The latest WhatsApp update just made us polyglots! WhatsApp is allowing users to translate messages into the language of their choice. Now, if users receive a message in another language, they can press and hold it and click “Translate.” Users can select the language and download it for future use. The option is available in all conversations. Android users have the option to enable automatic translation for an entire conversation so that subsequent messages are translated. The company emphasizes that the translation happens on the user’s device and WhatsApp cannot see it, preserving the encryption of the messages.
“With more than 3 billion users in 180 countries, we’re always working to keep our users connected, no matter where they are. But we understand that sometimes language can be a barrier to getting things done or expressing how you really feel. That’s why we’re excited to bring message translations to WhatsApp so you can communicate more easily in different languages,” the platform said in a statement.
The message translation feature has been rolling out to both Android and iOS users since Tuesday. Six languages are available on Android: English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian and Arabic. On iPhone, there are more options: Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. It’s not yet known when the feature will be available on the web or on Windows and Mac.