[Story] Record and send a voice message

[jonnyandrew]

Description

Record and send a voice message.

Acceptance criteria

• It is behind a feature flag in developer settings
• Tap and hold to record
• Release to send (to be enhanced in [Story] Preview a voice message #2104 and [Story] Discard a voice message preview #2105)
• System microphone permissions dialog displays if necessary
• Navigating away stops recording
• Navigating away discards the recording
• Sent messages are in Opus audio format
• Messages have a 30 minute maximum length
• Sending an audio file attachment continues to work as expected
• It interoperates with classic Element mobile and web apps
• Files are not exposed through system file managers
• It works in encrypted and unencrypted rooms
• We should apply a sleep lock so the phone does not sleep and therefor stop a recording.
• If a voice message fails to send the normal message retry button should work.
• Sending a voice message quickly after another one should work.
• Progress spinner displays while uploading media

Audio format

• Sample rate: 48kHz
• Bitrate: 24kbps
• Mono (single channel)
• Appropriate complexity and resample quality for the platform.
• Encoder application: 2048 (voice, default is typically 2049 as audio) (out of scope for Android)

Size estimate

None

Dependencies

No response

Preconditions

No response

Sign-off

Android

• Design sign-off on completion
• QA sign-off on completion
• Product sign-off on completion

iOS

• Design sign-off on completion
• QA sign-off on completion
• Product sign-off on completion

Out of scope

• Save as draft
• Encrypting audio files stored on the device
• Typing notifications
• Reply with a voice message
• Recording length limits or warnings (discussion)
• Edit a voice message
• Record a message when text formatting options are shown
• Using the VOIP encoder application on Android (due to Ability to customise the encoder application libopusencoder-android#4)

Open questions

No response

Subtasks

Android

Preview Give feedback

1. Verified with build in screen reader
2. [Voice messages] Add voice recording UI vector-im/element-x-android#1546
   +0
3. Release to send Release to show placeholder for preview state
4. System microphone permissions dialog displays if necessary
5. Navigating away stops recording
6. Navigating away discards the recording
7. Messages have a 30 minute maximum length
8. Progress indicator displays while uploading media
9. Verified 1 minute of audio ≈ 180 kilobytes
10. Include waveform when sending voice messages vector-im/element-x-android#1650
    +0
    
11. Convert mx waveform to floats as early as possible in the chain vector-im/element-x-android#1652
    +0
    
12. Use Float instead of Double for all the level metering logic. vector-im/element-x-android#1645
    +0
    
13. Always treat waveform as List<Float> vector-im/element-x-android#1663
    +0
    
14. Use correct icon tint in voice message preview player vector-im/element-x-android#1672
    +0
    
15. Blink red dot while recording voice message vector-im/element-x-android#1677
    +0
    

iOS

Preview Give feedback

1. Verified with build in screen reader
2. Tap and hold to record
3. Release to send
4. System microphone permissions dialog displays if necessary
5. Navigating away stops recording
6. Navigating away discards the recording
7. Messages have a 30 minute maximum length
8. Progress indicator displays while uploading media
9. Verified 1 minute of audio ≈ 180 kilobytes

Other

Preview Give feedback

1. feature: send voice message API matrix-org/matrix-rust-sdk#2697
   +0
   

[langleyd]

Updated acceptance criteria to for a sleep lock during recording to address this bug on the classic app -> element-hq/element-ios#7598

[langleyd]

Updated acceptance criteria to include message retry which was a problem in the classic apps -> element-hq/element-android#8407

[langleyd]

Updated acceptance criteria to include sending a voice message quickly after another, as was reported as a problem int he class apps -> element-hq/element-android#8362

[jonnyandrew]

Updated acceptance criteria to include message retry which was a problem in the classic apps

This is already included under #2106

sleep lock during recording to address this bug on the classic app -> element-hq/element-ios#7598

It's possible that we are immune to this bug given the tap and hold UX. Should we change the AC to "voice message may be recorded for longer time than screen timeout setting?"

[jonnyandrew]

I've removed the VOIP encoder application type requirement from scope for Android as it's non-trivial to achieve (see element-hq/libopusencoder-android#4 for details).

[jacotec]

I'm missing how to "lock" the recording without the need to keep the recording button pressed all the time. Will it be the "slide up" gesture like in the current Element/IOS?

[jonnyandrew]

I'm missing how to "lock" the recording without the need to keep the recording button pressed all the time.

The lock mechanism won't be part of this iteration but it might be in a later one (cc @callumu / @VolkerJunginger).

[jonnyandrew]

@nimau @alfogrillo I've added a checkbox to roughly verify the file sizes we're creating. At 24 kbps, 1 minute of audio should be about 180 kB.