WhatsApp, on September 23, announced that it is gradually rolling out Message Translations to iOS and Android devices.
WhatsApp for iOS reportedly uses Apple's translation APIs
Photo Credit: WhatsApp
WhatsApp recently announced that it would bring a new Message Translations feature on iOS and Android smartphones. The feature is finally rolling out to users with the latest build of WhatsApp for iOS, which began rolling out to users on Tuesday. Users can choose to translate messages from 21 languages within WhatsApp. The update is available to a few users after updating to the latest version of WhatsApp via the App Store, while it could be available on more devices in the coming days. WhatsApp is said to be using Apple's translation APIs to ensure secure and fast translations from one language to another.
The latest build of WhatsApp for iOS that is rolling out via the App Store includes the recently announced Message Translation feature, according to feature tracker WABetaInfo. This means that users must update to WhatsApp for iOS 25.28.74, and the feature will eventually be enabled on their device. Gadgets 360 staff members were unable to immediately confirm the presence of the feature on their devices.
The feature tracker reports that the translation framework will automatically detect the language of the messages, without requiring users to manually intervene. However, if the automatic detection output is incorrect, users can manually choose the correct source language.
WhatsApp for iOS will allow users to manually select languages, too
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ WABetaInfo
Users must individually download various language packs, which allows the feature to work even without an internet connection.
The list of languages available on the latest iOS build reportedly includes Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified), Chinese (Mandarin, Traditional), Dutch, English (UK), English (US), French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
Announced last month via a blog post, WhatsApp's in-app Message Translation works in individual chat windows, group chats, and channel updates. On Android, the company allows users to translate messages in English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic. To initiate the same, users can long-press on a text message and tap the Translate button.
The company said that its Android users can enable automatic translations for entire chat threads, eliminating the need for translating each message individually. WhatsApp claimed that Message Translations has been built while keeping in mind a user's privacy. The Meta-owned platform highlighted that the translations are executed on-device, and nobody else, including WhatsApp, has access to a user's conversations.
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