Easy to send and fun to listen to, voicemails have become an option for many when sharing fun anecdotes or heartfelt messages with friends and family.

WhatsApp users produce up to 7 billion sounds per day

With 7 billion voice messages sent every day on WhatsApp, it’s a popular way to instantly share updates with the added expression of speaking.

Voicemails are protected with end-to-end encryption to keep your personal messages safe at all times.

But no matter how fast it is to swipe and send a voicemail, you have to share it with your conscience. Taking long conversations that can take up to ten minutes to listen, or listening to a parent’s message aloud on public transport is neither fun nor useful. What about the response policy? Do I need to match the length of the voice memo I receive while replying?

To help navigate voicemail etiquette, WhatsApp has partnered with English-born etiquette expert Jo Bryant to share her top tips for sending voicemail like a pro:

Tips for Sending Voice Messages Like a Pro

– Do not record a podcast

While everyone has a different opinion on the ideal length of a voicemail, try to keep them to 1 or 2 minutes. If it’s too long to type but too short for a call, you’ve found the sweet spot for a voicemail.

And if you get an unbearably long voicemail, you can play it at 1.5 or 2x speed to hear it faster.

– split it

If you can’t shorten your message, consider splitting it into shorter ones and sending them separately. The buyer can choose to listen to them all at once or to overlap their agenda.

– respect others

Be aware of your surroundings when listening to a voicemail. Playing it out loud can be annoying to those around you, but the message may also contain private information.

Keep the volume low or use headphones in quiet, crowded places such as train cars.

– reduce questions

Remember how many questions you ask in a single voice note so your recipient doesn’t forget half of them when trying to answer.

– return the favor

If you get a voicemail, try sending it back. A two-way voice conversation is much better than a one-sided catharsis.

– be on time

Remember to respond appropriately to voicemails. If you’re short on time, you can send hands-free voice messages while multitasking.

To lock the recording, simply hold down the microphone icon and swipe up. When you’re done, tap to send.

*Grupo de Diarios América (GDA), to which El Nacional belongs, is a leading media network founded in 1991 that promotes democratic values, independent press and freedom of expression in Latin America through quality journalism for our audiences.