A modern Walkie-talkie

At first glance Walkie-talkie looks like a novelty, but it does offer real-world benefits

Imagine being at a concert or simply wanting a one-to-one conversation with someone in a way that feels more personal and slightly retro at the same time. Walkie-talkie fulfils that aim and once you are used to how it works you may find yourself using it more and more. The Series 4 speaker makes the feature even more usable and closer to the experience of walkie-talkies of old.

1 Suggested friends

When you first open Walkie-talkie you will see some instructions above a list of suggested friends. These should be people who are set up to use the feature and who can talk straightaway.

2 Hold and speak

After inviting a contact you will be able to hold down the large ‘Talk’ button and then speak at the same time. Truth be told, it does actually feel a little odd the first time you try it.

3 A conversation

As the other person speaks, an animated circle pulses and will completely change once they lift their finger or thumb from the button their side. The entire process is very natural in use.

4 Change the volume

You can change the volume using the digital crown at which point the tiny speaker icon will turn green. A green volume bar will then appear as you make the changes you need.

5 See their status

Your friend’s status will be displayed in the app with a yellow tile if they are online and available to talk. It just takes a glance to understand if they can talk at any time.

6 Go offline

If you need to go offline for a while and do not want to be disturbed you can simply scroll up to the top and then tap the ‘Available’ icon to go dark. Minimalist and quick.