Microsoft to Let Gamers Record Xbox Voice Chats, Report Harassment

If someone is bullying you over voice chats on the Xbox, you’ll soon be able to record and report the incident to Microsoft. 

Microsoft is currently testing the feature, which will let players “capture and report inappropriate voice activity on any multiplayer game.”

“More specifically, this feature equips Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One players with the ability to capture a 60-second video clip of an in-game voice incident that they believe violates our Community Standards(Opens in a new window) and submit it as evidence to our Xbox Safety Team for review,” the company said(Opens in a new window) in the announcement. 

The so-called “reactive voice reporting” gives Xbox players another way to flag(Opens in a new window) inappropriate behavior that occurs in Xbox multiplayer sessions. Although trash talking is common, sometimes the insults can get toxic, and devolve into racial slurs and other hate speech. 

Microsoft added: “Our team targeted in-game chat because it is often the place where players have the highest opportunity to interact with players outside of their friend network.” If a player uses the function to report potential rule-breaking behavior, Microsoft then has more evidence when deciding whether to crack down. 

The feature works by letting the player capture the last 60 seconds of gameplay, rather than operating as a rolling surveillance feed. “Only you have access to the clip until you submit it with your report—Xbox is not saving or uploading any voice clips without you, the player, choosing to start the reporting process,” Microsoft says. 

The recorded clip will also reside on the Xbox console for 24 online hours. Users can submit the captured clip with their report immediately, or wait until they are ready. “We’ll also send you a reminder to report if you haven’t completed one within the 24 online hour period,” the company added. “If you decide not to report, the clip will be erased from your console automatically.”

Microsoft is rolling out the feature this week for English-language players enrolled in the Xbox Insider Alpha or Alpha-Skip-Ahead beta testing(Opens in a new window) programs. The goal is to gather feedback before possibly rolling the reactive voice feature to all Xbox consumers. 

Microsoft adds the reactive voice reporting function “works across thousands of games that offer in-game multiplayer voice chat, including Xbox 360 backward-compatible titles.”