Comparison
WhatsApp’s built-in transcripts vs Hearless
WhatsApp added voice message transcripts in late 2024. Here’s an honest look at what the built-in feature covers and where Hearless does more — and where WhatsApp has the edge.
Last checked: 2026-10-10
Side by side
| Capability | WhatsApp built-in | Hearless | More capable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Languages (Android) | About five on Android — English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Hindi. (iOS supports more.) | 60 languages plus Auto Detect. | Hearless |
| Roman-script output | Transcribes in the native script only; no romanized output. | Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Bengali and Nepali can be read in Roman (Latin) letters, with a toggle back to the native script. | Hearless |
| Urdu and Punjabi | Not among the supported transcription languages. | Both are supported. | Hearless |
| Works beyond WhatsApp | Built into WhatsApp; transcribes WhatsApp voice messages. | Reads WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business notes, and transcribes audio files you pick from your phone (MP3, M4A, WAV and more). | Hearless |
| Voice typing (speak → typed text) | Not offered — the feature transcribes received voice messages only. | Tap the Hearless mic and your speech is typed into any app. | Hearless |
| Recording length | No length limit stated for transcribing a received message. | No length limit for transcription; long notes are handled automatically. | Similar |
| Price | Free. | Free minutes to start, then one-time minute packs. No subscription, no ads. | |
| Where processing happens | On your device, so the audio stays on your phone. | In the cloud — voice notes are processed by OpenAI via our servers to turn them into text; we don’t store them. Needs internet. |
Where WhatsApp is the better fit
Two things go to WhatsApp, plainly: it’s free, and it transcribes on your device, so the audio never leaves your phone. Hearless processes audio in the cloud and needs an internet connection. If those matter most to you and your language is covered, the built-in feature is the simpler choice.
Where Hearless does more
- Many more languages on Android, where WhatsApp currently supports only about five.
- Roman-script output for Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Bengali and Nepali.
- Transcribes audio files you pick from your phone, not only WhatsApp messages.
- Voice typing — speak and have your words typed into any app — which the built-in transcripts don’t do.
Sources
WhatsApp’s side is drawn from WhatsApp’s own Help Center article on voice message transcripts and from reporting at launch (TechCrunch, Nov 2024). WhatsApp does not publish a per-language list for Android or any details for WhatsApp Business, so the Android language specifics come from third-party coverage and are dated above; we re-check them quarterly. Hearless’s side is confirmed in the current app (version 1.0.12).