WhatsApp may not be as popular in the US as it is throughout much of the rest of the world, but thanks to a flashy, celebrity-packed ad campaign, it’s been working to reverse that fate. Now, WhatsApp is adding support for message translations directly within your conversations, with Android users in particular getting a pretty big upgrade.
Starting with this new update, WhatsApp users can long-press on any received message to gain a new “Translate” option within the context menu. WhatsApp supports selecting languages to translate to or from, alongside the option to download your regularly-used languages “for future translations.” Everything occurs on-device, rather than in the cloud, in order to ensure WhatsApp can’t see the messages you’re translating. There aren’t any limits to what this tool works on — it’ll support DMs, group chats, and updates within joined channels.
While this feature will be rolling out to Android and iOS users alike, it’s the former group that gets an enhanced experience. WhatsApp users on Android can enable automatic translation for entire threads, bypassing the one-by-one translation method iOS users will need while also translating new messages within that specific conversation as they roll into your inbox.
Unsurprisingly, this is starting out with some pretty limited support. In addition to a “gradual” rollout, on iOS, translation is launching with all of Apple’s 21 app-supported languages. On Android, you’ll only have access to six, including English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic. It’s a relatively small step, but it could help WhatsApp build out its audience in the US among users who routinely communicate with friends or family around the globe.
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