Discord (opens in new tab) announced in an official post on April 14 that all mobile app users can now send voice recordings of up to 20 minutes via DM or server. Messages can also be listened to on the desktop, but only the mobile app can record and send them.

This feature is almost identical to the voice messaging capabilities of Signal, WhatsApp, and other mobile instant messengers. I was preoccupied with how this feature applies to jokes and banter, but the blog post also helpfully outlines how to prevent abuse of this feature.

Voice messages can be reported just like regular ones, with the option to disable them server-wide or limit their use by role. While I only use Discord to keep in touch with old friends and check out the Neo forums for cool indie games (even though I wish they would stop doing that (opens in new tab)), many people like to turn the Discord server into a weird, cult-like digital fiefdom (opens in new tab opens in new tab) and even leak government secrets (opens in new tab). It makes sense that when a company rolls out a new feature, it has to account for bad behavior.

I decided to try this feature myself by reading the text from a screenshot of a Facebook post (embedded at the bottom of the post) that I previously shared in a group chat with two former colleagues who have now become dear friends and whom I like very much. Curiously, when I first sent them this image, they showed no response. 'I decided to change it up a bit for the holidays. 'Hot dog cheese sushi. [Hot dogs are raw. It is sushi after all. My voice messages likewise elicited no response, not even a "haha," which means that no amount of enhancements to Discord can fix fake friends.