WhatsApp Rolls Out Voice Message Transcripts With Support for English and Other Languages

Only recipients will be able to see transcript of voice message and not the sender.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 22 November 2024 10:18 IST

WhatsApp Rolls Out Voice Message Transcripts With Support for English and Other Languages

Photo Credit: WhatsApp

Voice message transcripts on WhatsApp were first reported to be in development in May

Highlights

Voice message transcripts are available on WhatsApp
It currently supports five languages on Android but more on iOS
WhatsApp claims transcripts are generated on-device

WhatsApp rolled out a new feature on Thursday that aims to make sharing voice messages more convenient. It introduces voice message transcripts on WhatsApp for Android and iOS platforms, enabling users to see a text-based transcription of the voice message received from others. The feature is said to come in handy while on the move or in a loud environment. This development comes after WhatsApp recently released a drafts label for unread messages in chats and a new widget for the home screen of its iOS app.

WhatsApp Voice Message Transcripts

In a blog post, WhatsApp highlighted that voice message transcripts are generated on-device and no one else can hear or read the content of the transcripts. Voice messages still remain protected by the instant messaging platform's end-to-end encryption, the company emphasised.

The feature needs to be turned on before use. Once toggled, a transcript automatically appears below the voice message in the selected language. As per the company, only the recipient will be able to see a transcript of the voice message and not the sender.

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WhatsApp says it currently has support only for English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian on the Android platform, whereas its iOS app gets support for several more languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Thai, Turkish, and Swedish.

How to use this feature:

Open WhatsApp Settings > Chats
Toggle Voice Message Transcripts on or off and select the desired language.
Tap and hold a voice message, then tap Transcribe.
Tap the expand icon in the voice message to reveal more of the transcription.

WhatsApp says it might take a moment for the transcript to appear. If the users run into the “Transcript unavailable” error, it might be due to unsupported transcript language, unrecognisable words background noise, or unsupported voice message language. The company also advises caution as voice message transcripts have a possibility of being inaccurate.

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Further reading: WhatsApp, WhatsApp Voice Messages, WhatsApp for Andriod, WhatsApp for iOS, WhatsApp Update

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More