Instagram is adding a new voice messages feature that is now rolling out to its iOS and Android apps. The feature is being added to Instagram Direct, the direct messaging section of the app. This feature is yet another one that is being borrowed from Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Messenger and comes almost 6 months after the service added video chat capabilities.
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As the name suggests, Voice Messages in Direct can be used to send voice notes in chats. Akin to the company’s other messaging counterparts, a voice note can be recorded by simply pressing and holding on the microphone icon in any chat. The message can be either sent by lifting your finger off the icon or be discarded by sliding to the left and dropping it off into the delete icon.
There also is a nifty feature that lets users go hands-free while recording. Once the microphone icon is pressed, a little lock icon begins floating at the bottom of the screen. Dragging your finger into it locks the recording. You can delete or terminate the note by hitting the delete icon. The maximum duration of a voice message is capped at one minute.
Facebook is increasingly blurring the differences between its messaging services, and Voice Messages is just another example of how features are consistent across these apps. Voice Messages in Instagram Direct should be rolling out gradually to all users of the app worldwide.