A new poll reveals that Britons send an average of 58 hours' worth of voice notes annually, with 73% of respondents saying they love recording them. However, 62% of recipients admit to suffering from 'voice note fatigue', according to the survey commissioned by Heineken.
The typical voice note lasts 95 seconds, and people send about six per day. One in 20 recipients reported receiving a voice note longer than 10 minutes, which some have likened to an 'audition monologue'. The medium appears to encourage verbosity, with etiquette experts like Debrett's advising that voice notes should be under two minutes and focused on a single subject.
Voice notes differ from voicemail in that they are sent intentionally, not as a missed-call response. They are particularly popular among Gen Z, who see them as a way to connect without a full conversation. Heineken's campaign encourages swapping voice notes for in-person meetings, which they say provide opportunities for social interaction—and beer consumption.
