WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature for mobile devices which makes it easier for users to engage in chats in real time, it announced on Thursday. It will now display typing indicators with visual cues appearing in chats when users are engaged in active conversations in both one-to-one and group chats. Notably, this adds to the voice message transcripts feature introduced last month, enabling users to see a text-based transcription of the voice message received from others.

Typing Indicators on WhatsApp

As per a press release by the Meta Platforms-owned company, the typing indicators feature brings “…” visual cues which will appear at the bottom of the chat screen, along with the profile picture of the user who is typing. The latter functionality is said to be particularly useful for group chats when multiple users are typing simultaneously.

This feature brings a way of checking when the person you’re engaged in active conversations with is typing, adding to the existing Typing indicator which appears in the top banner. This feature was first reported to be in development in October, with availability limited to select beta testers.

The social media platform says typing indicators are being rolled out for both WhatsApp for iOS and Android platforms. Gadgets 360 staff members can confirm their availability on devices running the aforementioned operating systems.

Other Recent Additions

In addition to typing indicators, WhatsApp introduced voice message transcripts last month, that makes sending voice messages a more convenient process. As the name suggests, it provides users with a text-based transcription of the voice message received from others. However, only the recipient will be able to see a transcript of the voice message and not the sender.

The company emphasises that voice message transcripts are generated on-device and no one else can hear or read the content of the transcripts. Further, voice messages remain protected by the instant messaging platform’s end-to-end encryption. This feature currently supports English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian on the Android platform, whereas WhatsApp for iOS gets additional support for Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Thai, Turkish, and Swedish.

WhatsApp will drop support for iOS 15 and older versions of Apple’s operating system (iOS) for the iPhone next year, according to claims by a feature tracker. The list of iPhone models for which support is expected to discontinue includes legacy handsets such as the iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, and iPhone 5S. Newer iPhone models running the latest version of iOS will remain compatible with WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Support for Older iPhone Models

According to feature tracker WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is sending notifications to iPhone users running older iOS versions that it will drop support for their devices starting next year. At present, iOS 12 is the minimum software requirement for the instant messaging app to run on iPhone. However, it will be raised to iOS 15.1 from May 5, 2025. This potentially impacts legacy iPhone models like the iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, and iPhone 5S — handsets launched more than a decade ago.

The message reads, “WhatsApp will stop supporting this version of iOS after 5 May 2025. Update to the latest version of iOS to continue using WhatsApp. WhatsApp will stop supporting this version of iOS after 5 May 2025. Please go to Settings > General, then tap Software Update to get the latest iOS version.”

Users have five months to update their devices to the latest iOS version, which is currently iOS 18.1, if supported. The only alternative is to switch to a newer device running the latest firmware. After the deadline ends, they will not be able to access WhatsApp on their devices, even if they are running a previous beta version of the app through the TestFlight program.

The report speculates that new APIs and improved technologies in the later versions of iOS are some of the reasons behind this decision. Following its implementation, the instant messaging platform may be able to roll out better app optimisation and new features which wasn’t possible on devices running older operating systems.

WhatsApp rolled out a new feature on Thursday that aims to make sharing voice messages more convenient. It introduces voice message transcripts on WhatsApp for Android and iOS platforms, enabling users to see a text-based transcription of the voice message received from others. The feature is said to come in handy while on the move or in a loud environment. This development comes after WhatsApp recently released a drafts label for unread messages in chats and a new widget for the home screen of its iOS app.

WhatsApp Voice Message Transcripts

In a blog post, WhatsApp highlighted that voice message transcripts are generated on-device and no one else can hear or read the content of the transcripts. Voice messages still remain protected by the instant messaging platform’s end-to-end encryption, the company emphasised.

The feature needs to be turned on before use. Once toggled, a transcript automatically appears below the voice message in the selected language. As per the company, only the recipient will be able to see a transcript of the voice message and not the sender.

WhatsApp says it currently has support only for English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian on the Android platform, whereas its iOS app gets support for several more languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Thai, Turkish, and Swedish.

How to use this feature:

1. Open WhatsApp Settings > Chats
2. Toggle Voice Message Transcripts on or off and select the desired language.
3. Tap and hold a voice message, then tap Transcribe.
4. Tap the expand icon in the voice message to reveal more of the transcription.

WhatsApp says it might take a moment for the transcript to appear. If the users run into the “Transcript unavailable” error, it might be due to unsupported transcript language, unrecognisable words background noise, or unsupported voice message language. The company also advises caution as voice message transcripts have a possibility of being inaccurate.