Almost a year after debuting on the iOS version of the app, WhatsApp is finally bringing voice message transcription to Android. A beta version of the feature is reportedly rolling out to users, and it supports transcription in five different languages at the moment. The feature uses speech recognition to automatically generate written transcripts of voice messages right within the chat.
Some Android users in the WhatsApp beta program now have access to a new “Transcripts” option in settings. Turning it on will download language data and allow voice messages to be transcribed. Currently, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Hindi are supported.
The transcriptions appear directly in the message bubble for easy reading. And because it relies on your device’s speech technology, transcripts remain end-to-end encrypted for privacy. WhatsApp plans to roll it out to more beta testers soon before a full release.
Tired of having to listen back to entire voice notes? Now you can get the gist from transcripts instead of replaying audio. After a long wait, Android users can finally read WhatsApp voice messages thanks to this new transcription feature.
