WhatsApp confirms smart free upgrade for all users that will change how you chat

There's a smart upgrade coming to WhatsApp and it could come in handy if you travel or have friends living abroad. The popular messaging service is launching a new feature that can instantly translate texts across different laungages.

"With more than 3 billion users in over 180 countries, we’re always working to keep our users closely connected, no matter where they are in the world," WhatsApp explained.

"But we understand that sometimes language can be a barrier to getting things done or expressing how you truly feel. That's why we’re excited to bring message translations to WhatsApp, so you can more easily communicate across languages."

The change is being slowly rolled out from today, and once it arrives on devices, it will offer the option to switch the language in a message via a simple press on the screen.

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"If you see a message in a different language, you can now simply long-press and tap ‘Translate’", WhatsApp added.

"Choose the language you want the message to be translated from or to, and download it to be saved for future translations. This works for 1:1 chats, groups, and Channel updates too."

It's also been confirmed that Android users will be able to choose to turn on automatic translation for an entire chat thread, so that all future incoming messages in that conversation are translated as well.

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"We're rolling out message translations to Android and iPhone users gradually from today, in a few select languages to start with more to follow," WhatsApp confirmed.

"Android users will find it available in six languages: English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic. For our iPhone users, the feature will launch in 19+ languages.

"We hope this feature helps break down language barriers and allows users to connect more deeply with loved ones and communities around the globe."