Twitter tests Tweeting with voice

Twitter is where people go to talk about what’s happening. Over the years, photos, videos, gifs, and extra characters have allowed people to add their own flair and personality to their conversations. But sometimes 280 characters aren’t enough and some conversational nuances are lost in translation.  Twitter is testing a new feature that will add a more human touch to the way people use Twitter – through their voices.

Tweeting with voice is not too different from Tweeting with text. To start, people can open the Tweet composer and tap the new icon with wavelengths. They’ll see their profile photo with the record button at the bottom – they can then tap this to record their voice.  

Each voice Tweet captures up to 140 seconds of audio. Once the time limit for a Tweet is reached, a new voice Tweet starts automatically to create a thread. Once done, people can tap the ‘Done’ button to end their recording and go back to the composer screen to Tweet.

Voice Tweets will appear on timelines alongside other Tweets. To listen, people can tap the image. On iOS only, playback will start in a new window docked at the bottom of the timeline and people can listen as they scroll. People can also keep listening while doing other things on their phone or on the go.

Creating voice Tweets will be available to a limited group of people on Twitter for iOS, however  in the coming weeks everyone on iOS should be able to Tweet with their voice. People will be able to see (hear) them and reply. More information is available in the Twitter help center.

There’s a lot that can be left unsaid or uninterpreted using text, so Twitter hopes that voice Tweeting will create a more human experience for listeners and storytellers alike. Whether it’s #storytime about their encounter with wild geese in their neighborhood, or a journalist sharing breaking news, Twitter hopes voice Tweeting gives people the ability to share their perspectives quickly and easily with their voice.