Voice and images
Before you press record, think about how the customer will listen
When to record, when to type, and how to keep a voice note short enough that an international customer can act on it.
When a customer sends a voice note, you can listen at your own pace. When you send one, you ask the other person to do the same, in your language, at your speed, with your accent.
Most cross-border voice problems are not about translation quality. They are about timing, length, and whether the other person wanted audio at all.
Type first, record when it helps
Text is searchable, quotable, and easy to forward to a colleague. Default to text for prices, specifications, addresses, and payment details.
A voice note earns its place when tone matters: an apology, an explanation of a delay, or a walkthrough of a problem that would take six messages to type. Record that part, then put the facts in text.
- Prices, quantities, dates, and bank details.
- Anything a colleague may need to read later.
- Anything the customer may forward to their own team.
Ask before you record
Do not assume a customer can listen. They may be in an open office, on a factory floor, or reading on a phone with the sound off. They may not follow your spoken language well enough to act on a note.
One question costs one message: "May I send a voice note, or do you prefer text?" If they choose text, stay in text.
Voice is common in markets where WhatsApp is the main business channel. That does not mean every contact wants it.
Keep it to 30 to 60 seconds
Aim for 30 to 60 seconds. Under 30 seconds is usually a text message. Over 90 seconds, many people postpone listening, and the note loses its purpose.
One note, one topic. If you have three topics, send three short notes or one written summary.
- Name the topic in the first sentence: "This is about order 2481 and the delivery date."
- Give the background in one or two sentences.
- State the decision or the change.
- End with one action: "Please confirm by Thursday."
Send the important parts in text
After the voice note, send one line of text with the facts: the date, the amount, the reference number. The customer can search for it later, and you can check it yourself.
This also protects you. If the audio is unclear, the connection drops, or the media fails to load, the text remains.
The extension can transcribe and translate a voice note you select, so you can read the content before you reply. The transcript is your own working record. It does not mean the customer understood the note, and it does not replace their own listening.
Where voice notes fail
Voice is a poor channel for contracts, complaints, and anything a third party may review. There is no reliable listened receipt, and most people skim audio.
Automatic transcription can mishear names, numbers, and product codes. Check those against a written source before you act on them.
The extension accepts OGG/Opus, MP3, WAV, and M4A for the voice note you select. Other formats are rejected. Transcription runs asynchronously, so a long note may take a moment to return. The extension does not send messages and does not listen to calls.
Do it on your device
Web
- Open WhatsApp Web in desktop Chrome 120 or later and open the chat.
- Hover the voice note and click the drop-down arrow beside it, or right-click the note.
- Choose inWind WA Helper, then run voice transcription or transcription with translation.
- Read the transcript in the sidebar and check names, numbers, and product codes before you reply.
The extension reads only the voice note you select. It does not scan the chat, listen to calls, or send messages.
iPhone
- Play the voice note in WhatsApp and ask the customer whether voice is convenient.
- Long-press the audio message, choose Share, and select the inWind WA Helper shortcut.
- On first run, choose the interface language and the target language, then sign in to the official service and finish the one-time binding.
- Copy the transcript from the result page and paste it back into WhatsApp.
Share one audio item at a time. The shortcut does not read other chats and does not send messages.
Android
- Long-press the voice note in WhatsApp, tap Share, and choose inWind WA Helper.
- Confirm that you shared a single audio item and wait for the result.
- Set the interface language and the target language separately in settings.
- Copy the transcript from the result page and paste it back into WhatsApp.
Ask whether the customer can listen before you record. Keep the note to 30 to 60 seconds, then send dates and amounts in text.
Frequently asked questions
Is a two-minute voice note too long?
For a first message, yes. Many customers will delay it. Split it into shorter notes or send text.
Can I translate my outgoing voice note before sending?
The extension translates a voice note you receive. It does not record or send voice messages for you. Write the outgoing message yourself and review it before sending.
What if the customer says they cannot listen?
Switch to text and keep the same structure: topic, facts, action.
Can I use the transcript as a record?
Use it as your own working record. Check names and numbers, and do not treat it as a legal transcript.
Give your next WhatsApp message to inWind
Understand foreign-language messages from your customers and prepare a reply in the language you know best. Text, images, and voice notes included.