Send and play voice messages

[Luraktinus]

Add the abillity to record and send voice messages inside the App and also play them.
(without the need of 3rd party apps)

EDIT by @bmarty:
Additional requirements:

• Users hold a button to record a voice message and release to review then send (or delete).
• The voice message is recorded as an audio file and uploaded to the media repository.
• A special event is written to the timeline and renders on clients as a playable voice message.
• Recording and playing audio files must be integrated into the app that no external other app is required for both functions.

[soonzhi]

any plan of doing this?

[bpcurse]

We have many requests for this feature as people are used to it from whatsapp and other messengers. The usability for illiterate people is another important factor.
The legacy riot-android even has a pull request open for this that hasn't been merged yet.

EDIT: Except for illiterate people, it is probably an important feature for the visually impaired, too. I cannot tell but I expect it to be a better UX than using a screen reader.

[bmarty]

(FTR: element-hq/riot-android#1237)

[tuxayo]

The usability for illiterate people is another important factor.

EDIT: Except for illiterate people, it is probably an important feature for the visually impaired, too. I cannot tell but I expect it to be a better UX than using a screen reader.

Another use case: I have a relative with arthritis or osteoarthritis and it's getting harder and harder to reliably use a touch keyboard.

[tuxayo]

@bpcurse

The legacy riot-android even has a pull request open for this that hasn't been merged yet.

Is that these two?

element-hq/riot-android#3314

element-hq/riot-android#3207

[tuxayo]

Additional info: the same workaround[1] as in Riot legacy doesn't work as the file attachment menu doesn't offer the possibility to invoke a recorder app.

[1] this comment and the next one: element-hq/riot-android#1237 (comment)

[532910]

Is any update there? This is a high-priority-must-have feature for any 21th century IM!

[bmarty]

Interesting library to consider (found by @onurays )

• https://github.com/varunjohn/Audio-Recording-Animation
• https://github.com/Armen101/AudioRecordView

[tuxayo]

@532910

Is any update there? This is a high-priority-must-have feature for any 21th century IM!

No need to word it like that. It seems (from a user POV) that RiotX is still very early in development. So yes, many stuff is missing.

[tuxayo]

I wish we users could fund well the project. That would help a lot for the development.
https://liberapay.com/matrixdotorg/

[532910]

It will be nice to have ability to change a playback speed (with pitch correction of course).

[progserega]

May be do this as next iteration:
Add options for room "play new voice-messages in background" - even if screen is off.

And riotX will be able to work as a "radio".

[hieronymousch]

Bit of a shame that this lost the riotx-go-live push...

[fti7]

I think they will focus on this as soon RiotX can replace/is feature complete of the old Android App.
I switched to RiotX as the new Cross signing Feature came up and they did a good job for the current "Alpha/Beta" Stage :-)

[michaelblyons]

I would really like the same for video messages, too. A friend uses this all the time in a different application.

[ralaud]

I would really like the same for video messages, too. A friend uses this all the time in a different application.

This feature would be nice, but I think it would be huge amount of data for a server.

[michaelblyons]

I would really like the same for video messages, too. A friend uses this all the time in a different application.

This feature would be nice, but I think it would be huge amount of data for a server.

It's reputedly in Riot Android already: "Record and send"

[ralaud]

I would really like the same for video messages, too. A friend uses this all the time in a different application.

This feature would be nice, but I think it would be huge amount of data for a server.

It's reputedly in Riot Android already: "Record and send"

Oh, you are right, I forgot about this feature because it isn't so handy for video messages.

[TR-SLimey]

Maybe, just maybe, voice changer effects could also be added like Wire has? Mostly for fun but also to hide what your voice actually sounds like for privacy reasons.

[DoM1niC]

Currently I use the new RiotX instead of Riot with the VoiceMessage Forks, I hope some will implemented soon :(

THX anyway the new RiotX will bash all known Open Source Messenger alternatives!!!!!!!

[trymeouteh]

Signal, Jami and other apps do this. Would be nice to see Element support this.

[TR-SLimey]

I think we've established now that this is an important feature, and as far as I know, it is planned, so maybe let's limit comments to suggestions only, and if you want to express your support for the feature, just give a +1.

[pwFoo]

Send / play voice messages would be nice, because many contacts love that feature...

[a22sc]

Maybe this helps:
https://www.techotopia.com/index.php/Kotlin_-_Android_Audio_Recording_and_Playback_using_MediaPlayer_and_MediaRecorder

android.media.MediaPlayer is already used in vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/core/services/CallRingPlayer.kt

[jphuart]

For the ones that cannot wait, there is fluffychat that proposes the functionality, and it works fine: see https://fluffychat.im

[tredondo]

I think we've established now that this is an important feature, and as far as I know, it is planned

Can someone point out to where exactly on the roadmap audio/voice messages are planned? I couldn't find it by searching that page for these keywords, and the roadmap itself is pretty opaque - for example issue numbers instead of descriptions, or vague descriptions like "Improve X" (how?).

The corresponding element-web issue was locked without linking to the roadmap either.

[paddycarver]

It's mentioned here: https://matrix.org/blog/2020/12/25/the-matrix-holiday-special-2020#2021

[Nesaijn]

When this is done on Android, will it also be done on iOS simultaneously?

[SimonBrandner]

@Nesaijn Probably yes

[AnonymousWebHacker]

Heeyy Sorry for being late for the party ;) @bmarty , what is Element waiting for audio? come on cheer up , That triangle of sending text, without hardly writing, is already left over

[johansmitsnl]

@paddycarver it is indeed in the blogpost but not in the roadmap?

[SimonBrandner]

@johansmitsnl Hmmm, seems to be the case. Maybe the roadmap is outdated a bit. I am pretty certain this is coming since Matthew has mentioned this in the blog post as well as at FOSDEM

[moshpirit]

Hmmm, seems to be the case. Maybe the roadmap is outdated a bit. I am pretty certain this is coming since Matthew has mentioned this in the blog post as well as at FOSDEM

@nadonomy seems to be the one updating the roadmap. Maybe he will add it soon or maybe he just forgot about this great coming feature

[nadonomy]

@johansmitsnl @SimonBrandner @moshpirit it's on the roadmap but unfortunately it's a private issue as it contains some private details due to the feature being sponsored. I'll go through all the private issues in the roadmap and break them out public counterparts so they're publicly visible in the near future.

[nadonomy]

From scanning the other comments— yep development is underway! In order to execute properly we've needed to re-lay out the composer and room header to scale better and present a more understandable hierarchy.

iOS & Android development are closely in sync so will release together, and @turt2live what's the latest on web support? I know you've been working on this while also focusing on other things but will web at least have playback support when mobile is ready?

[turt2live]

Web probably won't have support when mobile is ready. Other priorities got in the way and pushed web's implementation by a few weeks.

[hoergen]

Maybe you talking about some internal details, but "Web" in the browser Firefox and Chromium and the Desktop App are working like charme since minimum over a year with playing sound files. Or are you talking about recording inside the app ?

[n137]

I am for the idea of a voice bot that translates text into voice. I do not have enough time and energy to look at the phone and read messages (my eyes get tired, my posture deteriorates, my hands are busy). Voice messages would be very convenient. It might be able to work as a player, so as not to load the phone's memory.

[ArneNostitz]

hi and sorry if this is covered in another thread, but how is playback of bridged whatsapp audio coming along on mobile (iphone). works on desktop, but on mobile i just get "audio" file links and it always wants to open in an external app ... did i misconfigure something here?

[a22sc]

hi and sorry if this is covered in another thread, but how is playback of bridged whatsapp audio coming along on mobile (iphone). works on desktop, but on mobile i just get "audio" file links and it always wants to open in an external app ... did i misconfigure something here?

element android does not have an implemented player yeat, afaik. hope this feature is coming soon

[IJustDev]

Hey guys, read through some of the messages, is this planned for some upcoming version? Would love to work on this

[SimonBrandner]

You can follow the development here: #3598