WhatsApp on Thursday introduced a new feature, Voice Message Transcripts, designed to assist users who find it difficult to listen to voice messages in noisy environments or while on the move.
WhatsApp explained that this feature converts voice messages into text, enabling users to follow conversations without needing to listen to the audio. It emphasized that while voice messages add a personal touch, they can be inconvenient in certain situations, and the transcripts help users stay updated on conversations wherever they are.
Privacy and Security of Transcripts
WhatsApp reassured users that the transcripts are generated directly on their devices, ensuring that no one else, not even WhatsApp, can access or read personal messages. Additionally, read receipts for voice messages will appear according to the user’s privacy settings.
How to Enable and Use Voice Message Transcripts
To get started with voice message transcripts:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats.
- Find Voice Message Transcripts and toggle it on.
- Select your preferred transcript language.
If using the feature for the first time, users will be prompted to choose a language and decide whether to download it using mobile data or Wi-Fi.
Viewing Voice Message Transcripts
Once voice message transcripts are enabled:
- Tap and hold a voice message.
- Select Transcribe to view the transcript.
- If the transcript takes a moment to load, wait for it to appear.
In some cases, a “Transcript unavailable” error may occur. This can happen if the language settings do not match the voice message’s language, there is background noise, or the language is unsupported. WhatsApp also noted that transcript accuracy may not always be perfect.
Availability
The voice message transcript feature is gradually rolling out globally over the coming weeks. Initially, WhatsApp supports transcripts in four languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian. The company plans to add more languages in the coming months.
Announcing the feature on his WhatsApp channel, WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart said,
We’re introducing transcripts for voice messages! Many people have requested this, and we believe it will make it easier to quickly understand the content of a voice message. We’ve designed this with privacy in mind: transcripts will be generated on your device, ensuring that your voice messages remain protected with end-to-end encryption.