My friend met his wife on Twitter. If it wasn’t for voice notes, they might never have clicked | Shelley Hepworth

Voice messages provide the intimacy and sensory richness of a phone call without the burden of an immediate response

A friend of mine met his wife on Twitter a few years ago. Because he was away travelling at the time, they didn't go on a real-life date until two months into their courtship. Initially, his wife found his online persona a bit blunt. It wasn't until they switched from text to voice messages their connection really flourished.

My friend says he's had similar feedback in the past - somehow his kind and curious nature is flattened into something harsher in text form. So much more is communicated when you use your voice," he says.