Soon, get WhatsApp voice notes transcribed instantly with new chat feature

Have you ever received a WhatsApp voice note while you're out shopping in a crowded, noisy market so you can't hear anything? Or perhaps you're in a quiet open-plan office and your seatmate could easily eavesdrop once you hit play.

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that will solve the issue and help users "read" voice notes when they are on the move and can't stop to listen to these messages.

Soon, users will be able to get instant transcription of voice chats, the platform announced on Thursday.

"Voice messages can be transcribed into text to help you keep up with conversations no matter what you’re doing," the messaging platform said in an advisory.

Assuring users of privacy, it added that "transcripts are generated on your device so that no one else, not even WhatsApp, can hear or read your personal messages".

On the WhatsApp app, you'll just have to tap 'Settings', go to 'Chats', and then select 'Voice message transcripts'. Under this option, you'll be able to "turn transcriptions on or off and select your transcript language". WhatsApp said.

Once the option is turned on, the user will be able to get a transcription of a voice note by long-pressing on the message and tapping 'Transcribe'.

As of this writing, the feature is not yet available to UAE users.

"Transcripts are rolling out globally over the coming weeks with a few select languages to start though we plan to add more over the coming months," WhatsApp said.