WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, used by over 2 billion people worldwide. It offers a variety of useful features, including voice notes, video calling, and group chats. One handy but lesser known tool is the built-in voice translator, which allows you to translate voice messages into different languages.
What is the WhatsApp voice translator?
The WhatsApp voice translator is an accessibility feature that translates voice notes into different languages in real-time. When enabled, it will automatically detect the language spoken and translate it into your set language of choice. This allows you to exchange voice messages with contacts who speak different languages.
The voice translation occurs within the app itself. You simply need to activate the tool, and you will see the transcribed text translation appear on screen as the voice note plays. It works for voice messages up to one minute long.
How to enable the WhatsApp voice translator
Enabling the voice translator is easy and only takes a few steps:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings
- Select Languages > Voice Translation
- Toggle on Voice Translation to activate it
- Select the Target Translation Language from the list
- Hit Save to confirm the settings
That’s all there is to it! The voice translator will now be enabled. Keep in mind you can only set one target language at a time, but you can change this later if needed.
Using the WhatsApp voice translator
Once voice translation is enabled, you can start translating voice notes right away. Here is how it works:
- Open an individual or group chat in WhatsApp
- Press and hold the mic button to record a voice message as normal
- Release to send it to your contacts
- The app will now transcribe and translate the message into text in your set language
- You will see this transcription appear on screen as the voice note plays
The translation typically appears within seconds, allowing you to read the text even as you listen to the original audio. This makes it much easier to understand messages from contacts speaking other languages.
Tips for accurate translation
To ensure the voice translator works optimally, keep these tips in mind:
- Speak clearly and not too quickly
- Minimize background noise
- Stick to short messages under a minute long
- Use common vocabulary – slang may not translate accurately
Testing it out with voice samples in your target language can also help the translator learn your speech patterns for better translations.
Languages supported
The WhatsApp voice translator supports over 100 different languages. This table lists some of the most common ones available on the app:
| Language | Code |
|---|---|
| Arabic | ar |
| Bengali | bn |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | zh |
| English | en |
| French | fr |
| German | de |
| Hindi | hi |
| Indonesian | id |
| Italian | it |
| Japanese | ja |
| Korean | ko |
| Portuguese | pt |
| Russian | ru |
| Spanish | es |
| Turkish | tr |
So if your contacts speak any of these languages, the translator can help bridge communication gaps.
Limitations
While useful, the WhatsApp voice translator does have some limitations to keep in mind:
- It only works for voice notes, not live voice chats
- Transcriptions may not be completely accurate for long or complex messages
- It lacks contextual understanding of slang, cultural references etc
- Translations may not convey the exact intent and tone of the speaker
- Background noise can interfere and cause incorrect transcriptions
- Only one target language can be set at a time
However, while not perfect, it can still help you grasp the overall meaning of most straightforward voice messages in a foreign language.
Troubleshooting tips
If you are having issues getting the voice translator to work properly, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed
- Check your internet connection is stable
- Confirm the feature is enabled in your WhatsApp settings
- Try toggling the voice translation off and on again
- Verify the target language is set correctly
- Check your phone’s microphone permissions allow WhatsApp access
- Try recording voice notes in shorter segments of 30 seconds
- Restart your phone and try again
If it still does not work, you can also try reporting the issue directly to WhatsApp. Make sure to include details like your phone model, WhatsApp version, and the specific issue you are facing.
Conclusion
The WhatsApp voice translator provides a quick and easy way to understand voice messages from international contacts in other languages. While it has some limitations, it can still help convey the gist of simple voice notes.
To use it, simply enable voice translation in your WhatsApp settings, select a target language, and record voice notes as normal. The transcribed translation will appear on screen. For best results, speak clearly, minimize background noise, and keep messages under a minute long.
With billions of users worldwide, WhatsApp is bringing us closer together. The voice translator feature helps break down language barriers, allowing deeper connections with global friends and family.