WhatsApp gets voice message transcript, Draft messages, and Add Yours Stickers

WhatsApp gets voice message transcripts

Voice messages are much easier to send than typing, but, for some people, much more of a hassle to listen to than read. Today WhatsApp has officially introduced a new feature that aims to alleviate the issues faced by people who hate listening to voice messages.

WhatsApp gets voice transcript

Voice message transcripts are just that. Voice messages can be transcribed into text “to help you keep up with conversations no matter what you’re doing”, WhatsApp says. The transcripts are generated on your device so no one, not even WhatsApp, can hear or read your personal messages.

WhatsApp gets voice message transcripts

Currently supported languages for transcripts are English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian on Android, whereas on iOS 16 they’re joined by French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Turkish, Chinese, and Arabic and on iOS 17 and later you also get Danish, Finnish, Hebrew, Malay, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, and Thai.

To turn on voice message transcripts, go to Settings, tap Chats, and you’ll find the option. Then, to transcribe a voice message, long press on it and tap on ‘transcribe’.

The new feature Is rolling out globally “over the coming weeks”. More languages will be added in the future.

Message Drafts

Available on Android and iPhone

Message Draft is another feature that was previously available in beta but now rolling out for everyone. It shows your unsent message as a draft, making It easier to spot them from your chat list and continue the conversation where you left off. We first saw this feature back in September, and I am glad that it’s now available for everyone.

Add Yours Stickers

In an attempt to make draw further engagement to their status updates feature, WhatsApp is now borrowing Instagram’s Add Yours sticker. This interactive sticker allows others to share status updates upon tapping the sticker creating a chain. Instagram’s version shows you who started this chain and also lets you view what others have shared which doesn’t seem to be the case here. It is still in its early stages and I hope that it lands on our apps soon.