New Delhi, Jun 5 (IANS): To allow users to increase the playback speed of voice messages, Facebook-owned WhatsApp has rolled out a new 'Fast Playback' feature aimed at those who rely on long voice messages.

WhatsApp's Fast Playback feature lets you change playback speed between the default 1x setting, to 1.5x speed or 2x speed, without changing the pitch of someone's voice.

It is simple to use -- as you press play on a voice message you will see the playback speed appear, which is set to 1x by default. Simply touch the speed to increase the speed to 1.5x or 2x, the company said in a statement.

Then simply press play. In honor of the launch of fast playback, WhatsApp has shared a short video on social platforms -- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, it added.

WhatsApp voice messages let you speak to friends and family whenever it suits you and lets them listen whenever it suits them, while still giving everyone a more personal connection than you get from a text message.

Users can simply open an individual or group chat, touch the microphone icon and slide up to lock hands-free recording. However, it can be hard to find the time to listen to a long voice message.

Therefore, WhatsApp is introducing Fast Playback, which speeds up the message, making it possible to reduce the time it takes to listen to your longest voice messages, the company said.

The new feature is now available for users on WhatsApp.