WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the handy features of WhatsApp is the ability to send voice messages, allowing you to quickly send an audio recording to your contacts instead of typing out a long text message.
However, you may be wondering how to make your WhatsApp voice messages actually play sound when received. There are a few key settings on both the sending and receiving ends that need to be enabled for WhatsApp audio messages to work properly.
Enabling Sound on Sent Voice Messages
When sending a voice message on WhatsApp, you want to make sure the sound is properly recorded. Here are the steps to enable sound when sending voice messages:
- Open the WhatsApp app and go into a chat with a contact
- Tap and hold the mic icon to record an audio message as you normally would
- As you record your message, make sure your phone’s volume is turned up high enough to clearly capture your voice
- Check that you hold the phone close enough to your mouth to pick up what you’re saying
- Tap stop when you finish recording to end the voice message
- Listen to a playback of the message before sending to confirm your voice is audible
As long as your phone’s microphone successfully records your voice, the sent audio file will contain sound. Make sure to do a quick playback before hitting send to verify the message sounds ok.
Allowing Playback of Received Voice Messages
In order for your contacts to hear the WhatsApp voice messages you send them, they will need to have playback enabled on their devices. Here are the recommended settings for recipients to successfully play WhatsApp audio files:
- Enable WhatsApp to access the microphone – On an iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and toggle on WhatsApp. On Android, go to App Permissions > Microphone and allow WhatsApp.
- Check that phone ringer/media volume is turned up – Use the volume buttons on the side of the device to ensure volume is audible for media playback.
- Allow voice message playback without holding down mic – Open WhatsApp Settings > Voice Messages and disable “Require holding down mic to play”.
- Connect to headphones/speaker – For best sound quality, use headphones connected to the device or an external speaker.
With those settings enabled, your contacts should be able to simply tap on your voice messages and have them automatically play out loud on their phones.
Troubleshooting No Sound on WhatsApp Voice Messages
If you are still not able to get WhatsApp voice messages to play sound, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Restart the app – Closing and reopening WhatsApp can help resolve temporary glitches.
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version – Make sure you and your contacts have installed the newest updates.
- Check Do Not Disturb settings – The recipient’s phone may be silencing notifications during certain times/activities.
- Try on cellular data vs. WiFi – Poor internet connection quality can prevent voice notes from downloading properly.
- Clear app cache/data – This wipes temporary files that may be corrupted and causing issues.
- Update your phone’s software – An outdated operating system can cause compatibility problems with apps.
- Factory reset phone – For persistent issues, a full reset can clean out any deep-rooted software bugs.
With consistent testing and troubleshooting using these suggestions, you should be able to isolate the specific factor preventing sound playback on WhatsApp voice messages for you and your contacts.
How WhatsApp Voice Message Sound Works
To understand how to fix sound issues on WhatsApp voice notes, it helps to know how audio playback is designed to work within the app:
- The sender’s voice is recorded live through the phone’s microphone as they hold down the mic icon.
- This audio recording is compressed into an OGG or AMR encoded file.
- The voice message file is transmitted to the recipient through WhatsApp servers.
- On the recipient’s device, WhatsApp downloads the voice message and decompresses the audio file.
- Playback goes through the phone’s built-in media player with audio routed to speaker or headphones.
Problems can occur if the mic doesn’t properly record audio, if the file has errors when encoded or transmitted, if the recipient has restrictive settings blocking playback, or if the phone doesn’t correctly decompress and process the voice note audio file. By systematically checking each stage, you can pinpoint where the breakdown is occurring.
Best Practices for Quality Voice Messages
Following these best practices will ensure you always send high quality voice messages from WhatsApp:
- Record in a quiet environment without background noise.
- Speak slowly and clearly at a reasonable volume close to the microphone.
- Avoid long pauses and verbal ticks like “ummm”.
- Listen to a playback before sending to confirm good audio quality.
- Ask recipients to let you know if your voice notes have problems.
- Update your phone operating system and WhatsApp to latest versions.
- Close excess apps and tabs to devote maximum resources to WhatsApp.
- Send shorter voice messages around 30 seconds to 1 minute for best reliability.
Voice Message Alternatives
While voice messages are convenient, they don’t work well in every situation. Here are some alternative options if you or your recipients are having trouble with WhatsApp audio notes:
- Text messages – Reliably delivered and readable by everyone.
- Video calls – See and hear each other in real-time.
- Voice calls – Actually speak directly instead of using voice notes.
- Recordings from another app – Use an audio recording app and send as a file.
- Stickers/emoji – Convey your message visually.
The context and type of information you want to communicate can help determine whether standard text, voice notes, or another option is best.
Conclusion
With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp voice messages are an incredibly popular way to communicate. However, issues like no sound on sent or received voice notes can be frustrating.
By understanding how WhatsApp audio recordings work, going through key troubleshooting steps, and following best practices, you can get voice messages working reliably. Make sure to check sender and recipient settings, update software, use optimal recording conditions, and consider alternatives where appropriate.
With a few simple tweaks, you’ll be able to start conversing smoothly using the WhatsApp voice messaging feature as it was designed.