For some, a voice message is the go-to option to get their point across – but are they really more convenient than a phone call?

As voice messages celebrate their 10th birthday this year – having first been introduced by WhatsApp in 2013 – the messaging application now claims that over 7 billion are sent every day.

Some users claim voice messages have made it easier for them to accurately get their point across, while others fear they teeter on the side of monologuing.

On Lunchtime Live this afternoon, one listener, Stephanie said a voice note is a "great way of communicating".

"With texts, they're great, they're handy, they're quick, but you can't always get your tone across," she said.

"Whether it's a serious tone or joking tone, you can't get that across in a text – even with emojis."

Stephanie said voice messages are often more convenient for her than phone calls.

"With friends or family, I know I can send a voice note if I'm at work really quickly," she said.

"Whereas if I was to get on the phone with them, they've got meetings, I have meetings – we can spend time on the phone during the workday for a long time."

The length

The suitable length of the voice note is often a contentious topic, with Stephanie arguing that anything over two minutes is "a bit much".

"Then it's the intro of a podcast," she said.

"It's 30 seconds, it's a minute if you're actually communicating via voice notes.

Another listener, Adam, had even less time for length recordings.

"Anything over a minute [is too long]," he said.

"If you're in a public place or in class and you have to put it up against your ear, then other people can hear the whole thing."

Appropriate

Adam said he would feel "intimidated" if someone he had just met sent him a voice message.

"If you'd talk to someone on the phone, then a voice message is grand – you'd be overstepping a bit to be sending one randomly," he said.

Róisín said she was an advocate for long voice notes, finding them beneficial "both personally and professionally".

"You've got friends and family all over the world ... it's really hard to get time when you're both available for a phone call," she said.

Phonecalls

Adam said he would rather spend time with someone than have a conversation with them on a phone call.

"Give me the highlights and then we can catch up properly in person," he said.

Stephanie said she finds it "very intrusive" to phone someone out of the blue.

"I think you have to set up for a phone call – you have to text them, give them time," she said.

"I can't just ring someone so my go-to is always a voice note.

"Don't just ring me out of the blue – I have to know in advance that you're ringing."

One texter said: "30 seconds should be a text message, 30 to 60 is okay for a voice note".

"Anything over a minute, I tell them to record the audio book and I'll buy it on Amazon – I'm not interested."

You can listen back here: