WhatsApp to introduce new voice transcribing feature

WhatsApp is working on adding a whole new range of features for its subscribers in its latest updated version from multi-device support to Emoji message reactions. Another very handy feature which will soon make messaging convenient is the voice message transcription feature.

Whatsapp now allows a sender to record short voice notes and send them if they are not in the mood of typing messages. But often listening to voice notes becomes inconvenient for the receiver who might be held in a meeting or in an assembly. With this new feature, transcribing voice messages will be possible without playing them.

WhatsApp feature tracking site WABetainfo reports that the Facebook backed app will utilise voice recognition technology to transcribe voice messages sent by other users on the go. The feature will, however, be optional and require special permission on iOS. Users will be asked permission when they try to access for the first time and will be taken to a new ‘Transcription’ section to try out the service.

Once your device receives the permission, the users will be fielded to a new “Transcription” section to try out the service. Then speech data will be sent to Apple to process the requests. iPhones this way will improve its speech recognition technology. The transcriptions will be saved locally on the user’s device rather than on Facebook or WhatsApp.

The voice message transcription feature is in development stage for both iOS and Android users and will first go in test run in future beta versions. The feature is currently in the works for Apple devices only. There’s no report of a similar feature for the Android devices. It is also unlikely that WhatsApp will leave Android from such a breakthrough feature

Other features WhatsApp is working on apart from the voice transcription feature is a new option to let you hide your “Last Seen” from specific contacts, Instagram-style message reactions, end-to-end encryption for cloud and local backups, multi-device support and ability to transfer chats from Android to iOS.