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The transcript feature on WhatsApp lets users convert voice messages into written text so they can read what someone said instead of listening to the audio. This is, of course, useful when you’re in a noisy place or metro, in a meeting, can’t use sound, or the voice note is too long and you just prefer reading it.
The transcripts are processed on-device, which means the voice messages are converted into written text directly on your device. So, this doesn't break WhatsApp's promise of not accessing your messages. In other words, WhatsApp still cannot access the content of your voice message or the text transcription. Your privacy and security remain intact.
WhatsApp officially announced and started rolling out this voice message transcription feature in November 2024. The stable rollout began on November 21, 2024, but didn’t become available to everyone immediately. It was gradually made available to users globally in some weeks after on both Android and iOS devices.
In some markets (like India), the rollout continued into early 2025, so many users only started seeing it available on their devices later that year. By now, the global rollout ought to have been completed, and you should be able to find and enable the transcript feature in your WhatsApp settings.
If you still can't find the transcribe feature, it's wise to update your WhatsApp to the latest version on your app store. After we discuss how to turn on this feature and how to use it, we'll also talk about supported languages, which vary by device and operating system.
How to Use WhatsApp Voice Note Transcript
- Enable the transcript: Open your WhatsApp app and navigate to "Settings." Under the settings tab, tap on "Chats" and select "Voice Message Transcripts." Now, toggle on the feature and pick the language you want the transcription in.
- Transcribe a Voice Note: Long-press a voice message you prefer to read and tap “Transcribe.” The text will appear right below the voice note. Only you (the recipient) can see the transcript; the sender doesn’t get notified or see it.
Note, because you've enabled the transcript feature on your WhatsApp, it doesn't mean the transcript of voice notes will generate automatically. You'll need to request them manually for each voice note you want to read.
Supported Languages
As I have explained earlier, the languages you can use depend on your phone’s operating system. Devices running on iOS 16 and above have supports for languages like English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, and Arabic.
However, Apple devices running iOS 17 gain even more language options, such as Danish, Finnish, Malay, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Hebrew, and Thai. Android currently supports English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian, with additional languages expected later.
This feature is helpful because it allows you to read voice messages instead of listening to them, which is ideal when you’re busy, in a noisy place, or unable to use sound. It also makes it easier to refer back to specific details without playing the entire audio message again.
Would you try this feature immediately after reading this article? Let us know your thoughts about this transcript feature in the comments section. And don't hesitate to share the article with your loved ones. Cheers.
