WhatsApp is rolling out a new Typing Indicators feature, improving the real-time engagement in chats.
Users will see the new visual cue when the other person is typing on WhatsApp, replacing the existing ‘Typing’ visual in personal chats and group conversations.
The users will be greeted with the ‘…’ cue at the bottom of their screen and the profile picture of the person typing the message, showing who is typing a message quickly with the addition of profile pictures as a visual cue.
The Typing Indicators should especially come in handy during group chats as WhatsApp will add the profile picture of all the participants who are typing a new message, making it easier for the receiver to anticipate a new message and plan their reply accordingly.
Voice Note Transcription
WhatsApp has also recently introduced a new Voice Note Transcription feature, letting users read a voice message instead of listening to it.
WhatsApp doesn't provide details on whether the company is using AI to transcribe voice messages into text. However, the Meta-owned messaging app has revealed that transcripts are generated on the device itself, ensuring that voice messages remain end-to-end encrypted. This means no one, including WhatsApp, can listen to the voice messages.
The Typing Indicators update was first spotted in the beta stages by WABetainfo and the feature is now rolling out to all users on Android and iOS. The Meta said in a blog post that Voice Transcript feature is initially available only in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian but support for more languages would be added soon.