Audio messaging interface on messaging platform

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for audio messaging interface for messaging platform. One of the methods includes receiving, by a first client on a first user device, a request to record an audio message, wherein the first client is configured to provide a user interface for the platform for a user using the first user device who is logged in to a user account on the platform; recording audio through a microphone of the first user device; generating a platform message by (i) generating a video file that includes the recorded audio as an audio portion of the video file and programmatically generated minimal video content as a video portion of the video file, and (ii) including the video file in the platform message; and posting, by the first client, the platform message to the platform, in response to a post request.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a user device, cause the user device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by a client on a user device, a platform message comprising a video file, the video file having a video portion and an audio portion; and   determining, by the client, that the video portion of the video file comprises minimal video content that has been programmatically generated, and in response:
 obtaining second video content by the client, the second video content being different from the minimal video content, and 
 displaying, on a display of the user device, the second video content while playing the audio portion of the video file of the platform message. 
   
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 2 , wherein obtaining the second video content comprises generating, by the client, the second video content. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 2 , wherein determining that the video portion of the video file comprises the minimal video content comprises:
 determining that a signature of data specifying the video portion of the video file matches a predetermined signature of data corresponding to programmatically generated minimal video content.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 2 , wherein determining that the video portion of the video file comprises the minimal video content comprises:
 determining that the video portion includes a flag indicating that the video content was programmatically generated.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 2 , wherein the programmatically generated video content contributes less, to the file size of the video file, than the audio portion. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 2 , wherein the received video file is in an audiovisual format. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 2 , wherein displaying the second video content while playing the audio portion of the video file of the platform message comprises:
 rendering, using a codec for an audiovisual file format, the second video content to substitute the minimal video portion of the video file while playing the audio portion of the video file.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by a client on a user device, a platform message comprising a video file, the video file having a video portion and an audio portion; and   determining, by the client, that the video portion of the video file comprises minimal video content that has been programmatically generated, and in response:
 obtaining second video content by the client, the second video content being different from the minimal video content, and 
 displaying, on a display of the user device, the second video content while playing the audio portion of the video file of the platform message. 
   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein obtaining the second video content comprises generating, by the client, the second video content. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein determining that the video portion of the video file comprises the minimal video content comprises:
 determining that a signature of data specifying the video portion of the video file matches a predetermined signature of data corresponding to programmatically generated minimal video content.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein determining that the video portion of the video file comprises the minimal video content comprises:
 determining that the video portion includes a flag indicating that the video content was programmatically generated.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the programmatically generated video content contributes less, to the file size of the video file, than the audio portion. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the received video file is in an audiovisual format. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein displaying the second video content while playing the audio portion of the video file of the platform message comprises:
 rendering, using a codec for an audiovisual file format, the second video content to substitute the minimal video portion of the video file while playing the audio portion of the video file.   
     
     
         16 . A system comprising a user device and one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions that are operable, when executed by the user device, to cause the user device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by a client on the user device, a platform message comprising a video file, the video file having a video portion and an audio portion; and   determining, by the client, that the video portion of the video file comprises minimal video content that has been programmatically generated, and in response:
 obtaining second video content by the client, the second video content being different from the minimal video content, and 
 displaying, on a display of the user device, the second video content while playing the audio portion of the video file of the platform message. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein obtaining the second video content comprises generating, by the client, the second video content. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein determining that the video portion of the video file comprises the minimal video content comprises:
 determining that a signature of data specifying the video portion of the video file matches a predetermined signature of data corresponding to programmatically generated minimal video content.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein determining that the video portion of the video file comprises the minimal video content comprises:
 determining that the video portion includes a flag indicating that the video content was programmatically generated.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the programmatically generated video content contributes less, to the file size of the video file, than the audio portion. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the received video file is in an audiovisual format. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein displaying the second video content while playing the audio portion of the video file of the platform message comprises:
 rendering, using a codec for an audiovisual file format, the second video content to substitute the minimal video portion of the video file while playing the audio portion of the video file.