WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that allows users to translate messages into their preferred language. The Meta-owned company announced on Tuesday that if a user sees a message in a different language, they can long-press it and tap “Translate.” From there, they can select the language they want to translate to or from, and even download the language pack for future use. The company noted that message translations are available in one-on-one chats, groups, and Channel updates.
Android users will have an additional option to turn on automatic translation for an entire chat thread, so all future incoming messages in that conversation are translated without any manual input. The company emphasized that translations occur on the user’s device, not on WhatsApp’s servers, which means that messages remain encrypted and private.
Platform-Specific Details and Context
The rollout of the new feature for Android and iPhone users began on Tuesday. However, the number of languages supported varies by platform. Android users can access translations in six languages: English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic. In contrast, iPhone users can access a wider range of over 19 languages at launch, as the feature leverages Apple’s built-in translation API. It is not yet known when WhatsApp plans to bring message translations to its web, Windows, or Mac apps.
This move comes a few months after Apple launched a similar “Live Translation” feature in its Messages, FaceTime, and Phone apps as part of its iOS 26 update. For WhatsApp, with more than 3 billion users across 180 countries, the feature is a significant step toward breaking down language barriers. “We hope this feature helps break down language barriers and allows users to connect more deeply with loved ones and communities around the globe,” the company stated in a blog post.
What The Author Thinks
This feature is a significant step towards making WhatsApp a truly global and interconnected communication platform. For a service with over three billion users, language is a major barrier, and this on-device translation system is a clever way to solve that problem while maintaining user privacy and end-to-end encryption. By integrating this tool directly into the app, WhatsApp is not just adding a feature but is fundamentally changing how users interact with people from different parts of the world, making global communication more seamless than ever before. This is a move that could solidify its dominance and make it an even more essential utility for millions of people in multilingual environments.
Featured image credit: Mariia Shalabaieva via Unsplash
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