Sometimes typing and emoticons just don’t quite cut it (and a phone call is wayyyy too much commitment, let’s be real) so what are you to do? Well, in iOS 8, you have a third option –audio messages. Now, next to the text field when typing to someone else with iMessage enabled, you can tap a little microphone icon to record a short audio message and have it sent to them just like a picture message.

Ok, so it may not be that revolutionary, but it sure beats recording a voice note and then sending that. I’m all for reducing the number of taps I need to do anything. With it now being so easy, I’m sure we’ll see a lot more people using it, whether it’s appropriate or not (I can only imagine what my friends are going to be sending me sounds of).

Want to try it out yourself? Well, if you’re on iOS 8, here’s how:

1. Tap on Messages.

2. Tap on the conversation you want to send the audio message through.

3. Tap and hold on the microphone key on the right side of the text field and start chatting away. You need to continue holding it by the way to continue to record.

4. Once you’ve said all you need to say, let go of the microphone icon and tap the arrow icon to send it along (you can also tap the X icon to delete it, or tap the play icon to listen to a preview of it).

And wait for their confused response (since it seems most people have no clue you can do this).

Keep in mind that it will only work if you BOTH have iOS 8 it seems.

Check out our iOS How To’s section for more iOS 8 tips and tricks!