WhatsApp now lets people without an account join its calls. Guest calling works through a call link that opens in a computer browser, so the person on the other end never has to install the app or sign up.
WhatsApp announced guest calling on its official blog today. The calls are free and end-to-end encrypted with no time limit, so a long session does not get cut off and nobody has to rejoin after a restart.
Guest calling follows WhatsApp’s work on guest chats, which first turned up in an Android beta last August. It also arrives a few months after WhatsApp added voice and video calling to WhatsApp Web.
Only People With a WhatsApp Account Can Start a Guest Call
To start one, open the Calls tab in WhatsApp, tap the plus icon, and create a call link. You can send that link through any app, so colleagues, classmates, or a tutor do not need WhatsApp to receive it.
Guests open the link in a computer browser, type in their name, and wait to be admitted. Both one-on-one and group calls work, and a single call can hold up to 32 people.
Creating the link still requires a WhatsApp account. Guest calling is built for people who already use the app and need to reach someone who does not.
Hosts Approve Every Guest and Can Remove Them at Any Time
Every guest has to be approved by the host before joining. They sit in a waiting room until the host lets them in, which keeps a forwarded link from putting a stranger on the call. The host can also remove a guest at any point.
Guests have fewer powers than regular participants. They cannot see other participants’ phone numbers, send messages in the call, or add anyone else to it.
They do get the core in-call tools that make a call useful for work or study:
- Screen sharing from a computer, for walking through documents or reviewing materials together
- Thumbs up and heart reactions
- Raise hand, to jump into the conversation without talking over someone
Calendar Invites With a WhatsApp Call Link Are Coming Later This Year
WhatsApp is also adding calendar integrations for Google and Outlook. After you install the WhatsApp plugin and connect your account, you can add a WhatsApp call link to a calendar invite straight from your calendar.
Everyone on the invite can join with or without a WhatsApp account. Call links can already be attached to events in the WhatsApp Events hub, and the plugin extends that to the Google and Outlook invites people already send for meetings and classes.
WhatsApp says the calendar integrations roll out later this year.
