WhatsApp has introduced a new in-app message translation feature that allows users to translate messages directly within chats without leaving the app. The feature is being gradually rolled out for both Android and iPhone (iOS) users and is intended to make conversations across different languages easier. With this update, users can read messages in their preferred language in individual chats, group chats, and Channel updates.
To use the translation feature, users simply need to long-press a message and select the ‘Translate’ option. For Android users, translations are initially available in six languages, including English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic. But iPhone users can access translations in more than 19 languages from the start, including Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
At the same time, Android users also have the option to enable automatic translation for entire chat threads, which translates all incoming messages without needing to select each one individually.
Users can manage translation settings through WhatsAppâs ‘Settings’ menu, where they can enable or disable the feature and select their preferred languages. The social media firm plans to expand the number of supported languages and improve translation accuracy in future updates.
Meanwhile, the Meta-owned company also ensures that privacy remains a key focus of this feature. All translations are processed directly on the userâs device, which keeps message content private and prevents it from being shared with Meta or any third party. This follows WhatsAppâs promise of end-to-end encryption, keeping messages safe and private while still allowing real-time translations.
“More than 3 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp, and weâre always working to keep our users closely connected, no matter where they are in the world. Message translations were designed to protect the privacy of your chats. Thatâs why translations occur on your device where WhatsApp cannot see them,” the company said.
The update comes at a time when Meta is constantly adding new AI and productivity features to WhatsApp. For example, in August 2025, the company rolled out a ‘Schedule Call‘ feature for group calls, along with new interactive tools that allow users to plan calls in advance, track attendees, and engage more effectively during ongoing discussions. In the same month, the platform also introduced a Meta AI-powered ‘Writing Help‘ tool to assist users in drafting messages more efficiently.
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