WeSpeak Translate lets you assist guests in any language without knowing that language: incoming messages are shown to you translated into yours, and whatever you write is sent to the guest in their language. The guest never notices the translation — to them, the conversation was always in their own tongue.
In this article
- How to tell a conversation is in another language
- Reading translated messages
- Writing in your own language (auto-translate)
- Supported languages
- Limitations
- Frequently asked questions
How to tell a conversation is in another language
When the conversation's language differs from your panel's, WeSpeak flags it with the language flag and a translation icon in two places:
- In the conversation list, next to the time of the last message.
- In the chat header, next to the contact's name.
Reading translated messages
- When you open the conversation you'll see a blue banner: "We detected that this conversation is in {language}. Would you like to see the messages translated?"
- Click Translate messages (or No, thanks if you prefer the original).
- From then on, each guest message is shown translated, with the "Translated automatically" tag and the Show original link to switch between versions whenever you want.
💡 Your choice is remembered per language: if you agreed to translate from French, all French conversations are shown to you translated, without asking again. The same goes for No, thanks — the banner won't appear again for that language; if you later want to turn translation on, contact your WeSpeak advisor.
Translations are saved: each message is translated only once, so when you reopen the conversation you see them instantly, with no waiting. Older messages that you load by scrolling up are also translated automatically.
If a translation fails, you'll see "Couldn't translate" with a Retry button — the message is shown in its original language in the meantime.
Writing in your own language (auto-translate)
Above the compose box you'll see the Auto-translate toggle:
- On (green): you write in your language and the message is automatically translated into the guest's language before it's sent. The box reminds you: "Will be automatically translated to {language}".
- Off: the message is sent exactly as you wrote it — "Will be sent in your language".
ℹ️ In the chat, your message sent with auto-translate is shown as you wrote it (in your language). If you tap Show original on your own message, you see the translated version — that is, what the guest received. It's not a bug: they're the two sides of the same message.
Supported languages
The languages with a flag indicator are: Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic. Beyond those, translation works with virtually any other language the AI detects in the conversation.
Limitations
- Only text messages are translated (plus audio transcriptions): images, videos, files, templates, and catalogs are shown as-is.
- Translation is offered once the assistant has detected the conversation's language — in conversations where the assistant hasn't replied yet, the language isn't detected yet and the banner doesn't appear.
- One language per conversation is assumed: if the guest switches languages mid-chat, detection updates when the assistant replies again.
- The preview of the last message in the conversation list is shown in the original language; translation applies inside the conversation.
ℹ️ WeSpeak Translate is enabled per user. If you don't see the translation banners, check with your WeSpeak advisor.
Frequently asked questions
Does the guest know I'm using translation?
No. The guest receives and sends messages in their language, as always — translation happens only on your side of the panel.
Why isn't it offering to translate a conversation that's clearly in another language?
Two typical causes: the assistant hasn't replied in that conversation yet (the language hasn't been detected), or at some point you chose No, thanks for that language and the preference was saved. In the second case, contact your advisor to reactivate it.
Does each person on the team choose their own language?
Yes. Each user sees translations in their panel's language and decides on their own whether to translate — the preference is individual, not per account.
Are audio messages translated?
The audio is transcribed first, and the transcription is indeed shown translated into your language.