WhatsApp has added voice message transcripts to help read messages for the time when listening to a voice message isn’t possible. Voice message transcripts feature converts audio messages into text.
To enable, go to Settings > Chats > Voice message transcripts and toggle the feature on. When you enable the feature for the first time, it also lets you Choose a language. It will then download the language files on your device.
When you receive the audio message, long-press the message and tap on ‘transcribe’. It will transcribe the voice message. If your transcript language doesn’t match the language of the voice message or it fails to recognize words in the voice message, it will throw a “Transcript unavailable” error.
The company has confirmed that transcripts are generated directly on the device. It means your messages remain private. WhatsApp cannot hear or read your voice messages.
The feature is now being rolled out globally over the next few weeks for select languages. Currently, the feature is only available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian languages. The company confirmed that it will expand the list of supported languages in the coming months.
