speaking of, check out our other blogs on texting etiquette and phone etiquette while you’re here. Or take the time to learn a few Android hacks. Then treat yourself to the greatest wireless hack of all: bringing your Android phone to Mint Mobile.
