Have you ever received a WhatsApp message from a friend who speaks a different mother tongue? Don’t worry, WhatsApp Chat Translation will convert it in the native texts for you.

In a world connected to social media, distance is no longer a barrier to communication, but language is. Like, you can’t expect your friend to comprehend your texts if he or she has no understanding of your language. 

Knowing the above challenge, Meta is introducing a chat translation feature for Beta users. It will transform multilingual communication by activating the seamless translation of all the shared messages. 

What is the WhatsApp Chat Translation Feature Update?

WhatsApp Translation is a newly rolled-out real-time translation feature in the Android beta version 2.25.12.25. 

With this feature, the users can translate chat messages and channel updates in their chosen language. The feature currently supports Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Hindi, and Russian languages. 

In the future, Meta will add more languages to improve the user experience. Thus, no more you have to rely upon third-party translation apps to comprehend the messages of your foreign friend. 

How does the WhatsApp Chat Translation Work?

Users who opt for the chat translation in the beta version can find the translation option in the chat info screen. After selecting the language, WhatsApp will download a language pack to your device. This helps in faster translations of foreign texts without depending on internet connectivity. 

There are two ways to use this feature:

• Auto translation: When auto-translation is enabled, messages from that chat or channel will automatically translate to the selected language.
• Manual translation: You can also translate texts manually by tapping on them and holding the message for a while. Later on, just choose the “Translate” option. 

Why the WhatsApp Chat Translation feature?

WhatsApp translation is a game-changer for users who use it as their primary mode of communication. If you have someone speaking a different language from yours, communicating has become easy using this WhatsApp update. 

Public figures can utilize this feature to promote their WhatsApp Channels in a multilingual region. Your followers will find it more relatable if they receive messages in their native languages. 

WhatsApp Chat Translation Privacy & Performance

After the launch of this feature, your privacy will not be compromised. The language packs are downloaded on your device locally so that the translations can happen without cloud support. Earlier, people had to depend on cloud-translation apps like Google Translate, but now you can do without them. 

Limitations and Room for Growth

Because the feature is newly launched, the following limitations are there:

• Translation results may not be accurate
• Voice message support is absent. 
• Limited to certain languages, so you have to wait for fully-fledged translation support. 

User Experience and Accessibility

As WhatsApp is working on revamping accessibility, no wonder that the user base is growing constantly. This move is in alignment with WhatsApp’s goal of connecting people on a large scale. 

For instance, in an area where regional languages are more popular, it’s hard to communicate in your own language. In fact, many rural people still don’t know how to talk in English, so the only way out is chat translation.

Another method that Meta has used is the toggle-based system. It provides full control over the chats you want to translate. This feature helps avoid unnecessary processing,g too. 

Competition & Context

WhatsApp is far ahead of existing competitors like Telegram and Signal messaging apps. Now, the addition of chat translation will provide it with an edge over them. 

Final Thoughts

WhatsApp chat translation is a crucial step by Meta to enable an inclusive experience throughout its digital space. The language barrier will fade away, making way to connect people without any third-party translation app. 

Though the feature is accessible in beta only, there’s no doubt that it will become one of the most important features of WhatsApp. Do try it on your device if you are a beta user and let us know your experience.