Meta-owned instant messaging chat service WhatsApp is testing support for five languages including Hindi for its voice transcribing feature, according to a a report by WABetaInfo.
The voice-transcribe feature was first seen in WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.7.8 update. While WhatsApp’s voice-transcribe feature is reportedly still under development, the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.13.8 update provided new clues to future WhatsApp updates: an option to change the language for the voice transcripts.
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WhatsApp’s beta feature shows support for five languages
As per the report, WhatsApp will add a new section where users can choose from five languages: English, Hindi, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian and Spanish.
Once the WhatsApp user picks a language for voice transcribing, the app will reportedly download a package for the chosen language to enable transcription. As per the report, the downloaded language package will allow the transcripts to be processed locally on the user’s phone/tablet/PC, with end-to-end encryption.
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WhatsApp’s voice transcripts feature: Benefits
WhatsApp’s voice transcripts feature is nice to have when you just want to see the text someone sent you and don’t want to listen to their audio recording. If the receiver is in a public place, the voice message transcribe feature on WhatsApp precludes going to a secluded place or using a headphone to listen to the message. The receiver can just convert the voice message into text (in the language of their choice which increased content accessibility across people speaking different languages) and read it, irrespective of where they are.
WhatsApp’s voice-transcribe feature works to the advantage of the sender as well, like someone who doesn’t want to type. They can record an audio message and send the recording. With the voice-transcribe feature, WhatsApp users get more choices in communicating with someone.
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It should be noted that WhatsApp’s voice message transcripts feature is still under development. That alone is yet to be released officially. Support for five languages can come with it or later in a separate update.
We can expect WhatsApp to add more languages for voice transcribing in the future.