WhatsApp now lets you invite people who don’t have a WhatsApp account to a call. Guests join through a link from a computer browser, and the host has to let them in first.
WhatsApp describes guest calling as available now and gives no separate rollout timing. Its announcement doesn’t name any country limit either.
In its announcement, WhatsApp puts it this way:
With guest calling, you can now invite anyone to join a WhatsApp call – even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account.
How to start a WhatsApp guest call
Only someone with a WhatsApp account can create a call link. WhatsApp lists these steps:
- Open the Calls tab.
- Tap +.
- Create a call link.
- Send the link to the people you want on the call.
Guests can join one-to-one calls and group calls of up to 32 people, once the host admits them.
How guests join a WhatsApp call without an account
A guest opens the link in a browser on their computer and types in their name. They then wait in a waiting room until the host lets them in.
WhatsApp’s post doesn’t describe joining from a phone browser or the app. For now, plan on guests using a laptop or desktop.
Once inside, guests aren’t limited to watching. They can share their screen, react with a thumbs-up or a heart, and raise a hand.
What hosts control, and what guests can’t do
The host decides who gets in and can remove a guest at any time. Guests can’t see other participants’ phone numbers. They also can’t send messages or add anyone to the call directly.
These safeguards come from WhatsApp’s own description, and they still lean on the host. A call link can be passed along to other people, so the waiting room is the real checkpoint. Check each name before you admit someone, especially on a larger group call.
WhatsApp also describes these calls as free, end-to-end encrypted and without time limits. Those are WhatsApp’s claims about its own service.
Calendar invites are coming later
WhatsApp says it will roll out calendar integrations for Google and Outlook calendars later this year, through a WhatsApp plugin. Everyone invited that way will be able to join with or without a WhatsApp account. WhatsApp hasn’t given a firmer date.
Guest calling lands alongside other recent WhatsApp changes, including scheduled messages in the Android beta.
Source: WhatsApp
