Voice notes: questions and Band 8 answers

Yes, quite frequently, to be honest. It's just so much quicker than typing out a lengthy message when I'm on the move. For instance, if I'm walking home from work, I'll often record a quick audio clip to let my flatmate know when I'll be back.

Mostly my close friends and family members. I find that hearing someone's tone of voice adds a personal touch that you just don't get with plain text. I rarely send them to colleagues, though, because that feels a bit too informal for work matters.

It depends on the situation, really. If I have a lot of detail to explain, a voice message is definitely easier. But if I'm sharing something simple like an address or a meeting time, I prefer typing so the other person can refer back to it easily.

Definitely when I'm in a crowded place or using public transport and don't have my headphones with me. Playing audio aloud in a quiet train carriage can be quite awkward, so in those cases, I'll just wait until I get home before opening it.

Not at all, actually. Back when I got my first mobile phone, instant messaging apps didn't even have an audio feature, so we relied entirely on basic SMS texts. Voice recording only became a regular habit for me over the last few years.

I reckon they will, especially as speech-to-text technology keeps improving. People lead increasingly busy lives, and being able to chat hands-free while multitasking is a huge convenience, so I can see audio messaging becoming even more widespread.