How to translate WhatsApp Web messages with AI

Install the BetterSend extension for Chrome, open web.whatsapp.com and press Translate under any message you receive: the translation appears inside the chat, in any of 44 languages. To reply, write in your own language, press Improve, pick your contact's language and a tone, and send. In the WhatsApp app on Mac or Windows, the BetterSend desktop app does the same with a double-click.

By Rubens Jr

In WhatsApp Web, with the Chrome extension

For WhatsApp in the browser, on any computer that runs Chrome.

  1. 1

    Add BetterSend to Chrome from the Chrome Web Store and sign in with your email. The free plan needs no card.

  2. 2

    Open web.whatsapp.com and a conversation. Each message you receive gets a Translate button and an Explain button.

  3. 3

    Press Translate. The message appears in your language inside the chat, with no copying and pasting into another tab.

  4. 4

    To reply, write your draft in any language and press Improve. Choose the language your contact writes in and a tone, then send the result.

In the WhatsApp app on Mac or Windows

For the native WhatsApp app, where no browser extension can reach.

  1. 1

    Download the BetterSend desktop app for macOS or Windows and sign in with your email and the code we send you.

  2. 2

    On a Mac, allow Accessibility access when the app asks. It is how BetterSend reads the message you point at. Windows needs no permission.

  3. 3

    In WhatsApp, double-click a message and choose Translate or Explain. The result opens in a small card next to the message.

  4. 4

    To reply, click the BetterSend icon in the message box, pick the output language and a tone, and replace your draft with the result.

What BetterSend does besides translating

Adjusts the tone

13 tones, from Friendly and Professional to Diplomatic and Concise, so a reply to a client does not read like a reply to a friend. 3 are free, the rest come with Pro.

Explains the message you received

Explain says what a message means, slang, idioms and the tone behind it included, for the times a literal translation leaves you guessing.

You write in your language, it sends in theirs

Draft the reply in the language you think in. BetterSend rewrites it in your contact's language, so you can answer a client in Spanish or German without being fluent.

Never stores your messages

Only the message you act on is sent, it is used to produce the result and then discarded. BetterSend does not store message text or use it to train models.

What it costs

Free plan: 50 AI actions a month and 3 tones, no card. Each translate, explain or improve is one action.

Pro: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year, with unlimited actions and all 13 tones.

BetterSend and the alternatives

Each of these is the right choice for someone. This is where each one is better.

ToolWhat it does for WhatsApp WebBetter when
WhatsApp Web translator extensionsSmall extensions built only for WhatsApp Web. Many translate every message as it arrives, and some translate what you type before it is sent.You want every message translated automatically, and the wording of your replies matters less than speed.
Google TranslateIts Chrome extension translates text you select, for free and with no account. It also has a mobile app.You read a message in another language now and then, or you need translation on your phone.
DeepLIts extension translates selected text, with a reputation for quality in European languages, and DeepL Write polishes text in a few styles. The free tier has limits.Translation quality is what you need most, or you translate documents as often as chats.
BetterSendTranslate and Explain on the messages you receive, Improve on your reply in 13 tones and 44 languages, in WhatsApp Web and in the WhatsApp app on Mac and Windows.You reply to clients or colleagues in another language every day and want the reply to sound right, not only to be understood.

The full comparison, with sources →

Questions about translating WhatsApp Web messages

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