WhatsApp tests voice-to-text tool that works even without internet

WhatsApp is working on a new feature for Android users that will allow them to dictate messages and send them as text instead of audio, 24NewsHD TV reported on Sunday.

As per a tech report, this feature has been spotted in WhatsApp’s Android beta version 2.26.37.8. However, development is ongoing, and it has not yet been made available to beta users.

The report states that a dedicated button will be added to the chat bar for this feature. When the button is pressed, the user can speak their message, and WhatsApp displays a "listening" indicator.

After the voice is converted to text, the user can review and edit the message and press the send button to transmit it.

This feature is expected to work across individual chats, groups, channels, and offline.

 Unlike standard voice messages, the recipient will not receive an audio recording but rather the text version of the message.

According to the report, WhatsApp is likely to utilize pre-downloaded language packs on the device for this feature, enabling voice-to-text conversion directly on the device itself.

This setup will allow users to compose messages via voice even without an internet connection, given that the required language pack has been downloaded.

However, WhatsApp has not yet announced a date for the public release of this feature.

Currently, the voice-to-text feature is in its testing phase solely for Android, and it remains unclear when WhatsApp will roll it out to all users.