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Voice Messages

Voice Messages is an addon for Better Messages that allows users to send recorded voice messages in conversations.

How it works​

When installed, a microphone button appears in the message input area. Users can press and hold (or click to toggle) to record a voice message, then send it like any other message. Recorded voice messages are stored on your website hosting in efficient MP3 format and do not consume much storage space. AI-powered transcription via Better Messages Cloud AI or OpenAI can automatically generate text transcripts of voice messages.

Key capabilities​

  • Record and send voice messages directly in conversations
  • Microphone button in the message input area
  • Efficient MP3 format storage on your server
  • Configurable maximum recording duration
  • Auto-deletion of voice messages after a specified number of days
  • Role-based restrictions for sending voice messages
  • AI-powered transcription via Better Messages Cloud AI or OpenAI
  • Playback controls for received voice messages
  • Works in all conversation types (private, group, chat rooms)

How to install​

Install the Voice Messages addon through the WordPress plugins screen or upload the addon files to your /wp-content/plugins/ directory. Activate the addon through the Plugins screen.

Settings​

Configure the addon at WP Admin → Better Messages → Settings → Voice Messages.

Max Recording Duration​

Set the maximum recording duration in seconds. During recording, a timer displays the current and maximum time. The timer turns red when 10 seconds or less remain, and recording automatically stops when the limit is reached.

Auto-Delete​

Automatically delete voice messages after a specified number of days. Set to 0 to disable auto-deletion. Two deletion modes are available:

  • Complete — fully deletes the message from the conversation
  • Replace — removes the audio file but keeps the message with a "Voice message expired" indicator

Role Restrictions​

Restrict which user roles can send voice messages. Selected roles will not see the microphone button in the message input area.

Voice Transcription​

Enable AI-powered transcription to automatically generate text transcripts of voice messages. Two providers are available:

  • Better Messages Transcription AI — Included with the WebSocket license at no additional cost. No third-party API keys required. Supports 99+ languages with automatic detection. See Better Messages Cloud AI for details.
  • OpenAI Transcription API — Requires an OpenAI API key configured in Integrations → OpenAI. Supports model and prompt selection.

Troubleshooting​

Incorrect response MIME type error​

On some servers, you may see the following error when trying to record a voice message:

Error message

Error: TypeError: Failed to execute 'compile' on 'WebAssembly': Incorrect response MIME type. Expected 'application/wasm'.

There are two ways to fix this:

  1. Configure your server to serve the WASM file at https://yourdomain.com/wp-content/plugins/bp-better-messages-voice-messages/assets/js/encoder.wasm with the Content-Type: application/wasm header.

  2. Add this line to your website's wp-config.php file:

    define('BETTER_MESSAGES_WASM_FALLBACK', true);

After applying either fix, voice message recording will work correctly.