Meta Platforms has announced a real-time translation feature on WhatsApp. The new feature will enable users to chat across different languages without any stress. As more than 3 billion people already use the instant messaging platform worldwide, this new update will be designed to remove language barriers and enable users to communicate smoothly.
The rollout for the translation feature will start in six languages on Android devices and 19 languages on iOS devices (iPhones), with Meta promising to expand support for more languages in the future.
Privacy-focused translations
One of the major highlights of this language translation update is that the translations will be happening directly on the device- not on Meta’s servers. This will ensure that the privacy of the user is protected, as WhatsApp cannot access the content of your chats.
Meta has explained in its blog post that the feature is designed to keep conversations secure while still offering convenience.
How the Translation feature works
- Using the new feature is simple. WhatsApp users can:
- Long-press on any message and tap the “Translate” option.
- Instantly see the message in their preferred language.
Who can use this feature?
The feature is available across all modes of chats on the instant messaging platform, including personal chats, group conversations and even WhatsApp Channels.
This feature will make it useful for both casual conversations and community updates.
Extra perk for Android users
Android users will be getting an additional advantage- they can enable automatic translation for an entire chat thread.
This means that the future messages in that chat will be translated by default, saving time and making cross-language conversations more natural.
Why could this new feature be a game-changer for the users?
- For a global app like WhatsApp, which is being used by billions of people who are using different languages for communication, there are times when people face some trouble in communicating. It is certainly versatile, but the language has always been a barrier, especially in multilingual countries like India.
- The real-time translation feature will enable the users (friends, families, and businesses) to connect more effectively and flawlessly- no matter what language they use.
- It will also help small businesses and communities reach larger audiences without needing external translation apps.
Future outlook
Meta confirmed that the list of supported languages will continue to grow, making WhatsApp more inclusive and accessible for billions of users. This is another step in WhatsApp’s evolution beyond messaging, as the platform continues to add tools for productivity, payments, shopping, and now language accessibility.