WhatsApp’s New Feature Turns Voice Messages into Text

2 years ago

WhatsApp is introducing a new feature to make it easier to manage voice messages: transcripts. This is a feature that is part of many voicemail services, where audio messages are converted to text, letting you read what was said.

How It Works

Voice message transcripts are generated right on your device, ensuring privacy, says WhatsApp, as this mean only you can access them. To use the feature:

Go to Settings > Chats > Voice message transcripts to turn the feature on or off.
Choose your preferred transcript language.
Long press a voice message and tap “transcribe” to convert it into text.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg first announced transcripts for voice messages was coming yesterday on his WhatsApp channel:

Whatsapp transcript voice messages.

WhatsApp says the feature is rolling out globally over the next few weeks, starting with a limited number of supported languages. WhatsApp plans to expand language options in the coming months. We’re not seeing this live in Canada yet, but stay tuned.

Want to see more of our stories on Google?

P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!