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Way 1: Long-press, copy, translate
Long-press the message, copy it, open a translation app, paste, read the translation and go back to WhatsApp. It works on every phone and needs no permission.
The drawback is the number of steps: every message means switching apps. Fine for one or two messages a day; in a fast-moving chat with a client it slows everything down, and copying a long message piece by piece is a chore of its own.
Way 2: WhatsApp's own translation
WhatsApp has started offering to translate incoming messages in some languages. Which languages, which countries and which version get it varies. If you see a Translate option in the message menu, use it; if you don't, the other ways work regardless.
Way 3: Translating what's on the screen
Some Android phones can select and translate text on the screen, and tools that translate the text in a screenshot are common. They are quick because nothing has to be copied.
But these usually translate off the phone, on a server, and the whole screen or image goes there. Use them knowingly in a private conversation. Which phone has which feature also depends on the brand and version.
Way 4: One-tap translation
Some apps put a small translate button next to an incoming message: tap it and the message opens in your language. No copying, no switching apps. To do that, the app has to be able to see the message on screen; on Android that takes the Accessibility permission.
Accessibility is a powerful permission, so before turning such an app on, check:
- Does the app say clearly what it will read before the permission is turned on?
- Does it work only in the relevant app (WhatsApp, say), or does it read every screen?
- Is the message text sent to a server or stored?
- Does it act on your behalf, such as tapping or sending?
- Can you turn it off at any time in Settings → Accessibility?
After reading: replying in their language
Understanding the message is half the job. For writing the reply in the other person's language you have the same options: type it in a translation app and copy it over, or use a keyboard that translates. With a keyboard you write in your language, pick the target language and the translation goes straight into WhatsApp's text field.
Whichever you choose, read the translation once before sending an important reply (a price, a date, an address); write numbers in digits and months as words.
Voice messages and photos
Text translation is for written messages. A voice message has to be transcribed first, and text in a photo has to be read by a camera or image translation tool. If you didn't understand an important voice message, asking the other person to send it in writing is often the quickest way.