WeChat is a popular messaging and social media app developed by Tencent in China. With over 1 billion monthly active users, it has become an essential communication tool for many around the world.
Table of Contents
Changing the Display Language
WeChat supports multiple languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and more. If your app interface is showing in the wrong language, you can easily change it in the settings:
- Open WeChat and go to the “Me” tab in the bottom right (我 in Chinese)
- Tap on “Settings” (设置)
- Choose “General” (通用)
- Select “Language” (语言)
- Pick your preferred language from the list
- Tap “Done” to save the changes
By default, WeChat will match the language you set on your device. So if your phone is set to English, WeChat will automatically be in English too.
Pro Tip: If your WeChat is stuck in Chinese, look for icons that resemble a language or translation to find the correct menus.
Translating Messages
In addition to changing the display language, WeChat also allows translating messages between users. This feature supports 20+ languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, and more.
To translate a message:
- Go to the “Chats” tab in WeChat
- Tap on the conversation you want to translate
- Long press the message you want to translate
- A menu pops up – choose “Translate”
- The message will be translated to the language you set in your WeChat settings
The translation happens automatically in real-time, allowing seamless conversations between users who speak different languages.
Scanning and Translating Text
WeChat has an optical character recognition (OCR) feature that can scan and instantly translate Chinese/English text from images and screenshots into your set language.
To use it:
- Go to the “+” tab > Scan > Translate
- Toggle between “Scan” and “Translate” modes at the bottom
- In Translate mode, take a photo of text you want to translate or choose an existing image from your gallery
- The English/Chinese translation will appear automatically
This feature is extremely useful for translating signs, menus, documents, and other text when travelling or living abroad.
Voice and Video Calls
WeChat supports high-quality voice and video calls between users. To start a call:
- Go to your contacts or any conversation
- Tap the phone or video icon at the top to initiate a call
- The recipient will get an incoming call prompt which they can answer or decline
Calls work reliably over Wi-Fi and cellular data. You can switch between front and rear cameras on video calls as well as mute your mic if needed.
Moments
Moments is WeChat’s social feed allowing users to post text, images, videos, articles and more. It’s similar to Facebook’s News Feed or Instagram Stories.
To translate Moments posts:
- Go to the “Discover” tab
- Tap on any Moment
- Tap and hold the text you want to translate
- Choose “Translate” from the menu
WeChat will detect the post’s original language and translate it automatically to your set language. This allows easy reading of posts from your connections around the world.
Official Accounts
In addition to messaging users, WeChat allows official accounts from businesses, organizations, media outlets and public figures. These accounts can send out updates through posts and offer customer service conversations.
Many official accounts detect your WeChat language setting and will automatically translate new posts into your language. This keeps you connected globally to brands and services you care about.
Built-In Browser
WeChat has a built-in web browser that opens web pages within the app. The browser can translate Chinese websites into English with a single tap:
- In the Discover tab, tap on “Web” in the bottom menu
- Open any Chinese language website
- Tap the “Translate” button on the top bar
- The page will be translated to English automatically
The translation integration removes language barriers when browsing Chinese sites. Pages render nicely in the mobile browser with smooth scrolling and tap interactions.
Location Sharing
WeChat allows real-time location sharing with your friends and contacts. To use it:
- Open a chat and tap “+”
- Choose “Location” and select how long you want to share (15 min, 1 hour, 8 hours, always on)
- The person will see your location marker on a map along with the remaining time
You can stop sharing at any time. This is useful for finding friends nearby or coordinating meetups in cities. Location permissions need to be enabled.
Group Chats
WeChat supports groups with up to 500 members for messaging, calls, video chats and more. Group admins can name groups, add/remove members, and enable translation for multi-language chats.
To translate messages in a group:
- Long press the message you want to translate
- Select “Translate” from the menu
- The original and translated text will both display one after the other
Group members can like and reply to messages even in translated form. This keeps conversations seamless between members speaking different languages.
Security and Privacy
WeChat uses state-of-the-art encryption protocols to protect your messages, data and privacy. It has received TRUSTe’s Privacy Certification in many countries globally.
That said, some user data is shared with the Chinese government as per local laws and regulations. Users concerned about privacy should take appropriate precautions when sharing personal or sensitive information over WeChat.
Tips for Using WeChat Abroad
Here are some additional tips for using WeChat effectively when travelling or living abroad:
- Download the WeChat app before your trip and set up your account
- Get an international SIM card with data to avoid roaming fees
- Set your WeChat display language to your native tongue for ease of use
- Translate key travel phrases to have handy when exploring
- Connect with locals by joining WeChat groups related to your interests
- Use the scan and translate features on menus, signs, transport timetables etc
- Share your location with travel buddies to meet up and explore together
- Stay in touch with new friends by exchanging WeChat IDs before saying goodbye
Conclusion
WeChat has revolutionized messaging and connectivity across language barriers. With real-time translation features, it has become easy to chat with anyone around the world.
Changing your display language takes just a few taps in settings. From there, you can seamlessly translate chats, moments, posts, groups and more. Add the ability to share locations, make calls, browse websites and you have an incredibly useful app when travelling or living abroad.
So download WeChat before your next trip overseas and connect with the locals in their native language. The app helps remove frustrating language barriers for a smooth cross-cultural experience.
