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How to fix WhatsApp voice message speed on mobile and PC

Get up to speed on WhatsApp voice messaging
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How to fix WhatsApp voice message speed on mobile and PC
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If you are wondering how you can speed up or slow down WhatsApp voice messages, then we have you covered right here.

Earlier, you couldn't change the speed of WhatsApp voice notes. However, a few updates ago, WhatsApp introduced a new feature that lets you speed up voice notes by 1x, 1.5x, and 2x. Currently, the voice message speed cannot be lower than the default. 

With that said, in this guide, we have outlined the process of how you can adjust the speed of WhatsApp voice messages on your mobile and PC. 

Quick Answer

To change the speed of a WhatsApp voice message – 

Open WhatsApp > Go to a chat with a voice message in it > Play the voice message > An icon with speed (example, 1x) should appear on the voice message > Tap on the icon to change speed.

How to change WhatsApp voice message speed setting on mobile

If you are using WhatsApp on your Android phone or iPhone, follow these steps:

Step

1

Head over to a chat with voice message

Open WhatsApp on your phone. Tap on one of the chats that has a voice message. It can be a sent voice message or one that you have received.

Step

2

Play the voice message

Now, tap on the ‘Play' button to start playing the voice message.

Screenshot from whatsapp showing how to play a voice message

Step

3

Adjust the speed

As the voice message is being played, the profile picture on the player changes to an icon with ‘1x' or any other speed on it. To change the speed, you have to tap on this icon. You can choose from 1x, 1.5x, or 2x speed.

Screenshot of a WhatsApp chat showing how to change message speed

How to change WhatsApp voice speed settings on PC

If you are using WhatsApp web or the desktop app, here's how you can fix or adjust the voice message speed. The process is very similar to what we did for the mobile phone.

Step

1

Go to a chat with voice messages

Open WhatsApp web or the desktop app. Then, open a chat that has voice messages in it.

Step

2

Play the voice note

Then, click on the ‘Play' button to play the voice message.

Screenshot of whatsapp voice message playing

Step

3

Change the voice message speed

When the voice message starts playing, you will see an icon with speeds popping up on it. Click on the icon to change the speed. Again, you get to choose from 1x, 1.5x, and 2x.

Screenshot of WhatsApp voice message speed control interface highlighted by a red arrow indicating the selection to increase speed to 1.5x.

Why voice message in WhatsApp is very fast?

When you change the speed of any one WhatsApp voice message, the same speed gets applied to other voice messages. In other words, it becomes the default speed for other messages. 

Why are WhatsApp voice messages not working?

If you’re running into some problems with getting your WhatsApp voice messages running smoothly, there are a few common problems you may encounter.

  • Firstly, you might be offline. In order to receive and send new audio messages, you need to be online and have a stable internet connection.
  • Your WhatsApp might be out of date. To keep all software and apps performing to the best of their ability, you need to make sure you’ve installed the latest updates.
  • Your permissions are wrong. To record a voice message on WhatsApp, you need to enable your microphone to access the app. If you haven’t done this or permissions are off, you won’t record voice messages.
  • WhatsApp is down. If the WhatsApp servers are down, you won’t be able to send and receive new messages at all, and you’ll have to wait until the servers are back up to get back to sending your text and audio messages.

Can you slow down the speed of WhatsApp messages?

Unfortunately, WhatsApp does not currently have a setting that allows you to play your audio messages at a slower speed. The options available to users are 1x, 1.5x, and 2x playback speed, and the speed will default to 1x. So, while you can speed up your voice messages, you don’t have the option to slow them down as of yet – perhaps this is a feature that will eventually arrive on WhatsApp if enough users feel that they need it.

Conclusion

To sum up, if your WhatsApp messages are too fast, you can easily fix the issue by adjusting the speed. All you have to do is play the voice message and tap on the speed icon to change the speed. If you are still having issues with playback speeds then contact WhatsApp support.

About the Author

Bradley is a long time tech enthusiast and gamer, first picking up a controller at the age of 3. Nowadays, he enjoys finding the best deals and helping out fellow enthusiasts. When he's not at the co