Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, has announced the rollout of a new message translation feature aimed at making communication across languages seamless for more than 3 billion users worldwide. The update, which began rolling out on Tuesday, allows users to translate messages directly within their chats while maintaining the privacy and security of conversations.
With the new feature, users can press and hold any message, tap “Translate,” and choose their preferred language. The tool works across private chats, group conversations, and Channel updates. Android users will also have the option to enable automatic translation for entire chat threads, allowing real-time multilingual communication without the need for third-party apps.
WhatsApp said the feature is being introduced gradually for both Android and iPhone users, starting with a limited number of languages. Android users will initially have access to six languages ; English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic while iPhone users will be able to translate messages into more than 19 languages from the start.
The company emphasised that privacy remains central to the feature. All translations happen directly on the user’s device, meaning WhatsApp itself cannot view the messages being translated. “Message translations were designed to protect the privacy of your chats. That’s why translations occur on your device where WhatsApp cannot see them,” the company said, reaffirming its commitment to end-to-end encryption and data protection.
With WhatsApp serving users in over 180 countries, the feature is expected to bridge language gaps and foster deeper global connections. “We’re excited to bring message translations to WhatsApp, so you can more easily communicate across languages,” Meta said in a statement. The update reflects WhatsApp’s broader ambition to evolve beyond a messaging app into a more inclusive and accessible communication platform, particularly in regions with diverse linguistic communities.
The translation rollout follows a series of recent upgrades designed to enhance how individuals, businesses, and creators use WhatsApp. In June, Meta introduced three new features aimed at helping organisations and content creators grow and monetise their presence on the platform. These included Channel Subscriptions for exclusive updates, Promoted Channels for better discoverability, and Ads in Status for improved business visibility.
Meta revealed that more than 1.5 billion people use WhatsApp’s Updates tab daily, which houses Status and Channels to view friends’ posts or follow public figures and organisations. With such a massive user base, the company sees opportunities to expand its business model while improving user experience.
The addition of in-app translation marks another significant step in WhatsApp’s evolution, signalling its intent to make global communication more seamless, private, and inclusive.
