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WhatsApp Introduces Gradual Translation Feature for iPhone and Android

WhatsApp Introduces Gradual Translation Feature for iPhone and Android
source: gettyimages
September 23, 2025

A new translation feature is rolling out gradually for WhatsApp users on both iPhone and Android devices, enhancing communication across languages. Starting today, users can translate messages directly within chats, groups, and Channel update messages by simply long-pressing on a message and selecting the “Translate” option. This allows users to choose their preferred language for the translation.

Initially, Android users will have support for English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic. They can also activate automatic translation for entire chat threads, enabling seamless translation of all incoming messages. Meanwhile, iPhone users will be able to translate messages into more than 19 languages at launch, offering a broader range of language options.

This feature, however, is not a real-time on-the-fly translation like some other apps offer. It is designed for users to manually translate messages as needed. Microsoft demonstrated a similar "Tap to translate" feature on Android nearly a decade ago, but WhatsApp’s update aims to make multilingual conversations more accessible for its billions of users worldwide.

WhatsApp has indicated plans to add more languages in the future, making it easier for users to connect across linguistic barriers.

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