The short answer: Yes, WhatsApp can translate messages by itself. Tap and hold a message, tap ⋮ on Android or More… on iPhone, then tap Translate and choose the language. It can’t translate a reply before you send it, isn’t in WhatsApp Business and knows only a limited list of languages; Swift Translate covers all three.
How to translate WhatsApp messages with WhatsApp’s Translate
There is no switch to turn on in WhatsApp’s settings. Translate is in the menu of each message, in personal chats and group chats.
On Android
- Open the chat and tap and hold the message you want to translate.
- Tap ⋮ (More options) > Translate.
- Choose the language you want the message translated to or from. WhatsApp downloads it the first time and keeps it under Downloaded languages for next time.
- Tap Continue > Translate.
To see a translation again or remove it, tap and hold the message, tap ⋮, then tap View translation or Remove translation.
On Android, WhatsApp can also translate every new message in a chat, not only one. That is covered in WhatsApp auto translate.
On iPhone
- Open the chat and tap and hold the message you want to translate.
- Tap More… > Translate.
- Choose the language you want the message translated to or from.
- If the language is new to your phone, WhatsApp asks you to download it first.
Downloaded languages are kept under Settings > Translate > Downloaded Languages. On iPhone, you translate one message at a time.
What you can and can’t translate
- You can translate messages you’ve sent or received, in personal and group chats, and Channel updates.
- You can’t translate locations, documents, contacts, stickers or GIFs.
- You need a strong Wi-Fi or mobile data connection and enough storage space for the language download.
Which languages WhatsApp can translate
The list is limited, and it isn’t the same on Android and iPhone.
- Android started with six languages: English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian and Arabic. WhatsApp has been testing more since then, so check the list on your phone.
- iPhone uses a list of 19 languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. Older iOS versions may have fewer.
Both languages, theirs and yours, need to be on the list. The quickest check is the language list WhatsApp shows you in step 3.
Translate not showing in WhatsApp? Why, and how to fix it
If you can’t find Translate, one of these is usually the reason.
| Why it’s missing | What to do |
|---|---|
| Translate hasn’t reached your phone yet. WhatsApp adds it gradually, and only on certain devices. | Update WhatsApp from Google Play or the App Store, then check again later. |
| You’re using WhatsApp Business. | Translate isn’t in the Business app. Swift Translate works there (see below). |
| You held the chat in your chat list, not a message. | Open the chat, then tap and hold the message itself. Look under ⋮ on Android and More… on iPhone. |
| The message is a location, document, contact, sticker or GIF. | These can’t be translated. |
| The language isn’t on WhatsApp’s list. | There’s no fix inside WhatsApp. On iPhone, a newer iOS version may add languages. |
| The language won’t download. | Connect to strong Wi-Fi or mobile data and make some storage space. |
| You’re on WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. | So far, Translate is only in the phone app. |
What WhatsApp’s Translate doesn’t do
If you only need to read text messages, both languages are on your phone’s list, and you use regular WhatsApp, WhatsApp’s Translate is all you need. It runs on your phone, so WhatsApp can’t see what you translate.
It stops in a few places:
- Your reply. It translates messages that are already in the chat. It can’t turn what you type into the other person’s language before you send it.
- WhatsApp Business. The feature isn’t in the Business app, so sellers who answer customers in other languages can’t use it.
- Other languages. If a language isn’t on the list for your phone, WhatsApp can’t translate it at all.
- Whole chats on iPhone. On iPhone, every message needs its own tap.
- Voice messages. WhatsApp can turn some voice messages into text, but it doesn’t translate them (see the FAQ below).
- WhatsApp Web and desktop. Translate is a phone feature so far.
Translate what WhatsApp can’t, with Swift Translate
On Android: the floating bubble
Swift Translate puts a small floating bubble on your screen. Drag it onto any message in WhatsApp and a translation card appears next to the text, in your language. It works the same way in WhatsApp Business and in group chats, in over 100 languages, and it detects the other person’s language for you. Tap the card to see the original and the translation together, with a copy button.
Reply in their language
Type your message in your own language first, then drag the bubble onto what you wrote. You check the translation, and the message goes out in the language you chose for them. For people you write to every day, Chat mode shows the conversation translated in a panel, with new messages translated as they arrive, and has its own reply bar. See how auto translate and replies work.
On iPhone: Swift Translate Keyboard
Swift Translate Keyboard covers the languages WhatsApp’s list doesn’t, with over 100 to choose from. Copy a message and tap Paste on the keyboard to read it in your language above the keys. To reply, type your message and tap Translate. Your text changes to the language you chose for them, and you tap Send as usual.
FAQ
Does WhatsApp have a translate feature?
Yes. WhatsApp can translate messages in personal chats, group chats and Channel updates, on Android and iPhone. It isn’t in WhatsApp Business, and it may not have reached every phone yet.
How do I turn on translation in WhatsApp?
There is no switch to turn on. Tap and hold a message, then tap ⋮ > Translate on Android or More… > Translate on iPhone. The first time you use a language, WhatsApp downloads it.
Why doesn’t WhatsApp show the Translate option?
Usually it hasn’t reached your phone yet, you’re in WhatsApp Business, or you held the chat instead of the message. Update WhatsApp, then go through the list of reasons above.
How do I translate a WhatsApp message I received?
Use the same steps: tap and hold the message, open the menu and tap Translate. WhatsApp’s Translate works on messages you received and on messages you sent.
Can WhatsApp translate voice messages?
WhatsApp doesn’t translate voice messages, but it can turn them into text: turn on Voice Message Transcripts in Settings > Chats, then tap and hold the voice message and tap Transcribe (under ⋮ on Android). Transcripts work in English, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian on Android, and on iPhone the languages depend on your iOS version. Swift Translate’s chat tools work on written messages, not voice messages.
Can I translate WhatsApp messages on iPhone?
Yes. Tap and hold the message, then tap More… > Translate. WhatsApp’s iPhone list has 19 languages. For any other language, Swift Translate Keyboard translates a message you copy when you tap Paste.
Related: WhatsApp translator · WhatsApp auto translate: whole chats and replies · How to chat with someone who doesn’t speak your language
