The process is simple: long-press on a message and tap Translate. Users can choose the language they want to translate from or to, and even save it for future use. The option works across individual chats, group conversations, and Channel updates.
On Android, there’s an additional toggle to enable automatic translation for entire chat threads, so all future incoming messages in another language are translated instantly. iPhone users, meanwhile, get support for more than 19 languages at launch. Android users start with six: English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic.
WhatsApp says translations happen locally on the device, which means the company cannot read or store conversations.
The rollout begins today and will expand gradually, with more languages added in the months ahead. For a platform that connects over 3 billion people in 180 countries, message translation could help reduce one of the last big barriers in digital communication language.