Summary
- WhatsApp is developing an automatic language detection system to streamline the user experience.
- The app will rely on a one-time 24MB language pack download to enable offline translation.
- The translation feature has been in development for close to a year but no release date is known yet.
As one of the best instant messaging apps available, WhatsApp offers convenience and a reliable accoutrement of features to simplify communication, even across borders. However, the app doesn’t have a solution to bridge the language barriers users might face along the way, but a new solution seems to be in the works.
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Currently, if you’re talking to someone via WhatsApp and they don’t use your language, chances are you have Google Translate open in split-screen, or you’re using Circle to Search for translation. However, this might soon become a woe of the past. Early last year, WhatsApp was spotted working on a translation system. At the time, the company was believed to be using Google’s Live Translate tech for on-device processing after a one-time language pack download.
Popular WhatsApp feature tracking website WABetaInfo just spotted this translation tech returning from hiatus in the latest beta version 2.24.25.30 available on the Play Store (via Android Authority). This is a good sign since it is tacit evidence of WhatsApp’s continued interest in some form of translation utility. However, there are two key differences compared to the last sighting.
Automatic detection using a custom model
No reliance on Google?
Source: WABetaInfo
First off, WhatsApp devs are working on an automatic language detection system which would reduce the user involvement, streamlining the experience further. It would reduce the trouble associated with users trying to figure out the original language, and even Google Translate has automatic language detection that’s often reliable. So, WhatsApp is making a good call here.
Secondly, the app seems to rely on a one-time language pack download that will eat up 24MB. Interestingly, it will allow Meta to remove the dependency on Google’s Live Translate service. This download can be deleted anytime, but it will ensure offline translation even if you aren’t able to send and receive more texts in that state.
That said, WhatsApp hasn’t officially disclosed if it has any partners to bring this new feature to users. Moreover, development has been underway for close to a year now, but we don’t know yet when it will be available on the stable channel.