Twitter Inc. said that it is testing a new feature that will allow users to tweet using their voice, capturing up to 140 seconds of audio in a single tweet.

The feature will be available to a limited number of users on Apple's iOS platform for now and be rolled out for more iOS users in the coming weeks, Twitter said in a blog post. The micro-blogging platform said users will be able to create a voice tweet using a new “wavelengths” icon on the Tweet composer screen. Twitter has been encouraging its users to find their voices since debuting in 2006, and it is now enabling them to share their voices—their actual voices, not via written word. Voice tweets, or tweets with audio, are a new composing feature available first for users of the Twitter for iOS app.

They're basically a more creative way to express your thoughts, without having to manually type it all out or be constrained by a character limit. “Sometimes 280 characters aren’t enough and some conversational nuances are lost in translation," Twitter announced. "We’re testing a new feature that will add a more human touch to the way we use Twitter - your very own voice."

Voice tweets could be considered an accessibility feature for the blind or others who find it difficult to either see or type tweets the standard way. However, those who are deaf or hearing-impaired might not be able to access these new voice tweets. When asked how Twitter plans to meet the needs of all people with different abilities, it told The Verge this is a test and it's still "exploring" solutions.

You can attach voice tweets to regular tweets, which basically means you can give your audio message a text caption. But Twitter said voice tweets can only be added to original tweets at this point. In other words, you can’t include them in replies or re tweets with a comment. “We are working to incorporate additional monitoring systems ahead of bringing this to everyone,” Twitter spokeswoman Aly Pavela told Reuters. “We’ll review any reported voice tweets in line with our rules, and take action, including labeling, as needed.” Voice tweets are considered an early test for iOS users, so there is no guarantee they will roll out to all Twitter users. 

Source- Reuters