How-to · WhatsApp groups
How to translate WhatsApp group messages with AI
To translate a message just for yourself, long-press it in WhatsApp and tap Translate, where Meta has made translation available. To translate for the whole group, add Cole and reply to the message with "Cole, translate this into English." Cole posts the translation in the group, and it answers each person in the language they write in.
Two kinds of translation
| WhatsApp's translation | Cole in the group | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees it | Only you, on your phone. | Everyone in the group. |
| How | Long-press a message and tap Translate. On Android you can turn on automatic translation for a whole chat. | Reply to the message and ask Cole, or ask Cole to answer in a language. |
| Every message, automatically | On Android, for a chat you choose. | No. Cole translates when someone asks. |
| Voice notes | Not described in Meta's announcement. | Forward the voice note to your private chat with Cole: Cole transcribes it and answers. In the group, replying to someone's voice note does not work yet: it is downloaded and transcribed, but the transcript does not reach Cole. |
| Privacy | Meta says translations happen on your device, where WhatsApp cannot see them. | In a group a Pocodot account pays for, Cole keeps the group's messages as background. Tell the group first. |
| Languages | Meta started with a short list for Android and a longer one for iPhone, with more to follow. | Cole replies in the language the person writes in. |
| Cost | Free in WhatsApp. | Uses credits, like any reply. |
Ask Cole to translate in the group
One message
Reply to it: "Cole, translate this into English."
A voice note
Forward it to your private chat with Cole and ask: "what does this say, in Spanish?"
Catch up in your language
"Cole, summarize today's messages in Thai."
Say it in their language
"Cole, how do I say 'the bus leaves at 9' in Hindi?"
A rule for the group
"Cole, answer in Portuguese in this group."
A mixed group
Write to Cole in your own language, and Cole answers you in it.
How to add Cole to your WhatsApp group
01
Sign up and connect WhatsApp
Create a free Pocodot account and choose WhatsApp. The dashboard opens WhatsApp with a one-time code already typed; send it to Cole and Cole replies in your private chat.
02
Add Cole's number to the group
Add the same Cole number you just messaged as a participant, the way you add anyone. Cole cannot join from an invite link, and it cannot see messages from before it joined.
03
Tag Cole once from your number
Send
@Cole hi in the group from the WhatsApp number on your account. Cole answers from your own credits, then asks you once, in your private chat, whether your account should pay for everyone in the group. Say yes, and everyone in the group can ask Cole. Nobody becomes the payer without saying yes.Full steps and limits: How to add Cole to a WhatsApp group. Privacy rules for groups: how Cole works in group chats.
What Cole does not do
- It does not translate every message by itself. Cole only replies when someone tags it, uses its name or replies to it, so a rule like "translate everything" has nothing to act on. For that, use WhatsApp's automatic translation on Android.
- In a group, Cole cannot yet translate or use a voice note you reply to and tag it in. Pocodot downloads that voice note and has it transcribed, but the transcript is dropped before it reaches Cole. Forward the voice note to your private chat with Cole instead.
- A group rule sets the language Cole answers in. It does not change what other people write.
Related: summarizing a WhatsApp group chat and AI for group and community admins.
About Cole
Pocodot makes Cole, an AI assistant you add to WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram, LINE and Slack, including group chats. Cole handles reminders, email, calendar, research and calls, in private chats and group chats.
Frequently asked questions
Can WhatsApp translate group messages?
Yes, where Meta has made it available. Long-press a message and tap Translate. Meta says this works in chats, groups and Channel updates, happens on your device, and that Android users can turn on automatic translation for a whole chat. The translation is only on your phone.
How do I translate a message for everyone in a WhatsApp group?
Add Cole to the group, then reply to the message with "Cole, translate this into English." Cole posts the translation in the group, where everyone can read it.
Can an AI translate every message in my WhatsApp group automatically?
Cole does not. It only replies when someone tags it, uses its name or replies to it. For automatic translation of every incoming message on your own phone, Meta says Android users can turn it on for a chat.
Can Cole translate a WhatsApp voice note?
Yes, in your private chat. Forward the voice note to Cole and ask for the language you want; Cole transcribes it and answers. In a group, replying to someone's voice note and tagging Cole does not work yet: Pocodot downloads that voice note and has it transcribed, but today the transcript is dropped before it reaches Cole, so Cole cannot translate it or use it in its answer.
Can Cole answer different people in different languages?
Yes. Cole replies in the language each person writes in. A group can also set a rule such as "Cole, answer in Thai in this group."
Does translating with Cole cost anything?
Each translation is a reply that uses credits from the account that pays for Cole in the group. Cole is free to start with 150 one-time credits, and paid plans start at $19 a month for 2,000 credits.
Sources
- Meta Newsroom, Introducing Message Translations on WhatsApp (September 2025), read 18 October 2026.
- Cole: how Cole works in group chats, what Cole can do and pricing.
- Features, prices and availability change. Check each company's own page for your country before you decide.
Free to start
Add Cole to your WhatsApp group
Sign up, add Cole to the group, then reply to a message and ask.