It's always frustrating to see a feature hit an iOS app before it hits the same service on Android. WhatsApp is one of the most popular ways to communicate worldwide, but often, iPhone users will get access to new tools well before anyone rocking a Pixel 6 or Galaxy S22. Thankfully, those features always eventually make their way to Android, and with the latest WhatsApp beta update, a long-awaited global voice note player is almost here.

This tool will let users continue listening to their voice memos while reading any other conversation on their device, with playback carrying on uninterrupted in the background (via WABetaInfo). It's an excellent method for listening to your friends sum up their weekend plans while you respond to a work colleague, all without missing a beat.

As we previously saw when the feature was first in development, a player bar appears along the top of the app as you navigate away, keeping the voice memo or any other audio file playing behind the scenes. Communication isn't free from multitasking — especially on a phone, where messaging is asynchronous — so it's great to see WhatsApp finally improve how it handles voice clips on its app.

Despite appearing in WhatsApp beta 2.22.7.21, only some test accounts will have access to this new voice player. If you don't have it yet, you'll have to keep waiting for your profile to be added to the beta — or wait for the feature to hit stable. Hopefully, it's not too long before everyone has it on their devices.