Twitter has offered the ability to send a voice Tweet for a few years now, but Android device users still can't join in. While the company has yet to provide any firm information on when (and if) the iOS exclusivity is likely to change, it is common for services to prioritize one operating system over another. The voice Tweet feature not only lets users record audio Tweets and get a much longer and more personal message across on the platform, but those encountering these audio Tweets will also change how they interact with content, due to having to listen to Tweets, instead of reading them.
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In the voice Tweets announcement back in 2020, Twitter did not provide any information on Android support at all. Instead, the company simply stated that select iOS users would be able to access the feature at the time. A few years later, and not much has changed. Voice tweets still haven't rolled out on Android, and there's no indication that the company will expand the feature beyond iOS. The Twitter Support account replied to a user back in 2021 saying that voice tweets were still being tested for Android, but there's been no update since then.
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Why There's Still No Android Support
The delay in rolling out Android support might not have anything to do with Android, specifically. What is far more likely, is that Twitter is attempting to control the feature rollout as much as possible. By focusing solely on one operating system, the company can properly test it in a real-world setting, as well as the response and feedback from users. In turn, this could result in changes, or even the feature being pulled altogether.
This single operating system rollout approach is very common (as was the case with Twitter Blue), with many companies, including Twitter, often opting to limit access by platform for a period of time. While it remains unclear when Android users will gain access to voice Tweets, it looks like the feature hasn't been very well received since launch. Voice Tweets are rare on Twitter, with most people preferring to use written tweets to express their thoughts.
For those who enjoy spoken interactions on Twitter, the Spaces feature is far more popular, letting users have a live audio discussion with others on the platform. Twitter Spaces are public, which means anyone can join in and listen to the conversation as it happens. Hosts can also choose to invite other Twitter users to speak at a Space, just like Clubhouse. And unlike voice Tweets, Spaces are available on iOS, Android, and the web.
How To Post A Voice Tweet
For those curious on how voice Tweets work, it's fairly straightforward. Tap the compose Tweet icon in the iOS app, and then tap on the voice icon that looks like a waveform. Tap on the red record button to begin recording the Tweet, and tap 'Done' when finished. Users can now choose to add text to provide context to the voice Tweet, or add more voice Tweets to form a thread. Once done, tap on 'Tweet' to post it.
Each voice Tweet can be up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds in length. If a longer voice Tweet is posted, Twitter will automatically divide it into threads, with a maximum of 25 voice Tweets possible in a single thread. While posting a voice Tweet is exclusive to iOS, users can listen to them on both Android and Twitter's website. To play a voice Tweet, tap the thumbnail to start or stop playback. Users also have the option to view closed captions for a voice Tweet. To do this, go to the Tweet and tap the 'CC' icon (if captions are available) to see a transcript. Unfortunately, closed captions are only available when accessing Twitter through a browser.
