WhatsApp Beta adds voice message transcriptions on Android

July 11, 2024

The latest beta version of WhatsApp brings voice message transcription – a feature previously limited to Google Messages on Pixel phones – to all Android devices.

According to WABetaInfo, the latest WhatsApp beta for Android v2.24.15.5 adds voice message transcription to the popular cross-platform messaging service. This was previously spotted in development, but it seems that it is now ready for prime time and is rolling out in multiple languages.

Although we have updated to the latest WhatsApp beta, this option is still not available on several of our test devices. This report claims that after updating to this beta, WhatsApp will display a pop-up to confirm that transcripts are available for incoming voice messages.

You may see a pop-up when you launch the app after updating. To work in WhatsApp, you must first download a language pack or voice message transcription. This feature currently supports only five languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Hindi. Once you do that, the audio is analyzed before a transcription is created. All transcripts are generated on your phone, while voice messages are also encrypted to protect privacy.

This is eerily similar to the way certain Google Pixel phones can get voice message transcriptions when using SMS, MMS, or RCS messages in Google Messages. In this case, the audio is quickly analyzed before a text chat box appears below the audio waveform. This lets you get the context of a message even if you can’t listen at the time.

As we’ve discovered, this option may not be available to you right away, even if you’ve updated to the latest WhatsApp beta. For now, it seems to be available to a small group of beta testers in select regions. Hopefully we can see a wider rollout, as this is a great additional accessibility feature. It also means you won’t have to slog through podcast-length voice notes in the future.

It’s great that WhatsApp is at least testing such a feature as many other cross-platform services don’t offer this feature despite having many AI integrations and advanced features. Let’s hope it rolls out on a larger scale soon.