Don't like WhatsApp voice notes? New transcribe feature in works for Android devices

WhatsApp is reportedly developing a feature to transcribe voice notes on Android devices. The feature utilises the speech recognition tool on smartphones to process voice notes locally. The transcribed text will be displayed in the same chat window, making it useful when audio playback is not possible.

It could also enhance accessibility for hearing-impaired users. This feature was discovered in the beta version of WhatsApp for Android 2.24.7.8 by feature tracker WABetaInfo.

The platform is still developing the feature, hence it is unavailable to beta testers currently. An image shared by WABetaInfo suggests that the app will require a download of 150MB of new data to enable this feature.

The app will use on-device speech recognition to maintain user privacy and uphold its end-to-end encryption policy. It was noted that WhatsApp has been testing this feature since May 2023 on the iOS beta version 23.9.0.70.

The app also downloads language packs onto users' smartphones, facilitating transcription in multiple languages. iOS users can also search these transcripts as the text is indexed like regular messages.

WhatsApp UPI feature

WhatsApp is introducing a new feature to make payments quicker within the app. This feature allows users to directly scan UPI QR codes from their chat list, making transactions more convenient by reducing the number of steps required to make an online payment.

This feature was first spotted by WAbetaInfo, a website that tracks the latest WhatsApp features in the beta testing phase. Initially, it’s available to Android beta testers and introduces a shortcut within the chats list for quick payments. This move by WhatsApp is aimed at making the app a go-to option for most financial needs apart from just communications.

The new Payment Feature is available to Android users via update 2.24.7.3. The UPI QR codes can be found on top of the WhatsApp chats list, with a new shortcut. This is a significant step towards enhancing the user experience and making digital transactions more seamless and efficient.