WhatsApp has announced guest calling, a feature that lets somebody join a call even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account. The idea is simple: if you need to get a client, relative or school contact on a call and they’ve never installed the app, you no longer have to talk them into signing up first.
According to MacRumors, you start a guest call from the Calls tab by tapping “+” to create a call link, then send that link to anyone. You can join the call in a computer browser. The host stays in control throughout. Guests wait in a waiting room until the host lets them in, and hosts can remove them at any time.
Guests get a deliberately limited role. Engadget reports that guests can’t start a call, only accept invitations, and can’t see other users’ phone numbers, send messages or add people to the call. That fits with the privacy push behind the tools they do get: screen sharing, a raised hand, and thumbs-up and heart reactions. Guests have no time limits on participation.
Those limits mirror the little-known option to join a FaceTime call without an Apple account or device, and MacRumors notes that Apple started offering browser joining for FaceTime with iOS 15. WhatsApp says calls are free and end-to-end encrypted, supporting up to 32 people at once. Whether those apply identically to guest participants isn’t spelt out in the coverage we’ve read.
The next step is scheduling. WhatsApp says it plans to roll out calendar integrations later this year, letting users create a WhatsApp call from a Google or Outlook calendar. That would put guest links straight into meeting invites, where Google Meet, Zoom, and Teams already sit for most work calls.
The move continues a year of changes that loosen WhatsApp’s dependence on phone numbers and accounts. Engadget points to usernames that let people keep their phone numbers private, which we covered when they arrived. Rival Signal is also testing a number-free sign-up in beta.
WhatsApp hasn’t said anything about regional availability in the material we’ve seen, so UAE, Saudi and Egyptian users should check the Calls tab for the “+” call-link option in the latest app version.
Do guests need to install WhatsApp?
No. Guests open the call link in a browser, and WhatsApp says the link works in a computer browser. The host still has to let them in from the waiting room.
Can a guest start or host a call?
No. Guests can only accept invitations. Once approved, they can share their screen, raise a hand and react, but they can’t message anyone, add participants or see phone numbers.
Can I schedule guest calls from Google Calendar or Outlook?
Not yet. WhatsApp says calendar integrations for creating calls from Google or Outlook calendars are planned for later this year.
