Facebook-owned WhatsApp is now working on a voice message transcription feature, which will convert a user’s audio messages to text. The advantage of the option is that now people don’t have to rely on typing too long messages.
WhatsApp to Need Special Permission to Transcribe a Message
The voice message transcription feature was discovered by the well-known WhatsApp updates tracker, WABetaInfo on the beta versions of WhatsApp for Android and iOS. The voice message transcription may further rollout on WhatsApp Web, according to the publication. As per the report, the feature is optional, but special permission will be needed when users choose to convert audio messages to text.
Voice Message Transcription Feature to Use Phone’s Microphone and Speech Recognition Tool
The instant messaging company would also require approval to access the smartphone’s microphone and Speech Recognition tool. When a message is transcribed for the first time, its transcription is reportedly stored locally in the WhatsApp database. It will enable users to access the same message if they want to share it with other users or use the text later. Once users have accepted permission, they can try the transcription service by opening a new Transcript section, where users can also jump to a specific timestamp.
Read more: WhatsApp to Roll-out Encrypted Chat Backups to Increase Data Security
However, the voice message transcription feature will not roll out for generic users any time soon as it is still under development and will be first made available to beta users if launched. The report also notes that WhatsApp for Android could likewise get a feature to convert audio messages to text. Currently, Android users are expected to download a third-party app to transcribe voice notes.
WhatsApp is Also Working on Emoji Reactions Feature
In addition to this, WhatsApp is also working to bring emoji reactions to messages. The feature is already available on apps like Facebook, Instagram, iMessage, and even LinkedIn. Therefore, users will then be able to react to messages multiple times with different emojis. The process is also end-to-end encrypted so nobody outside the chat can view the reactions.
Read more: WhatsApp is Now Testing Message Reactions Feature, Similar to Instagram, iMessage and Twitter
Source: WABetaInfo
