WhatsApp has begun rolling out an in-app translation tool that lets users convert messages into their preferred language without leaving the chat.

The feature works in one-to-one and group conversations, as well as Channel updates, and is arriving gradually on Android and iOS.

Users can long-press a message and tap “Translate”, then choose source and target languages.

Selections are saved for reuse.

On Android, there’s an optional auto-translate toggle that applies a chosen language to an entire conversation so incoming texts appear translated by default.

WhatsApp says all translations are processed locally on the device, not on external servers, meaning the company can’t read the contents of conversations.

At launch, Android supports six languages, English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian and Arabic, while iPhone offers broader support with 19+ languages.

With more than three billion users, WhatsApp is the default messenger for many households, workplaces and small businesses.

Until now, users typically copied text into third-party apps to translate.

Built-in translation lowers that friction, particularly for multilingual families and teams, and could help businesses handle customer queries across languages without extra tools.

Rivals such as Telegram and Messenger already offer translation features, but WhatsApp’s scale and its on-device, privacy-first approach differentiate this rollout.