WhatsApp rolls out on-device 'Message Translations' feature on iOS: Report

The iOS rollout follows the feature debut on Android in September, enabling users on instant messaging platform to translate messages in chats, groups, and channels from 6 languages

After Android's debut, ‘Message Translation’ feature on WhatsApp is set to expand to iOS soon. The instant messaging platform is rolling out the feature on the iPhone app, enabling users to translate messages within chats, without leaving the app. According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp for iOS update will enable secure, on-device translations in 21 languages. Like Android, the feature is said to deliver a secure way to translate messages within the app, ensuring all message data remains fully private.

WhatsApp’s message translation feature for Chats, Groups, and Channels

Users can translate messages in individual chats, group conversations, and channels by selecting a message and tapping “Translate” from the context menu. The translated text appears immediately below the original message, which helps maintain the chat’s flow and context. This design is supposed to make it easier to follow multilingual discussions without switching apps or losing track of messages, enhancing communication across different languages. 

 

Translation powered by Apple’s API

 

As per the report, WhatsApp for iOS uses Apple’s translation APIs instead of an in-house engine. This integration ensures that translations are handled securely by the system itself. Since the process runs on-device, message data never leaves the phone, assuring full privacy. The built-in translation capability makes understanding and replying to multilingual messages quicker. 

 

Automatic detection and offline translations

 

Once the appropriate language pack is downloaded, WhatsApp automatically detects the message language. Users can manually choose the source and target languages if the detection is inaccurate. The translation happens entirely on-device and offline, meaning the feature still works even in Airplane Mode. 

 

Supported languages

 

The available languages depend on the iOS version installed on the device. In the latest iOS version, the supported languages currently include 

• Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified)
• Chinese (Mandarin, Traditional)
• Dutch
• English (UK)
• English (US)
• French
• German
• Hindi 
• Indonesian
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean 
• Polish
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Russian
• Spanish
• Thai
• Turkish
• Ukrainian
• Vietnamese

In comparison, the platform supports six languages on Android – English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic. However, WhatsApp has said it will be adding support for more languages in the coming months as the feature expands globally.