WhatsApp Rolls Out Voice Message Transcripts Feature for Everyone

Highlights

• WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that transcribes voice messages into text.
• The new feature will make it easier to access content without listening.
• Users can enable transcriptions via Settings > Chats > Voice message transcripts.
• The feature is currently available in limited languages like English, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian.

Voice messages on WhatsApp are a convenient way of reaching out to your contacts. However, there are times when you may not be in a situation where you can hear the voice message you just received.

For times like these, WhatsApp started testing a feature that turns voice messages into text over a year ago.

The feature until now was available only to beta users.

However, WhatsApp has just announced that it is now rolling out the feature to everyone.

Once updated for all users, it will make it easier to access voice message content without having to listen to it.

As per tech crunch ,

“On iOS, the languages that are supported depend on your OS. If you have iOS 16+, the supported languages include English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, and Arabic. If you have iOS 17+, the supported languages include Danish, Finish, Malay, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Hebrew, and Thai. If you have an Android, you can access transcripts in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian.”

Here’s everything you need to know about the new feature.

Transcribe Voice Messages on WhatsApp

The new WhatsApp feature allows the app to transcribe what’s said in voice messages into text.

It’s especially handy when you’re in situations where listening to audio isn’t possible such as in noisy places or while on the go.

According to Meta, the transcriptions are processed entirely on your device after the audio is downloaded.

In a blog post announcing the new feature, WhatsApp shared the aim of the feature, “Sending a voice message makes connecting with friends and family even more personal. There’s something special about hearing your loved one’s voice even when you’re far away. Though sometimes, you’re on the move, in a loud place, or you receive a long voice message that you just can’t stop and listen.”

How to Use Voice Message Transcript Feature on WhatsApp?

Users can simply go to Settings > Chats > Voice message transcripts to get started with the new WhatsApp transcript feature. Users will be able to easily turn transcriptions on or off and select their transcript language from the settings section.

To transcribe a voice message, users can long-press on the message and tap on ‘transcribe.’

Currently, the feature supports only a few languages including English, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian.

However, Meta plans a global rollout, which means the feature should reach all users “over the coming weeks.”

Just to refresh memory, Apple too introduced a similar feature to iMessage last year with iOS 17. However, Apple’s version supports audio transcription in several languages, which gives the feature a much broader reach.

Full list of supported languages based on platform:

Android

English
Portuguese
Spanish
Russian

iOS 16+

English
Spanish
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Portuguese
Russian
Turkish
Chinese
Arabic

iOS 17+

Danish
Finish
Hebrew
Malay
Norwegian
Dutch
Swedish
Thai

FAQs

Q1. What is the new feature that WhatsApp is rolling out for voice messages?

Answer. WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that transcribes voice messages into text making it easier to access voice message content without having to listen to it.

Q2. How can users enable the voice message transcript feature on WhatsApp?

Answer. Users can go to Settings > Chats > Voice message transcripts to turn transcriptions on or off and select the transcript language. To transcribe a voice message, long-press on the message and tap ‘transcribe’.

Q3. Which languages does the new WhatsApp transcription feature currently support?

Answer. The feature supports English, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian with plans for a global rollout over the coming weeks.

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