New Delhi: For years, people have depended on copy-paste and third-party apps whenever they received a text in a language they did not understand. WhatsApp is now trying to change that with its latest update for iOS. The messaging platform has started rolling out in-app translations, a feature that many Android users have already seen in testing.
The new option is meant to make conversations more natural in a multilingual world. Whether it is a group chat with friends from different states or a work channel with colleagues across countries, WhatsApp now lets users read and respond without leaving the app.
How the translation works on iOS
The feature is part of the latest WhatsApp for iOS 25.28.74 update, already live on the App Store. Instead of using its own engine, WhatsApp on iPhones depends on Apple’s official translation APIs. According to WABetaInfo, this makes translations “faster, more reliable, and fully private.” That means the texts stay on the device and are not sent to Meta or any outside server.
When a user selects a message, a new “Translate” option shows up in the menu. The translated text then appears instantly below the original message, so the context of the chat remains clear. This works across personal chats, group conversations, and even channels.
Supported languages and packs
At the moment, the supported list covers 21 languages. These include Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Dutch, English (US and UK), French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
Unlike Android, where WhatsApp added downloadable language packs, iOS devices rely on system-level packs from Apple. Still, the experience is similar. Users can let the app automatically detect the language or manually pick the source and target languages if the detection goes wrong. Once downloaded, translations work even offline.
Making multilingual chats smoother
The rollout is aimed at making communication seamless. As WABetaInfo explained, the feature “allows users to understand and respond to conversations in multiple languages without leaving the app.” This can help in daily chats, professional discussions, and also in channels where updates might come in foreign languages.
What this update means
The timing of this feature is interesting. Meta had already introduced translation on Android in earlier betas, and bringing it to iOS ensures a consistent experience. With India being a key market where multiple languages are used daily, on-device translation could see heavy adoption.