A year after appearing on iOS, audio transcription finally arrives in the Android version of WhatsApp. You can turn voice messages into text to read them quietly if you don’t want to or can’t listen to them.
Like many other instant messengers, WhatsApp allows you to send voice messages using the microphone button, which is very practical for telling a long story – and avoiding typing everything by hand – and conveying emotions. However, they may not always be very suitable. For example, the quality of the audio may be degraded and make the message incomprehensible, or the recipient may not be able to listen to them if they are surrounded.
Also, for a year now, the WhatsApp mobile application on iOS has been able to transcribe voice messages, but not the one on Android. An oversight that Meta worked hard to correct. After long months of development, the function which converts spoken words into written text will finally be deployed on Android in the coming weeks, as WhatsApp announced in a blog post.
Transcription of WhatsApp voice messages: how does it work?
WhatsApp voice transcription helps convert voice messages into text. This function takes the form of a bubble under the voice notes, provided that the option is activated – you have to go to “Settings”, then “Discussions”, then “Transcribe voice messages”. You must then choose the desired language. Please note, the voice message must last less than two minutes. If it lasts longer, tap “Transcribe” in the voicemail message.
Once the option is activated, WhatsApp invites you to download a linguistic data pack to enable transcription. The latter relies on the voice recognition of the smartphone to function. To activate it, simply touch and hold it with your finger to bring up the option. The transcription will then appear in the same bubble as that of the voice message.
Transcription of WhatsApp voice messages: it’s about time!
One of the main advantages of the WhatsApp transcription service is its security and the privacy protection it offers. This means that transcriptions are processed directly on the device, so that the content remains end-to-end encrypted and is not uploaded to WhatsApp’s servers or those of your smartphone manufacturer. This function is already found in Telegram, one of the most popular competitors of the Meta application – but it is reserved for Telegram Premium subscribers –, while Google Messages, the free SMS, MMS and RCS application, the offers for all its users.
The deployment of this function on Android was eagerly awaited, particularly since March when TheSpyAndroid had discovered several lines of code on this subject, before it arrived on the beta version of the application last July. All users will now be able to benefit from it.
At the moment, only four languages are available on Android, namely English, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. For its part, the iOS version offers more languages – including French – which suggests that the function will eventually be introduced in more regions for Android users. It remains to be seen when French will be supported on the Android version of WhatsApp…