WhatsApp has introduced a new feature that allows users to transcribe voice messages into text, a convenience for those in noisy environments or situations where listening isn’t an option. Announced Thursday, the feature emphasizes privacy, as transcripts are processed directly on users’ devices and remain end-to-end encrypted.
To enable the feature, users can navigate to Settings > Chats > Voice message transcripts and toggle it on. They can also choose their preferred transcript language. To transcribe a voice message, users simply long-press the message and select the “transcribe” option. However, transcripts are not generated automatically; the user initiates them on a message-by-message basis.
The feature is rolling out globally over the coming weeks and currently supports a limited selection of languages, with plans to expand. On iOS, support varies depending on the operating system version:
- iOS 16 and later: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, and Arabic.
- iOS 17 and later: Additional languages, including Danish, Finnish, Malay, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Hebrew, and Thai.
For Android users, transcripts are initially available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian.
This marks another step for WhatsApp, owned by Meta, in enhancing its messaging capabilities. The rollout coincides with a series of updates across Meta’s platforms, including new features for Messenger like audio/video messaging for missed calls, HD video calling, AI-generated video call backgrounds, background noise suppression, and voice isolation.
Meta’s broader updates aim to streamline communication and introduce tools catering to diverse user needs, positioning the company competitively alongside major players like Apple’s Messages app, which launched a similar voice-to-text feature with iOS 17.
