Twitter is testing voice tweets, prepare yourself for literal yelling

There’s a perception Twitter is largely just ‘people yelling at each other’, something that seemingly becomes more difficult to argue by the day. 

The company is hardly going to dispel that notion by rolling out the ability to actually tweet with your voice, starting with a test on iOS.

In a blog post on Wednesday, the social network unveiled audio tweets which it says will “add a more human touch to the way we use Twitter.” Twitter users with access to the feature will see a record button on the compose screen, next to the camera icon.

From there, users will have 140-seconds of audio at their disposal per tweet and it can still be accompanied by a text caption. If users go over the 140-second limit, Twitter explains, the recordings will take the form of a thread.

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Once the tweet has been posted, other users will be able to listen to the audio by tapping the the image, which is accompanied by the tweeter’s profile picture. Twitter also says the audio will continue playing at the bottom of the screen even if users continue scrolling within the app, or after exiting the Twitter app to do other things on the iPhone.

In the blog post, Twitter’s Maya Patterson and Rémy Bourgoin write: “There’s a lot that can be left unsaid or uninterpreted using text, so we hope voice Tweeting will create a more human experience for listeners and storytellers alike.

“Whether it’s #storytime about your encounter with wild geese in your neighborhood, a journalist sharing breaking news, or a first-hand account from a protest, we hope voice Tweeting gives you the ability to share your perspectives quickly and easily with your voice. We can’t wait to see how people will use this to make their voices heard and add to the public conversation.”

Right now, the feature is only available to select users. No word on the wider roll-out or launch for Android users.