July 31, 2024, 6:08 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Meta continues to develop more new features for WhatsApp. The two latest features are certainly practical and have long been standard in other apps. TECHBOOK provides an overview of what users can soon expect.
WhatsApp is constantly developing and testing new features for its popular messenger. Some innovations offer minor conveniences in everyday use, while others significantly enhance comfort, such as sharing images without the internet. Currently, WhatsApp is working on two features that have the potential to greatly improve the user experience. As the name suggests, the new “Translate Message” feature aims to break down language barriers in chat, while the second feature falls into the realm of augmented reality and is likely to be particularly useful for professional users.
Airbnb and Others Lead the Way
Until now, anyone wanting to chat with a conversation partner in another language had to either know the language or use external translation tools. Especially when traveling, where communication with a landlord or car rental agency often occurs via WhatsApp, language barriers can quickly lead to frustration and misunderstandings. However, as reported by the portal “WABetaInfo,” the WhatsApp beta version 2.24.15.12 announces an internal translation function that could end such hassles.
With this new feature, users can have both individual messages and entire chats translated on WhatsApp. This introduces a function that has been available in applications like Airbnb or X for some time. To avoid misunderstandings about the language proficiency of the conversation partner, translated messages will be labeled “Translated”—similar to an edited message.
To ensure privacy through end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp uses proprietary technology. This prevents third parties from accessing the messages. For the translation to occur locally on the user’s device, they must first download a language pack. The initial language selection is limited to English, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Arabic, Russian, and Hindi. More languages are expected to be added in the future, but German users may have to wait a bit. According to WABetaInfo, the feature is still in development but is expected in an upcoming update.
Augmented Reality for WhatsApp Video Calls
The so-called “AR Call Effects and Filters” feature is already a step further and, according to WABetaInfo, is being rolled out for beta testers in the Android version 2.24.16.7. During video calls on smartphones, testers could use dynamic face and background filters. Options included a beauty filter, a low-light filter, and various backgrounds and preset scenes. Here, too, WhatsApp is introducing a feature that has long been standard in other video call applications.
This new AR feature is likely to be particularly useful for users who hold professional video conferences via WhatsApp. WABetaInfo also speculates that the filters and background effects will soon be available for the desktop version. When WhatsApp will roll out the feature as a standard is currently unclear.