We’re all familiar with instant messaging, and there seems to be no end to the list of iOS apps for chatting with your friends. Recently I started using an app that lets you send instant messages with your voice instead of text. HeyTell, by Voxilate, turns your iOS device into a walkie-talkie.
HeyTell makes it very easy to communicate with your friends – select a friend from your contact list, press the “Hold and Speak” button, and say whatever you want. Within seconds, the recipient gets your message, and can reply back the same way. If you enabled Push notifications, you’ll get a pop-up to let you know a message is waiting. You can grab friends from your Address Book, or if you have a Facebook account (and who doesn’t?) you can grab friends from it as well. You can also use the GPS feature of your device to let your friend know where you are while you’re sending the message.
Like standard instant messaging programs, HeyTell offers a few privacy settings: Low, which allows anyone to send a message to you if they know your contact information; Medium, which only allows friends and friends of friends to contact you; and High, which only allows your friends (and people you have contacted) to send messages to you. The default is Medium, and it’s probably a good idea to leave it that way until you have populated your friends list. It also will not send your location to anyone unless you specifically select that feature.
HeyTell is a free app, but there are some paid extras available. For $2 you can add a voice changer, or for $3 you can do group broadcasts, which would be handy if you were planning a dinner with friends and suddenly have to let them all know at once that you’re running late. The app is advertising-driven, but the ads don’t take up a lot of screen space. Once you purchase an extra you’ll have the option to turn ads off too.
HeyTell works on the iPhone, iPad, and 2nd generation iPod touch and later (Access to a WiFi network is required for iPod.) Since the iPod doesn’t have a built-in microphone, you’ll need to use either a headset/mic combination or purchase a small microphone (such as this one by Chill Pill, which I use and works great!) Your Android-using friends don’t have to be left out, as there is a version for Droid based phones too, and the two versions can interact with each other.
Download the HeyTell here