Voice messages are a quick and easy way to communicate with people on messaging applications. They allow you to convey messages in a simplified and straightforward manner. That too, without having to call the other person.
Many people have experienced voice messages disappearing. You send out an important note only to find out that the audio message disappeared from the app.
As frustrating as it might be, many people are still confused about this phenomenon. Read ahead to answer this simple question- do audio messages disappear before being read?
Why Do Voice Messages Disappear?
Voice messages can be sent through various messaging apps. However, they can disappear from them due to multiple reasons.
Here are some of the reasons voice notes vanish from your phones, even before being read.
Closed Conversation
This is one of the most common reasons the messages may cease to exist. Once the conversation is closed, all the chats present in the app get eradicated. Hence, they cannot be regained and are lost forever.
Cleared Conversation
Once a conversation is cleared out, any posts or messages present are wiped out. Even the voice notes that have not been opened yet also disappear.
Deleted Audio Files
The voice recordings may be deleted from the sender or recipient’s device. In this case, the audio files may be wiped out from the application at both ends.
Exceeded Limit
Different messaging applications have their standard file storage limits. New sound clips cannot be sent or received if the limit gets exceeded or the storage gets full. In such a scenario, the voice message may not be sent. If it can go through, the file may be deleted automatically by the app after some time.
Does Audio Message Disappear Through Different Ways?
With the latest digital updates, new and advanced messaging features have been introduced to messaging apps. Here are some ways the audio texts disappear from your devices.
Manual Deletion from Your Device
As a sender, you have the opportunity to delete the voice notes if you like. However, this feature depends on the kind of messaging application you are using.
Different apps give you different options to delete the files. Some allow you to delete the audio message just from your end. This means, the message will be deleted from your device but will remain in the chat of the person it was sent to.
Manual Deletion for Everyone
Some apps allow you to delete the audio texts from your device and the recipient’s phone. This will even delete the message even if the recipient has yet not opened and heard the audio message.
It is important to note that if you want to delete the chats for both parties, there are some time restrictions. The time limit to delete the texts for everyone depends on the app you are using. After a certain time, you shall be unable to remove the message from the recipient’s end. However, you shall still be able to delete it from your device.
Disappearing Messages
Disappearing audio messages are another way the voice notes can vanish from your device. These audio recordings get deleted from the chats and your device after a certain time limit.
The limit can be pre-decided by the app or you can set up a timer based on your preference. After the time limit is up, the message gets extinct from the recipient’s app or device. No matter what they do, the message cannot be accessed again.
This type of messaging technique is used to carry out private and confidential conversations.
How Do Voice Messages Disappear on Different Apps?
Voice messages can behave differently on different messaging apps. Some apps may have voice messages that disappear automatically after a certain period. On the other hand, others may allow users to choose whether to keep or delete them.
Here are a few examples of how voice messages behave on different popular messaging apps.
WhatsApp allows users to send voice messages. These sound texts are delivered in an audio format. By default, these voice messages are stored in the chat thread. They remain accessible until you delete them manually. They do not disappear automatically unless the user chooses to delete them.
Telegram
In Telegram, voice messages have an optional self-destruct timer. Users can set a specific duration for voice messages to automatically delete themselves after being listened to or played. This feature adds a sense of privacy for both the sender as well as the recipient. It also helps to reduce storage clutter.
WeChat also provides users with the ability to send voice messages. These messages are stored in the chat history and remain accessible until they are deleted manually. These messages do not vanish on their own unless the users want them to get deleted.
Snapchat
Snapchat is known for its short-lasting nature. Hence, they also have this feature applied to their voice notes as well. When sending a voice message on Snapchat, it is played once and then disappears automatically. This feature aligns with Snapchat’s overall focus on transient and temporary content.
Facebook Messenger
In Facebook Messenger, voice messages are stored in the chat history and remain accessible until manually deleted. They do not get deleted on their own unless the user deletes them manually.
How to know if a Voice Message was Read?
Many default messaging apps show if voice messages were opened and read by the recipient. The chat shall indicate a “Read” thread below the voice note. This means that the recipient has opened and heard your audio message. Some apps shall even provide you with the exact time when that message was delivered and the time when it was opened and heard.
This provides clarity in digital communication. It also assures the sender that the message was heard by the recipient. It also does not leave the sender clueless during the conversation.
If your message has been delivered but not yet heard by the recipient, you shall see the thread “Delivered” under the voice note.
Can the Read Receipts Be Turned Off?
Different messaging apps offer different settings to their users. Some allow their users to turn off their read receipts while others do not permit this.
When read receipts are disabled, it is important to understand that the sender will not know if their messages have been read. Disabling read receipts works both ways. It shall prevent both the sender as well as the recipient from being aware of the status of the message.
Is it Possible to Recover a Vanished Audio File?
To recover a vanished audio file, it is first important to know how it was deleted.
Recently Deleted Files
If the text was recently deleted manually, there will be a possibility to recover it. The audio file may be present in your device’s deleted files. These recently deleted documents often stay in the deleted folder of your device. The time limit for such files to be stored here is about 30 days. After the end of this period, all the recently deleted documents are permanently removed from your phone.
If you can find the deleted audio file in that folder, it can be recovered. However, in case you exceed the time limit, the file shall be deleted from your phone permanently. In such a case, recovering the vanished audio message shall be impossible.
Disappearing Audio Files
If the audio file has been set as a disappearing message, things get quite different. The moment the recipient opens that audio note, the file gets instantly deleted from the app. In such a case, no data is left behind in the device as well. This is to maintain privacy and confidentiality. Hence, you shall not be able to recover the vanished audio file.
Do Audio Texts Expire if Remained Unopened?
The expiration of audio texts varies depending on the messaging app or platform being used.
Some apps may have audio messages that expire or automatically delete if not opened within a certain time frame. This time limit is usually pre-decided by the app’s settings. Other applications may retain the messages indefinitely until they are manually deleted by the recipient or sender.
Understanding how audio messages behave if they are not opened is crucial. Referring to the specific application’s settings and statement of use shall help understand this better. These resources will provide valuable information on how audio messages are handled in terms of expiration or deletion.
Final Thoughts
The question of whether voice messages disappear before being read has different aspects in digital communication. Some messaging apps automatically delete voice messages, while others let you keep them.
Disappearing voice messages can make you feel secure. However, you cannot expect them to guarantee complete privacy as there’s a risk of someone recording or sharing them using another device.
While using various messaging apps, you must understand how each of them operates. Know their privacy rules and statements, especially for communicating confidential information with others.