WhatsApp gets automatic translation for chats
Meta has given WhatsApp a function for translating text messages. The range of supported languages, especially on Android, is clear.
WhatsApp can now translate text messages.
(Image: WhatsApp)
WhatsApp will be able to translate text messages into different languages in the future. According to the company, the function will be integrated directly into the messenger, with Android users in particular benefiting from improvements.
The company explains that users can open a menu for messages in another language by long-pressing on the text and tapping on “Translate.” Now you have to select the language into or from which the message is to be translated. You download the language pack(s) to save them for further translations. According to WhatsApp, messages can be translated in both individual and group chats and for channel messages.
WhatsApp for Android with automatic translation
While the function can be used in both the iOS and Android app, the Android version offers an additional function: users of Android devices can activate automatic translation for an entire chat thread. This means that all future incoming messages in a chat can be translated without having to select them individually.
Meta points out that the translation does not take place in the cloud but directly on the user's own device “where WhatsApp cannot see it.” This differs from the Meta AI functions in WhatsApp, which are executed in the cloud via “private processing” and have been criticized in recent weeks. Most recently, audits in the “Writing Help” function revealed some serious gaps. In addition, the former head of WhatsApp security filed a lawsuit against Meta for inadequate data protection.
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The number of languages supported for the introduction of the new function is manageable: the translation is to be introduced on iOS in all 21 languages supported by Apple, including German. On Android, meanwhile, it will start with just six languages, namely English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic. The reduced language offering on Android can also be found in the option to transcribe voice messages introduced at the end of 2024, where German is still missing.
(afl)
