Social media platform, WhatsApp has added translation features as part of its offering. Owned by Meta, the message translation feature aimed at making communication across different languages easier for its more than three billion users worldwide.

The rollout began this week, allows users to translate messages directly within chats while keeping conversations private. The messaging platform explained that users can now long-press any message, tap Translate, and select their preferred language.

The feature works across one-on-one chats, group conversations, and Channel updates. For Android users, there is also the option to turn on automatic translation for an entire chat thread, enabling seamless real-time communication.

Providing more insights, Meta said the new feature will gradually be available to both Android and iPhone users, starting with a limited number of languages.

According to it, Android users will initially get six languages, including English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic, while iPhone users will have access to more than 19 languages from the start.

The Guardian checks showed that while WhatsApp is used by over three billion people across the globe, as of first quarter of 2025, there were some 51 million users in Nigeria.

The company emphasised that translations are designed with privacy in mind. It said all translations occur directly on the user’s device, ensuring WhatsApp itself cannot see the messages being translated.

This aligns with the platform’s ongoing commitment to protecting user data and maintaining end-to-end encryption.

“Message translations were designed to protect the privacy of your chats. That’s why translations occur on your device where WhatsApp cannot see them,” the company stated while assuring the users of their privacy.

With over 180 countries relying on WhatsApp for communication, the feature is expected to break down language barriers and foster deeper connections.

“We’re excited to bring message translations to WhatsApp, so you can more easily communicate across languages,” the company said in a statement. The move highlights WhatsApp’s push to expand beyond messaging into a more inclusive communication platform, especially in regions with diverse languages.

Recall that in June this year, WhatsApp introduced three new features aimed at helping creators, organisations, and businesses grow their presence and monetise content on the platform.